Website Application
How to make a website is probably the first question every aspiring webmaster asks himself before starting his career. After all, the effort you put into building a website is crucial to the future health and size of your site. For this reason, before proceeding to the step of how to set up a website, you should make a very solid plan and explore and evaluate all available options.
In this guide we will learn how to set up a website using:
- Content management systems (CMS)
- E-commerce scripts
- Website builders
Each of these has its own pros and cons. That's why we will go through the steps of building a website together, highlighting the good and bad sides of each, in order to reduce your decision-making process during website creation.
We will explain how to set up a website in 5 easy steps for beginners to understand:
What Do You Need to Build a Website?
To host a website online, you must have the following.
Webhosting: This is what allows you to store your website and all its files online.
Domain name: As the human-friendly web address for your website, it allows people to easily find your website using their web browser.
Although domain name and hosting plans are separate things, both are necessary for a website to function.
Choose a Web Hosting Plan
Web hosting is a service that makes websites easily accessible online. When you buy a hosting plan, you lease server space from the hosting company. In other words, you get access to the storage and other resources needed to run a website.
Generating Website Ideas
Let's start with the most important. First you have to decide what your website will be about. There are a lot of website ideas out there that you can easily be inspired by. Applied correctly, they all seem to offer the chance to make some serious online money.
Start by deciding on the functions you want to have and the main goals. Some of the most popular types of websites are as follows:
- E-Commerce sites.
- Blog sites.
- Education sites.
- news sites
- Online communities.
- Portfolios.
Domain Registration
Before setting up a website, you should find a catchy name.
To get a domain for your site:
- Consider and evaluate potential website names.
- Find a domain checker.
- Perform a domain query.
- Choose the best options.
- Complete your order and register your domain.
Web Hosting Selection
The next step in answering the question of how to make a website is to choose a proper web hosting platform. While there are quite a few different types of web hosting available on the market, what you need will vary depending on the size of your project.
At Hostinger, we have 3 different alternative plans designed for websites of all sizes and shapes. Let's go over them quickly to see which one suits you.
Shared Hosting
Cloud Hosting
VPS Hosting
Choose a Platform to Build a Website
Now the real work begins. The process of how to build a website will vary heavily depending on the foundation you choose. The idea you want to bring to life will also influence your final decision.
In general, the main options are:
Content Management Systems. It is suitable for websites and blogs that publish a lot of content. Some popular platforms are WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.
E-Commerce Scripts. As the name suggests, if you want to open a shop on the Internet, this software will do the trick. A few of them are PrestaShop, Magento and WooCommerce.
Website Building Tools. It is an easy way to set up a website without software knowledge. It has a lot of customization options along with the drag and drop interface!
Self Coded Websites. If you're into web development, a self-coded site might be a good idea. You have the freedom to add any feature that is vital to your project, even if it takes more time and effort.
How to Build a Website Using WordPress
WordPress, which holds the title of the most popular content management system in the world, gives its users the chance to build the type of website they want. While most people use the platform for blogging, you can build any type of website, from e-commerce sites to review sites, with its wide range of customization options and plugins.
Planning the Future of Your Website
Now you know what the different web hosting services are and what are the best tools to use to build a website. But our adventure does not end there, frankly, it has only just begun!
Google Analytics App
It can be quite challenging to make important decisions without any data at hand. That's why collecting statistics is vital to your success. One of the best tools for this task is the Google Analytics (GA) service.
You can gain important insights about your target audience, such as how users find your website, whether they buy something, how much time they spend on a particular page.