When you’re starting out with a new project, the whole process can seem pretty overwhelming. And if you aren’t sure that you have the professional skills needed to bring it to a successful conclusion; that goes double. For example, when you’re building a website – this may seem like a daunting proposition if you’re not familiar with web code.
Luckily, if you use a content management system like WordPress – you won’t need any particular technical skills in order to produce an eye-catching website in no time at all. This is a very useful platform for both advanced users and beginners. So, let’s go through everything you’ll need to know in order to construct a website of your own without any prerequisite knowledge!
First Steps
Even before you begin building your website, you’ll have a couple of things to do first. For one – you need to think about who your website’s target audience will be. For example, if you want to work on an exercise website, you’ll have fitness enthusiasts as your target audience.
Once you’ve got the target audience defined, take a look at other websites that correspond to your niche of choice; see which styles, content and techniques appeal to you. Naturally, we don’t recommend straight-up copying anything; just see what tends to work in your niche, and what you’d change.
You’ll also need to prepare some content before the website launch. It doesn’t have to be something like a comprehensive niche blog right away; for starters, have some material along with the About Us page. That’s enough for the launch day, but you definitely want to launch a bare-bones website that users can access in that form.
Make a Plan
As with any big undertaking, you want to have a checklist with all of the basic steps you need to take on the road to success. And don’t worry, none of these require any expert knowledge; you won’t have to be tech-savvy in order to complete them.
Website Hosting
Obviously, one of the first technicalities you’ll have to take care of is finding a proper website hosting. And as you’ll see once you get into the nitty-gritty of this particular issue; there are plenty of options out there, and selecting the right one isn’t easy. For example, free web hosting has plenty of advantages; though finding truly trustworthy and effective free hosting isn’t easy. Have a look at these services we’ve come across lately. If you find the right free provider, you’ll get all kinds of useful services without burning through your budget.
As for paid hosting, there is an equal variety of available plans and options; all of which have different price tags. And while you may not need a very hefty hosting package right now, make sure to think about scaling early on; that will make the transition onto more adequate services easier later on. You need to settle on a plan that is certain to give you room to grow. If you’re going to use WordPress, you can take a look at this, which will guide you through the whole process of choosing a hosting provider and comparing the best ones.
Domain Name
Next up, you’ll also have to think about your domain name. Even if you’re using online website builders, this is something you’ll have to think about yourself. The domain name is basically the address of your website, as well as the words someone would type into Google in order to quickly find your webpage. So, you want a name that will accurately portray your brand; but also one that won’t be difficult to remember. There are plenty of domain name providers to choose from. Some companies offer web hosting as well as domain names, like Namecheap.
Choose A WordPress Theme
The WordPress theme you’ll choose is basically the aesthetic of your website. Luckily, you’ll find plenty of these pre-made, ready to be used in a minute. Naturally, you can customize them in terms of specific style and color as you see fit.
If you ask us, we’d recommend going with a theme that offers a decluttered, clean look on the one hand – and regular updates from the people who came up with the theme. The most popular ones won’t make you stand out from the crowd visually, but they’re also pretty solid and vetted.
Take a look at these lists:
- 10 of the Best WordPress Themes to Use Alongside the New Gutenberg Editor
- 15 Best Cryptocurrency and ICO WordPress Themes
- 10 Creative WordPress Themes for Writers & Bloggers
- Monstroid2 vs Divi vs Avada – a Multipurpose WordPress Theme Comparison
Customize WordPress
When you start tinkering around WordPress, you’ll realize that changes are quite easy to make here; the platform is extremely flexible. With it, you can make the website you want for yourself without any other technical savviness.
If you’re not keen on outsourcing the design, look online for any option you want to reveal, or task to complete more easily. Chances are high that someone else has already dealt with a similar or identical issue, and you can find all of the steps you need to do the same.
One of the most easily recognizable parts of WordPress are its admins; something you’ll notice right away in the admin dashboard. These represent software add-ons that allow you to customize your website features even more; from SEO tools to Internet privacy and security options, these plugins will give you all the additional options you need.
Get A Logo
You’re getting closer and closer to a functional website – you’ve only got a couple of design choices left to deal with. And among these – finding a logo that accurately represents your brand is one of the most important ones. There are plenty of logo design tools online, and many of them are free; so don’t hesitate using them to come up with a professional-looking logo with minimal investments in terms of time and money.
Find Quality Images
Once you first launch your website, you will be looking to keep your expenses as low as humanly possible. Keeping this in mind, though – you still require the images on your website to be professional and aesthetically pleasing. Don’t worry – there are quite a few websites with royalty-free stock images, allowing you to preserve the integrity of your brand without breaking the bank.
Think About Speed
When it comes to the user experience on your website, you have to think about a wide variety of factors. And among these, speed is definitely chief. In other words, you need to optimize your website so that downtime is minimized, and users have the correct impression that they’re using a swift, clean platform. Plus, Google has started valuing website speeds in its search result ranking algorithm, so it’s good from a technical standpoint as well.
Add Social Media Buttons
While content like blog articles are important for the provision of a full-fledged website experience; one must consider all the aspects of a contemporary online presence, for any kind of business or individual promotion. With that in mind – having social media buttons on your website is absolutely crucial, as you want users having a seamless experience with sharing your content on social media.
Secure Your Website
Naturally, even the best-designed website in the world won’t do you much good if it’s susceptible to attacks. These days, cybersecurity is more important than it ever was, with all kinds of new hacking technologies available to mischievous Internet users. If you don’t want the integrity of your website and the personal data of your other users to be at risk, think about security plugins and other measures on time!
One thought on “How to Host a Website If You Are Not Tech-Savvy”
What is the difference, if any, between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?
I understand from WordPress.org supporters that it is superior in many ways including such things as making money through it. These same entities claim that WordPress.com is much more restrictive than WordPress.org.
I await your response.