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Making A Website 2024

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An Easy and Comprehensive Guide

 

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Building a website is no small feat. It was only possible for those proficient in code and computer programs in the past. However, nowadays, this is no longer the case. Due to the advent of website builders, it is possible for anyone to make their own website with a bit of research. Here we explain an easy and comprehensive guide to making a website in 2023.

The First Step

Introduction:
Creating a website is an exciting venture that allows you to establish an online presence and reach a wider audience. Whether you’re building a personal blog, an e-commerce store, or a professional portfolio, following the right steps is crucial for a successful website launch. In this guide, we will walk you through the first five essential steps in making a website.

Step 1: Define Your Website’s Purpose and Goals

Before diving into the technical aspects of website development, it’s important to clearly define your website’s purpose and goals. Determine what you want to achieve with your website, whether it’s to showcase your work, sell products, share information, or engage with an online community. Having a clear understanding of your website’s objectives will guide your decision-making process throughout the development and design stages.

Step 2: Choose a Suitable Website Platform or Content Management System (CMS)

To bring your website to life, you’ll need a reliable website platform or content management system (CMS). There are various options available, each with its own features and benefits. Popular CMS platforms include WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla. Consider factors such as ease of use, scalability, customization options, and community support when selecting the most suitable platform for your needs.

Choosing the website platform you wish to use is extremely important when you are building your website. Website builders are perfect for individuals or small businesses who wish to start a website without hiring a developer. However, finding the best builder can be tricky for beginners. With a plethora of website builders, it can be daunting to pick one properly. Lucky for you, we are here to help you decide on a proper website builder.

Before these free website builders, only computer programmers who had a grasp of computer code could develop websites. A beginner couldn’t make a website, however, nowadays there are many different software systems to help you make your dream website. Some software systems also have integrated free builders into their packages. It is now a standard to have easy-to-use templates to make your website.

A high-quality builder is vital for a successful website. Thus it is important to pick the builder that is both easy to use and offers advanced and attractive templates. The interface should also be user-friendly and allow for structural control. Here are some examples of the best website builders in the market currently.

 

  • WordPress.org
  • Constant Contact Website Builder
  • Wix
  • web.com
  • Gator by Hostgator
  • Zyro
  • Domain.com
  • Squarespace
  • GoDaddy Website Builder
  • By far, the most popular used website platform is WordPress.

Why use WordPress?

WordPress is the most often used site-building package in the world. It is free to download and can be used by individuals with no knowledge of code or programming. Let us look at some benefits of using WordPress

 

  • Flexible and Adaptable:

 

WordPress was originally designed for blogging and online publishing, however, it is also used to run complex websites for large corporations as well as small businesses. Whatever a company requires, WordPress can provide.

  • User-Friendly:

 

Especially for beginners, WordPress can easily be used. It can be installed and running in just a matter of minutes without any technical expertise. It can be installed directly from WordPress.org, after which an easy-to-navigate admin dashboard has all the features needed for a good website.

 

  • WordPress Sites Rank High:

 

Keywords are extremely important if you want people to actually see your website, and WordPress sites rank high due to their keywords. This is due to them being constantly being updated and the tools available to optimize content.

 

  • WordPress Sites are Mobile Responsive:

 

Mobile responsiveness is important to maximizing your eyes on your website. Websites should look appealing on any device used. Thus WordPress offers a variety of responsive theme designs.

 

  • Support from the Community

 

As WordPress is free, it has a large and caring community. This community is responsible for keeping WordPress updated and secure. This same community can help you greatly in any issue you may face.

Builders other than WordPress

 

WordPress is by far the most used builder. However, there are other amazing website builders that are easy to use.

  • Wix: Wix is an easy-to-use website builder with a very simple interface. However, it has a higher cost and is not suitable for larger sites. Another drawback of using Wix is that it is impossible to migrate your website if need be

 

  • Squarespace:

 

Squarespace is perfect for those who want an aesthetically pleasing website. Beautiful websites can easily be made, however, it comes at a high monthly cost. It is also impossible to migrate your website if the need arises.

 

  • GoDaddy Website Builder:

 

GoDaddy is also a good choice as its hosting is extremely cheap at only $1, they provide 24/7 support and have step-by-step tutorials. However, they have very basic designs and you cannot be switch between themes without losing content.

