If you’re thinking of making a website, you might be feeling a little intimidated, but fear not. In this digital age, there are plenty of tools at your disposal to help you in your journey.
At ProfileTree, we are a leading website design and development agency. We know how to make a website like the back of our hand, and we don’t just stop there. Our websites are built to perform and attract traffic, with embedded tactics such as SEO, Content Marketing, Enhanced user experience, and so much more.
Keep reading this article for expert guidance and tips on how to make a website with zero coding experience required.
Before you start to make a website
Before you start to make a website, first consider these points. It will help guide your website build and ensure that you’re investing your time and resources into the right areas.
Define your website purpose.
Understand what you want to achieve with your website. Do you want to sell products or services, share information, build a community, blog about your experiences or something else? Knowing your website’s purpose will guide your design decisions.
As a general rule of thumb, websites for sharing blogs or other user-generated content are typically easier to create than e-commerce website platforms. However, with the emergence of tools such as Shopify, this is becoming increasingly easier and more convenient to achieve.
How to make a website with Shopify
Choose a domain name
The domain name is your website’s address on the internet, such as www.yourwebsite.com. Choose something that is relevant to your website, easy to remember, and not already taken.
You can check domain availability and purchase a domain name through domain registrars. However, do keep in mind that you cannot change your domain name after you have registered it.
Domain name
Tips on how to make a website
Now that you have considered the purpose of your website and decided on a domain name, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty of making one. Our advice is to just jump straight in with a website builder, as you will learn most of the techniques when using the interface yourself.
You can also check out the range of informational videos that we have supplied showing you how to embed specific website features and make a website that is both visually appealing and high-performing to visitors.
Decide on a website-building platform.
There are various platforms you can use to build your website. You can code it from scratch if you have the skills (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc.), or use a website builder like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace.
These website builders provide templates and drag-and-drop interfaces that make it easy to design your site. They are extremely user-friendly and you can make a website with little coding knowledge or experience.
How to make a website for a small business
AI website builders
As Artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, we are increasingly seeing it used in website design. 10Web, for example, is an AI-powered WordPress platform capable of creating a website in minutes and promising a website’s PageSpeed score of 90+.
Get web hosting
Web hosting is where your website’s files are stored. Some platforms include hosting in their packages (e.g., Wix, Squarespace), while others require you to get it separately (e.g., WordPress). When choosing a host, consider factors such as reliability, speed, customer support, and price.
website hosting
Design your website
Now comes the fun part – designing your website. Consider your website’s navigation, colour scheme, images, and general layout. A website that looks too cluttered will only serve to confuse potential audiences leading to a higher bounce rate.
You should also ensure that your website design aligns with your brand and purpose and try to keep a consistent design that audiences can easily recognise. Most website builders now offer templates that you can customize to your liking and style.
Add content
One of the most determining factors for your website’s performance is the content that you choose to publish on it. Fill your website with relevant content, this could be product descriptions, blog posts, company information, etc.
You should also ensure that your content is SEO-friendly, which will enhance the chances of search engines showing your website in response to search engine queries. Delve into the world of keywords and website titles, you should also check out this article to help guide your content creation – How to write a blog for SEO.
Test and publish
Before you hit publish, test your website. Check it on different devices (desktop, tablet, mobile) and different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.). Make sure all links, buttons, and forms work correctly. If they don’t be sure to fix them before you go live.
Make a website
Promote your Website
Once your website is live, promote it. You can use SEO techniques, social media, email marketing, and many other methods to attract visitors to your site. We recommend uploading content on a regular basis, as this indicates to search engine algorithms that you are a relevant and current source of information.
Maintain your Website
Websites also need regular maintenance. You’ll need to update content, ensure the site remains responsive and functional, fix broken links, and update the site as your business evolves. You can also add in a content management system to your website, assisting you in this step.
Content Management
Measure website performance
After the website is built and published, you will want to track its performance. Use tools such as Google Analytics 4 to access relevant website data and create a website strategy for optimal performance.
Choosing the Right Website Platform
Selecting the appropriate platform is a crucial first step in building your website. Several factors should influence your decision.
Understanding Your Needs
Before diving into platform options, clearly define your website’s purpose and target audience. Consider the following:
Technical Expertise: Evaluate your comfort level with coding and website management. If you’re a beginner, a user-friendly platform might be ideal.
Website Complexity: Determine the features and functionalities your website requires. A simple online portfolio might need a different platform than an e-commerce store.
