“You need a website.”
Have you heard this before? We all have. In the modern marketplace, your digital presence is vital.
The idea of building a website from scratch is intimidating, especially if you don’t have a background in web design. But it doesn’t need to be difficult. Utilizing tools like WordPress, you can build a functional website easily and conveniently. WordPress is a convenient, user friendly, free, and open source solution for anyone seeking to build a website on their own with quality results.
So let’s take a moment to dig into the basics of building your website from scratch.
Step One – Domain Names and Web Hosting
One of the first things you will need to do is decide on and acquire your domain name. Ideally it should be the name of your business or, as close to is as possible. There are hundreds of companies that you can buy a website from, and hundreds more that offer web hosting, but for simplicity, it’s often best to find one that does both. GoDaddy and Bluehost are great examples, but not the only ones out there.
Go to your chosen provider and check for the availability of your domain. Once you have it, complete your order and pay for the hosting/options you want. Numerous packages are available so pick the one that best fills your needs. With your domain and hosting selected, you can move on to installing WordPress so you can design your site.
Step Two – Install WordPress
The key thing to remember is that each different hosting service will be a little different in regards to WordPress.
On the plus side, many web-hosting providers already have tools that will allow you to install WordPress with one click. However, if you find yourself in need of the software, getting it is easy and convenient. Simply go to the WordPress site and select the option to download the software.
There is also a convenient, step-by-step, setup guide available at their Support page here. Simply follow the instructions and you’re ready to go.
There it is. You’ve done the technical heavy lifting for building your new website. Congratulations! Now it’s time for the fun to begin, by picking themes and designing your website.
We hope this guide, Building a New Website – The Basics, provided you with a comfortable entry to building your site.
Join us for Part 2 of this series and contact us with any questions here.