How to Create a Website from Scratch

Do you want to create a website but have no idea where to start? Read ahead to find out the basic steps of creating a website from the beginning:

Scrutinize Other Websites

Before you start, look at other websites. Obviously, as a web user, you may be familiar with how websites are built. However, this time, look at these websites with the eyes of a site builder, not a user. See where and how the images and the texts are placed. You should look at any possible rival websites to see what they are doing. Learn their marketing tricks, look at SEO agency they use. Learn, but do not imitate them when you build your site. Your site has to be unique.

Choose a CMS

You need a content management system (CMS) to build a website without knowing how to code. Popular CMSs include WordPress, Joomla, Wix, Drupal, and Magento. WordPress and Joomla are the most popular CMSs among beginner to moderate users. Wix is a very simple drag-and-drop CMS amateurs will find very easy to use. Magento and Drupal are suited for advanced users who know how to code. Choose the CMS you are most comfortable with.

Image Source: Pixabay

Create a Great Domain Name

The first step in building your site will be choosing a domain name, the web address for your site. Be careful here. This is possibly the most important step in the process. Once you have chosen a domain name, you cannot change it later. Therefore, choose a unique, short, and easily memorable domain name for your site.

Pick a Theme

The next step is to choose a theme for your website. This is the layout of your web pages. Your CMS will have a library of free and paid themes. Pick one carefully assessing your needs. For example, if you are designing an e-commerce website, you might want to choose a theme specifically designed for e-commerce websites.

Customize the Theme

Once you have the theme, it’s time to customize it. The goal is to make the theme your own without resembling the default mode. You don’t want your website to look like a thousand others now, do you? So, choose fonts and colors carefully. When you customize, make sure you are not unnecessarily adding a large number of components. Do not include plugins and widgets that are not absolutely necessary. More components mean your site loading time could slow down. You will not retain visitors if your site takes forever to load.

Include Keywords

Once the design is done, you will need to add text and images. This is the process where you need to include keywords that target search engines. Keywords help people search for your site. Having them is vital to get a good ranking on Google. You can include keywords in page and image titles, headings, descriptions, and text. However, do not overuse keywords. You can hire an SEO agency if you need this part professionally done.

Produce Content

Now that the layout of your webpage is done, you need to produce content. Content is the articles, infographics, and videos you may post on your site. Aim to create high-quality and interesting content users will love.

Don’t forget to provide links to your social media profiles as well. Once everything is done, test the website. Ask your friends, family, or colleagues to visit a beta version of the site, let them look at web design, read content to make sure everything is working as intended.