 

After you have decided on a builder, we can then move on to the next step. Do note however you should spend as much time as you can on deciding your website builder as it will play a large role in building your website. You want to make sure the builder you use allows you to be creative and create the website you are envisioning.

Step 3: Register a Domain Name

A domain name is the unique address that users will use to access your website. It’s important to choose a domain name that reflects your brand or website’s purpose. Consider a domain name that is memorable, easy to spell, and relevant to your niche. Once you have selected a domain name, register it with a reputable domain registrar. Common domain registrars include 1lovehosting, godaddy Namecheap, and Google Domains.

Check Domain Name Availability Now

 


 

 

It is important to have a catchy domain name and your own domain name can make your website seem more professional. Along with a catchy domain name, a quality hosting service is just as important. The hosting service determines how quickly your website will load when someone visits it.

 

Without a proper domain name or a hosting service, your website will unfortunately not prosper, thus it is extremely important you choose an ideal hosting service as well as coming up with a catchy domain name.

 

Getting a Domain Name and Finding a Host

 

Choosing a proper domain name is vital for people to visit your website. There are two main types of websites: a business website and a personal website. Based on which website you want the domain name will change respectively.

  1. If you are setting up a business website, your domain should match your company name. For example, if your company’s name is XYZ, then your domain name should be something like XYZ.com.
  2. If you are planning on making a personal website, then using your name can be a good option.

 

Some other important tips for a domain name are as follows:

  • Can your domain name be easily remembered and branded. You want a domain name that rolls off the tongue easily, if it is too long or hard to remember visitors may forget it later on.
  • Your domain name should also be catchy and stick in the head of viewers. However, the most important rule is that if you like it, then do choose it. If you feel like the name suits your website then go for it.

 

Your domain name is the website’s identity, therefore having a perfect domain name can go a long way for your website and how many people it reaches.

Step 4: Find a Reliable Web Hosting Provider

Web hosting is the service that allows your website to be accessible on the internet. It’s essential to choose a reliable web hosting provider that offers good server performance, security features, technical support, and scalability options. Research different hosting providers, compare their plans and pricing, and select the one that best fits your website’s requirements.

Along with a domain name, it is important to have a quality host service. There are many web hosting providers and choosing the right one is important for the integrity of your website. Some examples of the best web hosting providers are as follows:

 

BlueHost is perfect for beginners, It is also cheap and they throw in a free domain name

 

DreamHost has one of the most affordable month-to-month plans available in the market

 

 

Hostgator Is ideal for those who have minimalistic needs.

 

 

GreenGeeks have the best Eco-Friendly Hosting

 

 

A2Hosting is ideal if you want your WordPress Site Speedy and Secure.

 

All of these web-hosting providers are spectacular and all of them can provide you with the service you desire.

 

After you choose a website builder, a domain name, and a web hosting provider, it is time to start building your website. You have done all the boring tasks, now it’s the time to create the website of your dreams.

 

The Final Step

 

Set up your website and start designing

 

For the sake of simplicity, we will be assuming you decided to use WordPress for your website. These steps will work for all website builders, there will only be minor differences. Any website builder will work. Most of the reliable web hosting companies have integrated a simple one-click installation for WordPress these days.

 

If you decide to use Bluehost as your web-hosting provider, you can find the one-click installation in your account control panel, this is true for most web-hosting providers as well. Sometimes it may be available in the account creation process.  The simple steps if you use Bluehost are as follows:

  1. Go to Bluehost.com and choose your hosting plan
  2. Type your domain name and fill in the information required
  3. Go through the payment process, log in and use the one-click WordPress install option.

 

If for some reason the hosting company does not provide a one-click-install for WordPress, you can always install it manually. The same is true for most website-builders, usually, there will be a one-click install option otherwise you must install it manually.

Deciding a Theme for your Website

 

After you have logged into your web hosting provider and downloaded your website builder, you have to then decide on a theme for your website. Most website builders have themes that are design templates which makes changing your site both easy and quick. For example, WordPress has almost 8,000 themes, which are all free to use.

