How to Make a Website From Scratch 2023

Are you interested in creating a website from scratch? In the past, building a business or personal website could be quite daunting, especially if you lacked technical expertise.
However, the good news is that with the plethora of options available on the internet today, starting a website has become extremely easy for anyone, even those with zero experience!
Essentially, if you can read and know how to point and click your mouse, then you can create a website in less than 60 minutes.
This step-by-step guide will demonstrate how to start a website in five easy steps without requiring any technical knowledge. Additionally, a table of contents is provided below to help you navigate through the post quickly. Please feel free to skip ahead if you have already completed some of the steps.
Table of Contents
Why Build a Website From Scratch?
There are several reasons why building a website from scratch might be the right choice for you. Here are some of the most common reasons:
- Complete control: When you build a website from scratch, you have complete control over every aspect of your site. You can design it exactly the way you want, and you’re not limited by pre-built templates or themes.
- Customization: Building a website from scratch allows for greater customization. You can choose the features and functionality you want, and you’re not limited by the features of a pre-built theme or plugin.
- Unique branding: A custom-built website can help you stand out from your competitors. You can create a unique brand identity that reflects your business and its values.
- Scalability: When you build a website from scratch, you can design it with scalability in mind. This means that as your business grows, your website can easily accommodate the increased traffic and functionality.
- Learning experience: Building a website from scratch can be a valuable learning experience. You’ll gain a better understanding of web design and development, which can be useful in other areas of your business or career.
Of course, building a website from scratch requires more time and effort than using pre-built templates or themes. However, if you’re looking for complete control and customization, it may be the right choice for you.
Things You Need To Know Before You Build a Website
Before you start building a website, there are several important things you should know to ensure your site is successful. Here are some key considerations:
- Purpose: Clearly define the purpose of your website. What do you want it to accomplish? Is it to sell products, provide information, or something else?
- Target audience: Determine who your target audience is and what they’re looking for in a website. This will help you design a site that meets their needs and preferences.
- Domain name: Choose a domain name that’s easy to remember and relevant to your business or brand.
- Web hosting: Select a reliable web hosting provider that can handle the traffic and functionality of your website.
- Content management system (CMS): Decide which CMS you want to use to build your website. Popular options include WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla.
- Design: Design your website with your target audience and purpose in mind. Make sure it’s visually appealing, easy to navigate, and responsive on different devices.
- Content: Develop high-quality content that’s relevant to your audience and purpose. This includes text, images, and videos.
- SEO: Implement search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to improve your website’s visibility and ranking on search engines.
- Analytics: Install analytics software to track your website’s performance and identify areas for improvement.
- Maintenance: Plan to regularly update and maintain your website to ensure it stays secure and up-to-date.
By considering these factors before you build your website, you can ensure that your site is effective, user-friendly, and achieves your goals.
Types of Websites You Can Create
There are many different types of websites you can create depending on your goals, audience, and content. Here are some of the most common types of websites:
- Business website: A website for a business or organization that provides information about the company, its products and services, and contact information.
- E-commerce website: An online store that sells products or services directly to customers.
- Blog: A website that features written content on a specific topic or niche. Blogs can be personal or professional and can cover a wide range of subjects.
- Portfolio website: A website that showcases the work of an individual or company in a visual format. This type of site is popular for artists, photographers, and designers.
- Educational website: A website that provides information and resources on a specific topic or subject. This type of site is often used by schools, universities, and non-profit organizations.
- Social media website: A website that allows users to connect with each other, share content, and communicate online. Popular examples include Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
- News website: A website that provides up-to-date news and information on current events, politics, and other topics of interest.
- Entertainment website: A website that features content related to entertainment, such as movies, music, TV shows, and celebrity news.
- Community website: A website that brings together a group of people with similar interests or goals. This type of site can be used for forums, discussion boards, or online groups.
- Personal website: A website that showcases an individual’s interests, hobbies, or personal brand. This type of site is often used by freelancers, consultants, and entrepreneurs.
These are just a few examples of the many types of websites you can create. Your choice will depend on your specific goals, audience, and content.
Why Do We Recommend WordPress.org?
WordPress.org is a popular and highly recommended website builder because it is open-source, flexible, and powerful. Here are some reasons why we recommend WordPress.org:
- Open-source: WordPress.org is open-source software, which means that it is free to use, modify, and distribute. This makes it a popular choice for individuals and businesses of all sizes.
- Flexibility: WordPress.org is highly flexible and can be used to create a wide range of websites, from simple blogs to complex e-commerce sites. It offers thousands of free and paid themes and plugins that can be customized to suit your needs.
- User-friendly: WordPress.org is easy to use, even for beginners. It has a user-friendly interface that allows you to create and publish content without any technical skills.
- SEO-friendly: WordPress.org is SEO-friendly, which means that it includes built-in tools that can help you optimize your website for search engines. It also supports third-party SEO plugins that can further enhance your website’s visibility in search results.
- Large community: WordPress.org has a large and active community of users and developers who contribute to its development, support, and documentation. This means that you can easily find help and support when you need it.
- Self-hosted: WordPress.org is self-hosted, which means that you have full control over your website’s hosting, security, and performance. This gives you the freedom to choose the best hosting provider and optimize your website for speed and reliability.
Overall, WordPress.org is a great choice for anyone who wants to create a powerful, flexible, and user-friendly website with full control over its design and functionality.
How to Make a Website From Scratch
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make a website from scratch:
- Choose a domain name: Your domain name is the address that people will use to access your website. Choose a domain name that is easy to remember, unique, and relevant to your business or purpose.
- Choose a hosting provider: A hosting provider is a service that allows you to store your website files and make them accessible on the internet. Choose a reliable hosting provider that offers fast loading speeds, security, and customer support.
- Install WordPress: WordPress is a popular and user-friendly content management system that you can use to create and manage your website. Install WordPress on your hosting account using the one-click installation provided by your hosting provider.
- Choose a theme: A theme is a pre-designed template that determines the layout, design, and functionality of your website. Choose a theme that suits your purpose and customize it to match your brand and style.
- Install plugins: Plugins are add-ons that can enhance the functionality of your website. Install essential plugins such as a security plugin, backup plugin, SEO plugin, and contact form plugin.
- Create pages and content: Create essential pages such as a homepage, about page, contact page, and blog page. Create high-quality content that is relevant, informative, and engaging for your audience.
- Optimize your website: Optimize your website for speed, security, and SEO. Use caching plugins to improve loading speeds, secure your website with a firewall and SSL certificate, and optimize your content for search engines.
- Test and launch: Test your website for functionality, responsiveness, and user-friendliness. Once you are satisfied with the design and functionality, launch your website and promote it on social media and other marketing channels.
Creating a website from scratch may seem daunting, but with the right tools and resources, anyone can do it. Just take it step-by-step and don’t be afraid to seek help or guidance when needed.