How to Make a Website From Scratch: A Beginners Guide

Having a website helps increase your online presence, whether it’s your personal blog or your business, by connecting you with a larger audience. A website can also become a platform to share your opinions and skills, creating opportunities for personal or work-related projects.

This article will help you turn your website idea into a fully fledged website. Functional: Choose a suitable website platform, get a web hosting plan and choose a memorable domain name using a web domain verification tool. We’ll also give you tips on how to optimize it.

As an example, we’ll show you how to build a high-quality website using the WordPress content management system and Hostinger’s website builder. Both platforms are beginner-friendly and don’t require any coding knowledge.

We’ll also share what to do after publishing a website and answer some frequently asked questions. By the end of this article, you will be able to create your first website from scratch.

How to Make a Website – Video Tutorial

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a website from scratch. zero using WordPress.

3 things to do before building a website

Before building your first website, you need to understand these three essentials: what is building a website? website? platform, web hosting, and a domain name.

Choose the Right Platform: CMS vs. Website Builder

The two most popular platforms for building a website are web systems. content management (CMS) and website builders.

Remember to do some research before making the final decision, as using the platform that is most suitable for your needs will make the website creation process faster. make the web much more manageable.

A CMS is computer software for designing, managing, and publishing website content. In this article, we will focus on WordPress as it is the popular CMS platform, which powers more than 42% of all websites on the internet.

On the other hand, a website builder is a program o tool that simplifies website creation even more. Hostinger’s website builder is one of the website builders that offers high-quality templates and an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface.

To choose the right website building platform for you your needs, consider the following factors:

  • Technical knowledge. Some platforms have a steeper learning curve than others. Consider your technical and coding skills to make the web development process more manageable.
  • Cost. Find a platform that’s right for your budget. Also, check if you will be able to upgrade once your website receives more traffic.
  • Support. Depending on the type of website, some may need more help than others. For example, a busy professional website will need immediate direct support when there is an error. However, a small personal blog can rely solely on community support.

Get a Web Hosting Plan

Web hosting is a service that publishes a site web or a web application on the Internet. Before choosing a hosting plan, decide what type of web hosting is right for your needs. If you are using a platform like WordPress, you may want to consider different CMS web hosting options as they offer optimized solutions designed specifically for CMS sites.

This is because most website builders use their own hosting providers. So please skip to the next section if you have chosen to use a website builder.

To find a suitable web host, think about the type of website you are building and keep these in mind. elements:

  • Cost. Some web hosts charge more than others. Be sure to adjust the price of the accommodation to your overall budget.
  • Features. Consider bandwidth and storage to see if the hosting provider can support your website files and the number of targeted visitors.
  • Security. Check out the built-in security measures, such as automatic backups and an SSL certificate.
  • Support. Different web hosting companies offer their own set of support, either through live chat or email. Be sure to select a web host that can provide reliable 24/7 support.

After finding a suitable host, take a look at the different plans. Ultimately, the choice of a web hosting plan depends on the type of website you want to build. For example, if you want to build a WordPress eCommerce store, check out Hostinger’s WooCommerce plans.

Don’t forget to check out the following features though:

  • Free domain name. Hosting companies like Hostinger offer plans that come with a free domain, at least for the first year. Selecting a plan with this benefit will reduce the initial costs of building a website.
  • Adequate storage. Adjust the storage capacity to make sure it’s enough for all your files, images, and videos without slowing down the website.
  • High bandwidth.Opt for unlimited bandwidth so your website can handle heavy traffic at any time.

If you are looking for a beginner-friendly hosting service to build a small or medium-sized website, we recommend you use web hosting Hostinger offers cheap web hosting and more premium plans. That being said, our Premium Shared Hosting plan is priced at $2.99/month with a free domain name registration, plus unlimited bandwidth and databases. You can also get the extra discount that Hostinger regularly offers for different hosting plans.

On the other hand, hosting a website on VPS gives you access to a more secure and flexible server, but it requires some technical knowledge to use. . Although you can install an easy to use control panel with your VPS like Cyberpanel, powered by LiteSpeed.

At Hostinger you can buy VPS hosting plans for $3.99/month for $77.99/month. All plans come with a dedicated IP address and 24/7 live chat support.