 

Use the search bar to find a theme that suits your website and you can view a demo of it or read more about it in most website builders. Once you find a theme simply install the theme. If you don’t find any themes that meet your criteria some premium theme markets may have what you are looking for. Some examples are as follows:

  • ThemeForest
  • Creative Market
  • Themify

Content Time

 

You can have the best themes in the whole world, but without quality content, you won’t find success. The theme and all your customization revolve around the content on your website. As you visit websites, you oftentimes notice every website has a few key pages: an about page and a contact page. These pages are a must need in every website, and when you decide which pages to add consider the point of your website.

 

Which pages would be helpful to visitors, along with written content, visual content is just as important. Photos and a nice color palette can help visitors remember your website and maximize the chances of them visiting again.

 

Website builders can help you easily make different pages, if you are using WordPress you simply need to go to Appearance> Customize. This allows you to add many features like images and formatting. All you have to do is repeat this process for the number of pages you want for your website.

Plugins

 

Plugins can greatly improve the customization of your website. There are many plugins to choose from each having a unique function and bringing something fresh to your website. Some plugins you should consider installing are as follows:

  • Yoast SEO- A top search engine optimization plugin, which helps brings more viewers
  • Jetpack- This plugin improves website speed and social media integration
  • Elementor- This website builder offers visual editing and fast load times.
  • Beaver Builder- This builder plugin speeds up designing your website considerably.

 

Plugins are very helpful to help your website stand out amongst the others and provides a completely new opportunity to express your ideas. There is an enormous amount of free plugins and if you do not find the one you desire, you can always use plugins provided by third-party marketplaces.

Organization and Customization

 

Along with content and visual content, the organization of one’s website is key to its success. Your website should have an easy-to-follow structure as you add more and more content. It should be organized in such a way that you can find anything whenever you want. One menu, which helps greatly, is the navigation menu. Once you make some pages, you want to create a navigation menu that can help greatly organize your website.

Along with organization, there are many different customization options available in all website builders. Some examples of these are:

  • Colors
  • Menus
  • Widgets
  • Titles

Along with these customizations, you can also add plug-ins to add new features and functionality. There are many already available from the website builder, however, you can always find more from third-party marketplaces.

 

You can also add a blog to just add more content. For example, in WordPress, you have to select a blog page. This will allow you to easily and quickly make a blog page. Writing a blog can offer you display your expertise, publish fresh content and provide a window to express your thoughts. You can raise awareness and shed light on the problems humanity is currently facing in your blogs. Using any website builder, making a blog is relatively simple. After customizing a theme and writing your blog, you simply have to publish it.

 

You can also make an online store if you so desire. Plugins can also help your e-commerce site if you are making a website to sell items. One popular plugin for online stores is WooCommerce. Some advantages of WooCommerce are as follows:

  • You can set it up quickly and easily
  • You can offer many payment options, which makes it easy for users.
  • It also offers a variety of extensions, which can be purchased to customize your site even more.

Security in your Website

 

As more and more viewers visit your website, their security is important to avoid any major issues. User’s also preferred those businesses that prioritize user privacy. If you are using Bluehost, you can easily check if your secure sockets layer (SSL) is active. Simply log in, go to My Sites and find the Security tab.  This will allow you to make sure your SSL certificate is verified and your website is secure. To check this, visit your website, and a lock icon should appear next to the domain name.

 

Web security is important to ensure that hackers and cyber-thieves cannot access any information given on the site or the information of your users. Without proper security, businesses risk the spread of malware on their website and other IT infrastructure.

 

Good security is vital for any successful business. It brings user satisfaction and also makes the user feel safe at your website. Without good security, no website can ever be successful.

 

Launching Time

 

Once you have made all your customizations, pages and configured your security, it is time to launch your website. Double triple-check all your pages, grammar, and content, and there should be a launch button available based on the website builder being used.

Conclusion

 

Learning how to make a website is a major accomplishment, and you should certainly be proud of yourself. Guides can help but the bulk of the work has to be done individually. However, once you have made your website and actually have launched it, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing your website hit the Internet.

 

This is only the beginning of the journey, you can build on this knowledge and learn more complex functionalities and features to further enhance your website. This guide will certainly help you understand the basics of making a website, whilst allowing you to fully express your creativity and create a website you always dreamed of.