There’s never been a better time to start a website and begin attracting visitors, with more people logging online than ever before. According to research from the PEW Research Center, only 10% of Americans are currently not on the internet.
With 90% of the population using the internet, there is a whole market of individuals just waiting to be captured. The possibilities are endless – you can start an online business, sell products, become an affiliate marketer, or blog about your favorite things.
If you’re looking to take advantage of this opportunity, keep reading this guide to learn how to start a website and get started attracting visitors.
Step 1: Select a Name for Your Website
If you’re planning to create a website, the first step in the process is deciding on a name for your personal page. You’ll want to select a name that you believe represents your content and ideas. You can begin with the following questions:
- What’s the purpose of your site
- What do you represent
- Who’s your target market
After answering these questions, you will have a better understanding of the intentions behind your website and what other people will be looking for out of it. Try to keep your name simple and easy to remember so it can resonate with people.
Step 2: Choose Hosting Service
Now that you have a name picked out, it’s time to register the domain name and select a hosting service to get it live on the internet. The web hosting service will store your content and other files on a server, allowing it to stay online.
Be sure to do some research before choosing a hosting provider as some service providers are less reliable than others. It’s recommended to go with premium WordPress hosting to ensure your getting the best service available for your new website. A few things to look for in a hosting service include:
- Included SSL
- Content delivery network
- Security
- Uptime guarantee
These few items are typically included with most plans and can make a world of difference when it comes to having your site up and running.
Step 3: Utilize a Content Management System
So you have your name picked out and registered with a hosting provider, now the fun begins – it’s time to start building your website through a content management system (CMS).
WordPress is by far the most popular CMS, with over one-third of the internet using their services. Using a content management system like WordPress will provide tools and resources to create and publish your content and allowing for easy storage of information.
Content management systems make it easy for anyone to start a website and publish content without learning any programming.
Step 4: Select a Theme
Luckily, you can learn to design a website in minutes with free theme templates and website builders that are offered through WordPress. Your web hosting service also makes it easy to install WordPress and connect it, so there should be no issues.
There are thousands of themes to choose from, some free and others you will have to pay for. Many free themes are loaded with features and can be enough to design a professional-looking website. Premium themes will offer additional features like:
- Additional widgets
- Better performance
- More functionality
- Extra security
- Superior support
- Constant updates
As you can see, a free theme should be enough for designing a professional-looking website. However, if you require additional features, you may want to consider paying for a premium theme. You can also customize your theme to fit the style you are looking to obtain. You can adjust anything within the design, including the colors, fonts, pictures, and the layout.
Using a website builder, such as elementor, can save you time by utilizing a visual, user-friendly approach to web design. These programs will provide features such as drop and drag, allowing you to see your website live before pushing it on the open web.
Step 5: Add Plugins
Installing additional plugins will help add functionality to your website. They are essentially a snippet of code or extra software that can provide new features to your site. Plugins can add things like:
- Contact forms
- Analytics
- Search engine optimization
- Code backups
- Added security
- Memberships
- Push notifications
Adding plugins is easy, and they can add functionality to your website when you need it. Keep in mind though adding too many plugins can slow down your website and cause performance issues, so make sure you are only installing the software you need.
Too many plugins can also result in security issues if the plugin becomes outdated and vulnerable to hacking. The type of website you plan on creating will determine how many plugins you should install.
Step 6: Fill With Content
You now have a shell of a website that’s almost ready to go live – it just needs to be filled with content that makes it special and unique. If you selected a theme to start designing your website, it most likely came loaded with pre-filled content.
You can edit this information directly from the theme builder on WordPress. Fortunately, WordPress makes it really easy to edit the content on your site. Most themes will come preloaded with a homepage, and you will have to add any additional pages you want on your site, such as an about page, a contact us page, or to set up an online e-commerce shop.
Step 7: Get Your Name Out There and Start Generating Visitors
You’re ready to get your site live and start seeing some visitors coming across your page. You’ll learn what type of content is making an impression on users by reviewing the analytics on your web page.
You can also test different home pages or landing pages to determine which is generating the most interest by utilizing the A/B method.
Interested in Learning More About How to Start a Website
Now that you know how to start a website, it’s up to you to create content and make a name for yourself on the web. You’ll learn fairly quickly what works for you and what doesn’t by keeping track of metrics like bounce rate, average time on page, and returning visitors with tracking links.
For more information on building and designing websites, check out the rest of our blog!
