Starting a website can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right tools and knowledge, you can create a functional website without any programming or design experience.
This article will cover five key things you need to start your website –
1) Domain Name
2) Web Hosting
3) Install CMS
4) Choose Theme or Design
5) Integrate Content
According to research, approximately 175 new websites get online every minute using the same five things mentioned above. Hence, if you are planning a new website for yourself or business then having basic knowledge about domain name, web hosting, CMS, design, and content is neccessary.
Lest’s understand each one by one –
Register a Domain Name
In order to register a domain name, you need to first purchase it from a registrar. There are different registrars in the market and some offer free domain names while others charge for them. You should choose one that best suits your needs and budget.
NameCheap, Domain.com, Google Domains, GoDaddy, Dreamhost are some of the popular domain registrars you can try to get your domain name. Personally I use GoDaddy to register my domain names.
What you need to do is just search for the domain name you’re willing to buy, chosen registrar will show you if it is available or else other alternative names will be displayed you can buy.
Just pick the one suitable for you, and buy it.
Done, you have successfully finished the first step of creating a website.
Choose a Web Hosting
Choosing a web hosting provider is a second crucial decision for anyone who wants to start their own website. There are many providers operating in the market, and it can be hard to find the right one. To make the search easier, we have compiled a list of questions that you should ask before making your decision.
1) What type of hosting do you offer?
2) What are your prices?
3) Do you offer any discounts for new customers?
4) Do you provide live chat support?
5) What is your uptime guarantee?
A2 Hosting, Bluehost, Hostgator, Wp Engine, DreamHost, Hostinger are some of the popular providers of web hosting services.
Once you make the selection of your hosting provider, choose the hosting type (Shared, VPS, Dedicated) and plan that meet your requirements.
Done, some of the hosting providers will help you to set up your hosting account or migrating hosting from one account to another so that you don’t have to go through the technical details.
CMS Installation
Content Management Systems are a necessity for any website. They provide the necessary tools to manage content, create new pages, edit existing content and much more.
However, there are many content management systems to choose from, so it can be hard to choose which one best fits your needs. Wordpress, Joomla, Drupal, Magento, TYPO3, Telerik, PrestaShop, Umbraco, Kentico, Sitecore, are one of the best CMSs you can use for your website.
The most popular CMS is WordPress which is an open-source CMS with free and premium plans. The free plan has a set number of features which can only support the basic needs of a website, while the premium plan is more than capable of handling most websites.
Personally, I am using Wordpress CMS for my websites and blogs as it is easy and quick to set up.
Choose Theme or Design
Choosing a theme for your website is not just about the design. It is also about the purpose of the website and the demographic that you are targeting.
It is important to choose a theme that will be able to convey your message in the best way possible, but it will also depend on what kind of site you want to create. You might want to consider if you are going for a professional or personal site, or if you want it to be more modern or vintage looking.
Whatever the purpose of your website might be, theme or design must be easy to navigate, responsive, fast loading, and should be able to convert readers into customers.
If you don’t have budget to hire a website designer or developer, you may give a try to website builders to create a design for website in just few minutes. These drag and drop tools doesn’t require technical knowledge, anyone with basic knowledge about html and css can use them to make a website.
Integrate Content
Now, its time to start integrating content on pages and posts in a way that convey the message of your business or product in the most effective way. Content must be accurate, user friendly, and SEO optimized so that it can rank well in SERPs.
Content is the backbone of any website. It is the information that a website shares with its visitors and the reason why people visit a site in the first place. The content can be in various formats such as text, audio, video, images or links to other websites. Content can also be interactive and involve user participation such as quizzes or polls.
The importance of content for a website cannot be underestimated because it plays an important role in attracting visitors to a site, retaining them on the site for longer periods of time and convincing them to take desired actions such as making purchases or signing up for services.
In brief,
These were the five first things anyone need to start a website. If you don’t have time or knowledge how all it works then you can always hire a professional to make things happen for you.
Make sure, you choose these things very carefully to avoid unneccessary expenses.
