Before you can get your new website online, you have to make many important decisions. Whether you want to start a blog, set up an online store, or launch a freelance portfolio, you’ll first need to figure out how you’re going to build it. However, evaluating all your options can be a bit overwhelming.
Fortunately, it’s not that difficult to understand the most common ways to create a website. Once you know what your options are, along with the pros and cons of each, you’ll be well positioned to make the right decision for your unique site.
In this article, we’ll review the Top Four Ways to Build a website. We’ll take a look at how much each option usually costs and mention some of its benefits and drawbacks. Let’s dive in!
What to Consider Before Building a Website
Before deciding how to build your website, you will need to consider two critical factors. These are:
- Time. The time it takes to create a website can vary greatly depending on the method you use. Therefore, it is essential to know if you are in a hurry or if you can afford to take your time.
- Budget. Building a website can be economical if you do it the right way. correct. . But if you want to avoid ads on your site or access enhanced features, for example, you may need to budget some funds to get what you need.
Knowing how much time and money you have available for your website project is key. This will help guide you when considering the following options, as there is no “right way” to create a website.
Four different ways to create a website
As we mentioned earlier, there are many different ways to approach the process of developing a website. We’ll go over four of the most popular techniques and see how they compare.
1. Use a website builder
A website builder is a tool that allows you to create a website very quickly. These solutions usually come with drag and drop functionality, include templates for design, and don’t require you to have any coding knowledge.
One example is WP Website Builder which comes free with all of our plans here at DreamHost.
This builder allows you to choose from many pre-built content blocks. For example, you can select a contact information block designed specifically for restaurant websites. Then you can customize it with your own colors, fonts, images, etc.
Related: What Are Website Builders? Everything You Need to Know
Website builders can save you time and money, getting your new site up and running quickly. Plus, with the right builder, you can tweak elements of your site design to fit your brand. So you don’t necessarily have to worry about ending up with a “cookie cutter” website.
At the same time, it’s worth noting that any website builder is limited by nature and you might don’t give you as much control over the look and functionality of your site as some of the other options on our list. However, we’ll talk later about how some methods can be combined with a website builder to help you create innovative websites.
2. Opt for a Content Management System (CMS)
Content Management Systems (CMS) are often confused with website builders. However, a CMS is a complete platform for creating and publishing digital content. They are much more complex and flexible than a website builder and can be used to build more than just websites.
By far the most popular CMS is WordPress, with a market share of over 60%. %.
Another thing that distinguishes a CMS from a website builder is that it is based on powerful database software. This means that you can store content and other resources in a very organized way. This allows you to display and organize your content in unique ways and even incorporate custom code.
There are other CMS options on the market as well, including:
- Joomla. This is a free and open source CMS. While similar to WordPress in that regard, Joomla is not as easy to use and has a steeper learning curve.
- Drupal. Drupal is another open source option and is even more complex than Joomla. It is a platform more oriented to experienced web developers.
- Magento. Magento is an Adobe product that is specifically tailored to e-commerce websites and their needs. There is also an open source version of Magento.
CMS offer a lot of flexibility and can be used to create almost any type of website.Plus, you don’t need a lot of technical knowledge to get started. Fortunately, many high-quality web hosts (including us!) offer one-click installation of many CMSs, especially WordPress. Not sure which CMS is best for your site? Here are 12 reasons why we recommend WordPress.
Related: How to Start a WordPress Site in 5 Minutes
3. Do it yourself with HTML and CSS
If you’re technically inclined, you can always build your website from scratch using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets ( CSS). These are the fundamental languages used to create most websites.
If you’re going to approach designing your website with HTML and CSS, you’ll want to put together a few tools, including:
- A code editor >. You may want your code editor to do a lot of the file management for you, or you may just want a tool that makes your code easier to view. Some examples include Brackets, Visual Studio, and PhpStorm.
- A File Transfer Protocol (FTP) application. When you develop from scratch, you’ll need a way to transfer your HTML files to and from your web server. If your code editor doesn’t have that built-in feature, you might want to check out a free option like FileZilla or a premium app like CuteFTP. Here is a complete list of FTP clients that we have compiled.
- A local development site. This allows you to build and experiment on your local machine before publishing your site online. Many web hosts offer simple website organization solutions.
Developing your website from scratch allows for maximum flexibility. At the same time, you will need to have a lot of free time and a deep understanding of programming to pull it off.
Related: How to Build an Awesome Online Store with WordPress
4. Hire a web designer and/or developer
Lastly, hiring a web developer to create the perfect website is always an option. Web developers are plentiful, although finding a reliable and highly-skilled one for your project can take a bit of effort.
If you’re interested in going this route, here are some tips for finding a quality web developer and managing a productive relationship with them:
- Decide if I’ll use an agency or an independent professional. If you’re interested in hiring a freelancer, sites like Upwork and Fiverr can be helpful.
- Make sure you have clearly defined goals for your website.
- Determine in advance how many pages your website needs, so you can establish a reasonable scope of work.
Outsourcing your website construction work allows you to get exactly what you want without needing to know anything about development or coding.
However, this is by far the most expensive option. Getting a custom site up and running can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars (or more), depending on its size and complexity.
Get started on your website today with DreamHost
We understand that there are many decisions to make once you decide to create a website. In addition to choosing how you’ll build your site, you’ll also need to find a secure and reliable web host.
That’s why DreamHost offers several hosting options so you can find the perfect plan for your needs.
If you’re just getting started, one of the fastest ways to get your site up and running is with WordPress pre-installed and an easy-to-use website builder. Fortunately, our annual shared hosting plans include both! Even better? We also include a free domain name and SSL/TLS certificate.
Is it time to put your web design dreams into action? Take a look at our shared hosting options today and you’ll be up and running in no time.
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