Budget: Establish a realistic budget for website creation and ongoing maintenance. Some platforms offer free plans, while others require paid subscriptions.
Design Preferences: Consider your desired website aesthetic and whether the platform offers customization options to match your vision.
Popular Website Platforms
There’s a wide range of website platforms available, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Here are some common types:
Website Builders: These platforms offer user-friendly interfaces and pre-designed templates, making them ideal for beginners. Examples include Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly.
Content Management Systems (CMS): CMS platforms provide more flexibility and control over website design and functionality. WordPress is the most popular CMS, but others like Joomla and Drupal also exist.
E-commerce Platforms: These platforms are specifically designed for online stores, offering features like product management, inventory tracking, and payment processing. Examples include Shopify, WooCommerce (a WordPress plugin), and BigCommerce.
Self-Hosted vs. Hosted Platforms
Understanding the difference between self-hosted and hosted platforms is essential.
Self-hosted platforms: You purchase hosting and domain name separately, giving you full control over your website. CMS like WordPress typically fall into this category.
Hosted platforms: The platform handles hosting and domain management, often providing a simplified setup process. Website builders like Wix and Squarespace are examples of hosted platforms.
The best choice depends on your technical expertise, budget, and level of control desired. Self-hosted platforms offer more flexibility but require additional management, while hosted platforms provide ease of use but might have limitations.
Optimizing Your Website for Search Engines (SEO)
Understanding SEO
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the practice of improving your website’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs). A well-optimized website attracts organic traffic, leading to increased brand awareness, lead generation, and sales.
Keyword Research: Identify relevant keywords and phrases that your target audience is likely to search for. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find suitable keywords. 1. viralate.com viralate.com
Title Tags: Create compelling and keyword-rich title tags for each page. These appear in search engine results and should accurately reflect the page content.
Meta Descriptions: Write concise and informative meta descriptions that entice users to click on your search result.
Header Tags: Use header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure your content and highlight important keywords.
Content Optimization: Create high-quality, relevant, and engaging content that incorporates your target keywords naturally.
Image Optimization: Optimize image file sizes and use descriptive alt text for images.
Internal Linking: Build a strong internal linking structure to help search engines understand your website’s hierarchy and improve navigation.
The Importance of Mobile Responsiveness
With the increasing number of mobile users, having a mobile-friendly website is crucial for both user experience and SEO. Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in search results, so ensuring your website is responsive is essential for ranking well.
Additional SEO Tips:
Load Speed: Optimize your website for fast loading times, as search engines consider this a ranking factor.
User Experience: Create a user-friendly website with clear navigation and easy-to-find information.
Local SEO: If your business targets a specific location, optimize your website for local search by including location-specific keywords and information.
Technical SEO: Address technical issues like broken links, duplicate content, and XML sitemaps.
Website Security
A secure website is crucial for protecting both your business and your visitors. When users trust your site with personal information, it’s your responsibility to safeguard it.
Importance of website security: A compromised website can lead to data breaches, financial loss, reputation damage, and loss of customer trust.
Protecting user data: Implement measures to secure user data, such as encryption, secure payment gateways, and data privacy policies.
Basic security precautions:
Strong passwords: Use complex passwords for your website and admin accounts.
Keep software updated: Regularly update your website’s content management system, plugins, and themes to patch security vulnerabilities.
Limit login attempts: Implement measures to prevent brute-force attacks, like locking accounts after multiple failed login attempts.
Firewalls: Use a firewall to protect your website from malicious traffic.
HTTPS: Ensure your website uses HTTPS to encrypt data transmission.
Backup regularly: Create regular backups of your website data to prevent data loss in case of a cyberattack.
Website Maintenance
Ongoing website maintenance is essential for optimal performance, security, and user experience.
Importance of website maintenance: Regular maintenance prevents technical issues, improves website speed, and protects against security threats.
Content updates: Regularly update articles, product information, and contact details to keep your website content fresh and relevant.
Security audits: Conduct regular security checks to identify and address vulnerabilities.
Plugin updates: If you use a CMS like WordPress, keep plugins up-to-date to fix bugs and security patches.
Performance optimization: Monitor website speed and optimize images, code, and server performance for faster loading times.
Backup: Regularly back up your website data to protect against data loss.
By prioritizing website security and maintenance, you can protect your business, maintain user trust, and ensure your website functions optimally.
Points to remember
This article is a simplified version of how to make a website, and as you begin your build, you will undoubtedly encounter challenges. The best way to make a website, in our opinion, is to play around with the website-building platform, testing different features and styles until you create the website you want.
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