I know, I know… creating a website can be confusing.
Ten years ago, when I created my first how to make website website, I knew absolutely nothing about websites or web development. I kept searching for information and “how-to” guides on Google, but they all required technical skills, and I found them extremely difficult to follow.
Since then, I’ve built and managed more than 30 different websites, and along the way, I’ve learned a ton about web development.
What I can say is that creating websites can be extremely easy and doesn’t have to require any coding skills (like HTML or CSS). In fact, the whole process can be somewhat automatic. So whether you are 20 or 80 years old, it doesn’t really matter – you can still make a site.
Here’s my own website, which I made in less than 20 minutes using a free tool called WordPress. You can do that too by following the straightforward steps below.
If you’re still hesitating, I suggest reading my article: “Reasons Why You Should Create Your Own Website.”
P.S. If you ever get stuck while setting up your website, get in touch with us, and I’ll help you out 🙂.
Ready to have your website up and running in the next 30 minutes? Grab a coffee or tea, and let’s get started.
Step 1: Define the Type of Website
The first thing you need to do is determine the type of website you want to create.
Is there a specific purpose you want your website to serve?
Websites can serve a variety of functions, from sharing information and blogging to offering services or selling products.
Some of the most popular website types include:
- Personal website
- Portfolio
- Service/Business website
- Blog
- E-commerce
For example, if you’re interested in providing professional services, you might consider creating a portfolio or service-based website. If you’re looking to sell items, how to make website an e-commerce site would be the best choice.
When I created my first website, I was passionate about classic cars, so I chose to build a blog to share information and resources.
It doesn’t make sense to create a website that doesn’t align with your goals. It’s much easier to manage and maintain a website that suits your interests and objectives.
It’s even better if you have experience in a particular field or industry because you’ll know exactly what type of website will best serve your needs, whether it’s how to make website for offering services, selling products, or sharing knowledge.
Step 2: Decide Which Website Platform to Use: Free or Paid?
When you’re deciding on a platform to use to build your first website, there are options and services that are free and premium, but it can be confusing.
This is especially true in cases where you can sign up for free, but you need to upgrade to premium to launch, for example. That’s why WordPress is the most popular platform for building websites.
In fact, 43% of websites on the public-facing world wide web how to make website are built using the free WordPress platform. It holds a 62.7% global market share in the content management system (CMS) market.
Here’s why I think using WordPress is the best way to start your website:
- You can choose from many different how to make website layouts and free themes.
- You can easily create and manage pages, add images, and customize your content.
- You can organize your content with categories and create a custom menu.
- Visitors can interact with your site by leaving comments and sharing your content.
- And much more…
Free is Not Truly Free…
Yes, you can create a free website on platforms how to make website like wix.com or canva.com, but they are not entirely free. Here’s why:
- You won’t get your own domain name: You’ll be stuck with a sub-domain. For example, instead of having your own domain like mywebsite.com, how to make website it would look like mywebsite.wix.com, which commonly doesn’t seem as polished and professional.
- Limited themes, layouts, and add-ons: Your website can look plain and unappealing. If you want additional themes or plugins to customize your site, you’ll have to pay, and it can get expensive.
- You have no control over your website: Since your site is hosted on another platform, you don’t truly own it. If the platform’s moderators decide that your site doesn’t fit their policies (which happens more often than you’d think), they can delete your site without warning. All your hard work could vanish in seconds.
- You can’t fully monetize your website: If you plan to earn money or sell items through your website, a free platform will severely limit your options.
What Does It Cost to Start a Self-Hosted Website on Your Own Domain?
Not much. You’ll need a domain name, how to make website which costs around $10-$15 a year, and web hosting (a service that connects your website to the internet), which starts at about $3-$9 a month (less than a movie ticket).
The great thing about a self-hosted website is that you’re not locked in. If you decide that operating a website isn’t for you, you can cancel how to make website anytime, and many services offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you decide you need more resources, you can also upgrade.
Step 3: Choose a Domain, Hosting, and Set Up Your Website
If you’ve decided to go with a self-how to make website hosted website on your own domain—smart choice. Finding a great domain name can take some time, but it’s worth the effort.
I suggest picking something brandable and easy to remember.
For example, if you’re planning to start an automotive website, choosing a domain like www.classiccars2024.com or www.best-car-website.com might not be the best idea.
Why?
People simply cannot remember long how to make website domain names, and when they want to return to your website, they’re likely to forget it.
It’s much better to choose something how to make website memorable, such as www.TopGear.com, www.MotorTrend.com, or something similar. Alternatively, you could use your own name as the domain, like www.FirstnameLastname.com.
In short, your domain name should be:
- Catchy
- Easy to remember
- Unique
- Avoid numbers
Where to Get a Domain Name and Website Hosting
I usually suggest people get both their how to make website domain and hosting from the same provider. This approach saves you both money and time. Over the past few years, while creating and managing websites, I’ve discovered that there are very few truly reliable hosting companies.
To be more specific, I’ve used several hosting how to make website companies in the past, such as NameCheap, GoDaddy and others.
However, I wasn’t entirely satisfied with them. how to make website Their customer support wasn’t particularly professional, and it often took a long time to get in touch with someone. Sometimes my site would be offline for hours without any professional help.
One of the most reliable hosting how to make website providers I’ve found—and the one I’m currently using—is Hostinger (our partner). Their service is quite affordable compared to others, and they are well-known for their excellent customer support via email and phone, which is available 24/7.
Hostinger is also perfect for beginners as they offer a “One-Click Installation” feature that makes setting up a WordPress website incredibly easy. You simply click a few buttons and your self-hosted website on your own domain is ready:
Of course, you can use any other hosting company, and I’ve included a tutorial on how to install your website manually as well. If you decide how to make website to go with a different hosting provider, make sure they offer enough bandwidth and disk space so that you can install WordPress with the minimum requirements. This will help you avoid problems later on.
You have two options to set up how to make website your website:
- A. With “One-Click Installation” using Hostinger (free domain included)
- B. Manually to any web host
The One-Click Installation is how to make website ideal for beginners or anyone creating their first website. If you’re more experienced with the internet and computers, you might prefer the manual installation tutorial. Whichever method you choose, you’ll have your website up and running in no time.
A) How to Set Up Website Using Hostinger (For Beginners)
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B) How to Set Up a Website Manually to Any Host (Advanced)
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Writing Your First Post, Choosing a New Theme, and Promoting Your Website
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Congratulations, Your Website is Ready
Well done! At this stage, your website should be up and running smoothly.
If you encounter any how to make website difficulties or need assistance with your website setup, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Additionally, it’s important to link your website with Google Search Console. This valuable tool, also known as GSC, helps you monitor traffic from search engines and identify which content resonates most with your audience.
Google Search Console provides a comprehensive view of your website’s performance, offering insights that are essential for how to make website its upkeep. The configuration process for this tool is straightforward and should take roughly 10 minutes.
P.S. Two quick things:
1. If you found this guide helpful, please consider sharing it below. Your support means a lot to me.
2. If you’ve launched your website, you how to make website may want to get a free review of your new website.