For large websites, such as online stores, cloud hosting offers a excellent reliability. For example, Hostinger’s Cloud Startup plan costs $9.99/month, comes with industry-standard data protection, a free content delivery network (CDN), and copies daily security checks.

Choose a memorable domain name

Finally, choose a domain name for your website. A custom domain name is not only essential in helping visitors find a website, it is also part of the brand. A memorable domain name can also generate high organic traffic.

To find the right domain for your website, consider the following elements:

  • Acclaim . Choose a domain that is short and clear to prevent visitors from misspelling it. Using familiar words will help visitors remember your domain name more easily.
  • Availability. Use a web domain checker to check if the desired domain name is available. If not, try changing the extension or find an alternate domain name.
  • Cost. When choosing a domain that fits your budget, keep in mind that different top-level domains (TLDs) have different prices. A domain can cost $0.99-12.99/year with Hostinger.

Next, register your domain using a reputable domain name registrar. Fortunately, most website builders and web hosts offer domain name registration with some pricing plans. However, getting your own domain name will require more research.

The first step in registering a domain on your own is to find an Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (registrar ICANN accredited. Different registrars will offer their own set of services, prices and packages.

It is vital to register with a reputable registrar as it will store all your related information. Also, the domain registrar can change your details in the domain database.

How to create a website with a website builder

Best for: total beginners with no web development experience Key features: hosting included, code-free interface, ready-to-use templates, visual builderWebsite examples: portfolio, resume, even website, blog, business website, e-commerce store

Once you’ve set up the platform, hosting, and purchased your domain, it’s time to create your own website.

Creating websites with a website builder is very easy. Hostinger’s website builder, for example, offers an easy-to-use interface for creating your own content and design. Some of the other top benefits of using Hostinger’s own website builder include:

  • Cloud Hosting – More reliable performance and less prone to downtime. inactivity.
  • Security: Complies with PCI standards for private visitor information.
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) tools – Help with branding, marketing and optimizing a website.
  • Quick Setup – Intuitive interface to edit and create your own content.

Because Hostinger’s website builder is highly visual, it’s ideal for online portfolios, photography blogs, and media websites. Here are the steps to use this website builder:

  • Start by choosing the right template for your site
  • Create the main homepage
  • Customize other pages
  • Optimize navigation
  • Add visuals like images and videos
  • Save and publish your site

1. Choose a template

Choosing a template is an essential first step, as it affects the way your website displays content. Get started by selecting Hostinger as your preferred website platform in your hosting panel.

Once you choose Hostinger’s website builder and specify which domain should link to your website, you’ll be redirected to the template library.

See Also:  Build a static website using S3 & Route 53 with Terraform

Choose your favorite among the templates created by designers.They are divided into categories, such as e-commerce, services, photography, restaurants, portfolio >, Summary, Events and Landing Pages. You can also choose a blank template if you prefer.

To help decide which template to use, hover over the desired template and click Preview to see the template in action.

Once you have chosen to use the template, click the Start Building button. To return to the template library, click All Templates to go back.

Select the Website Styles icon on the left side to customize the Colors, Text and Buttons.

Use the drag and drop tool to change the layout of the page by clicking an element and moving it to another area.

To test the layout and navigation, click Preview. Then, optimize your mobile responsiveness by clicking the mobile icon in the top menu bar. Personalize directly on the web page to change the mobile design.

2. Create the home page

The first page visitors see when they land on a website is the home page, so make this home page informative and visually appealing. By doing so, they will stay on your site longer.

An effective home page can drive visitors to take the desired action, such as making a purchase or booking an appointment. To achieve this goal, consider these elements when creating your front page:

  • SEO. Include meta titles and descriptions to rank higher in the SERPs and drive more traffic.
  • Media. Add a high-quality image or video to make it more appealing and attractive.
  • Menu. Showcase the different web pages you have, such as About and Contact pages, to invite visitors to learn more.
  • Design. Consider where to include important information so that visitors see it first, such as the location to display a call to action.

With Hostinger, each theme comes with a home page. Customize the theme home page or create another page as the main page. To do so, click the Pages & Navigation icon in the upper left corner.

Select the page you want as your home page and click the gear and click Make Homepage.

3. Add More Pages and Sections

Although Hostinger themes come with default pages and sections, you still need to customize your site by creating your own pages to make your site feel more authentic. If you’re building a one-page website, add new blank sections or use pre-built sections.

Meanwhile, multi-page websites often have About Us, Blog, and Contact pages to provide more information. When adding more pages, pay attention to:

  • Featured Pages. Consider which pages to include in the menu.
  • Page hierarchy. Separate main pages from subpages and establish a clear page hierarchy to help search engines better crawl your website.
  • Trends. Take a look at other websites to see which pages attract visitors.

To remove or reorder different pages, go to Pages & Navigation settings. To add a new page, follow this guide:

  1. Under Pages & Navigation, click the Add Page button.
  1. Choose a theme layout or add a blank page. Alternatively, click the Add Blank Page box to create your own layout.
  1. If you selected Add Blank Page strong> , choose which elements to add to your page. Available elements include Text, Button, Image, Video, Instagram Feed , and Contact Form.
  1. In addition to the elements, there are also sections to better divide the page. When you click Add Section, the website builder will give you the option to Add a blank section or select a pre-made one. There are different categories for sections, including About and Titles.
  1. After finishing the page, go to Pages and navigation to optimize the page. Click the gear icon next to your New Page and select Page Settings.
  1. In the General settings, change the Name in Navigation and Page URL to describe the page. Then, in the SEO settings, add a Page Title and Page Description to invite visitors to click through to your site from SERP. Press the Save button to finish the process.

4. Optimize Your Site’s Navigation Structure

When designing your own website, keep user experience in mind. Visitors should be able to navigate and find all the information without any problem.

To achieve this goal, organize your menu to help visitors navigate the pages. Also, choose the most important pages to appear in the menu. Keep in mind that website navigation also affects conversions.

Here are some ways to improve your website navigation:

  • Limit element from menu. Include only up to seven pages in your main menu to avoid confusion and clutter your page.
  • Analyze the responses. If you see a page that isn’t getting enough visitors, move the information to another page and remove the page from the main menu.
  • Mobile Responsiveness. Menus often look different on mobile devices, so make sure they remain easy to navigate.

In addition to the main menu’s order, its placement on a web page is essential for user navigation. . To help visitors navigate your web pages efficiently, customize your header and footer.

Header

At the top of On a web page, a header often consists of a logo, website name, and menu bar. Having an easy to navigate header invites visitors to explore further.

Customize the header by hovering over the menu section in the drag and drop editor and clicking the gear icon.

Under Header Settings, make changes to the following features:

  • Layout . There is an option to make the header sticky to keep it at the top of the web page, even when visitors scroll down. Other than that, change the menu position, element spacing and padding according to your preferences.
  • Logo . Choose whether to include a logo, then adjust the width of the logo and the position and spacing of the menu items.
  • Shopping bag. Only have this icon if you have an online store.
  • Style. Change the header background, either by using a solid color or by adding an image. Also, select the Website, Header Text and Hover colors.

Footer Footer

Similarly, a high-quality footer invites visitors to stay on your website and explore more pages. To achieve this goal, add navigation links and essential information at the bottom of the website. Most footers include contact information, social media icons, copyrights, and links to other pages.

A footer means that the user has reached the bottom of the page. Links in a footer are often to pages with more text. For example, most online stores include terms and conditions and refund policies.

The theme will automatically generate a footer. To edit the pre-made elements, click the element and select the Edit button at the top.

To customize the Footer, click Click on the section and select the gear icon.

It will display a grid layout to help move between items. While the Section Settings helps to make changes to:

  • Layout. Enable Snap to Guides to make it easier to manage elements.
  • Background. Use an image or a solid color as the footer background.
  • Anchor. Create a full unique URL specifically for the footer.

5. Enhance your website with visuals

Visuals, such as images, videos, logos, and favicons, entice visitors to learn more about your site. Visitors spend 88% more time on pages with videos. They help convey what your website is about and help retain the attention of visitors.

Keep in mind that visuals need to be relevant to the website. Otherwise, they will only distract and confuse visitors. The website builder’s drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to customize visual layouts.

To add any visual, click the Add Element button on the left corner of the editor.

Images

Under Add Elements, click Image and drag it to your page Place the element in the desired area of ​​the web page.

The builder will display a default image on your web page. Click on it and select Change Image to access the Image Settings.

Then, click on the Replace Image

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