In today’s digital age, having a website for your business or personal brand is essential.
A website is your online presence and can help you reach a wider audience.
It’s like your business is always open to welcoming new prospects and customers.
Whether you’re a small business owner, freelancer, or blogger, creating a website can open opportunities to connect with potential clients or readers, showcase your work, and establish credibility.
However, creating a website can seem daunting and overwhelming, especially if you have never created one before.
You know, all that tech jargon and coding!
But fear not!
You can create a website from scratch without writing a single line of code.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the exact steps on how to build a website from scratch, from concept to launch.
That said, let’s get started!
Importance of Having a Website

Before we dive into website creation, let’s first discuss why having a website is essential.
Here are a few reasons:
- Establishes credibility: In today’s world, having a website is a must-have for any business or individual. A website is a digital storefront that allows potential customers or readers to learn more about your business or personal brand. You may be viewed as less credible or less established without a website
- Increases reach: With a website, you can reach a wider audience beyond your physical location. Your website can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection, making it possible to reach potential customers or readers from all over the world
- Showcases your work: A website allows you to showcase your work, whether products or services. You can include a portfolio or gallery to display your work and give potential clients a better understanding of your offer. It’s like having an online brochure of your work for the world to see, and connect with you, if they are interested
- Provides information: A website allows you to provide information about your business or personal brand, such as contact information, location, hours of operation, and more. This information can help potential customers or readers make informed decisions about engaging with you
I could go on, but you get the drift! 🙂
Now that we’ve discussed the importance of having a website let’s move on to the steps of creating one.
A Brief Overview of How to Build a Website From Scratch

Creating a website can be broken down into four main steps:
- Planning
- Designing
- Developing
- Launching
Let’s dive into each of these steps in more detail.
Planning Your Website
Before you start designing and developing your website, planning and defining its purpose and target audience is essential.
Here are a few things to consider:
Defining your website’s purpose and audience
What do you want your website to achieve? Is it to sell products, provide information, or showcase your work?
Once you’ve defined your website’s purpose, you must identify your target audience.
Who do you want to reach with your website? What are their needs and interests?
Choosing a domain name and hosting provider
Your domain name is the address people will use to access your website, such as www.yourwebsite.com.
Your hosting provider is where your website will be stored and made accessible to the internet.
It’s important to choose a domain name that’s easy to remember and represents your brand and a reliable hosting provider.
Which is the best domain name registrar?
Here’s a list of the 14 best domain name registrars.
And if you are looking for hosting as well, check out my ultimate guide to 2023’s best web hosting services.
Determining the website’s structure and content

Before designing your website, you’ll need to determine its structure and content.
What pages will your website have? What information will be included on each page?
A clear understanding of your website’s structure and content will help guide your design and development process.
Designing Your Website
Designing a website is more than just making it look pretty.
It’s about creating a visually appealing experience for your users, easy to navigate, and consistent with your brand.
In this section, we’ll cover the key steps to designing your website.
This includes choosing a website builder or coding platform, selecting a website template or creating a custom design, incorporating branding and visual elements, and ensuring the website is user-friendly and accessible.
Choosing a website builder or coding platform
Before you start designing your website, you need to choose a website builder or coding platform.
There are many different options, including website builders like Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly, as well as coding platforms like WordPress and Drupal.
Wix

Wix is a popular website builder offering various customizable templates and features.
Here’s how to get started with Wix:
Step 1: Sign up for a Wix account and choose a template that suits your needs.
Step 2: Customize the template using the various options, such as the layout, fonts, colors, and images.
Step 3: Add content to your website, such as text, images, videos, and forms.
Step 4: Preview your website and make any necessary changes.
Step 5: Publish your website and share it with the world.
Squarespace

Squarespace is another popular website builder offering various customizable templates and features.
Here’s how to get started with Squarespace:
Step 1: Sign up for a Squarespace account and choose a template that suits your needs.
Step 2: Customize the template using the various options, such as the layout, fonts, colors, and images.
Step 3: Add content to your website, such as text, images, videos, and forms.
Step 4: Preview your website and make any necessary changes.
Step 5: Publish your website and share it with the world.
Zyro

Zyro is a relatively new website builder offering various customizable templates and features.
Here’s how to get started with Zyro:
Step 1: Sign up for a Zyro account and choose a template that suits your needs.
Step 2: Customize the template using the various options, such as the layout, fonts, colors, and images.
Step 3: Add content to your website, such as text, images, videos, and forms.
Step 4: Preview your website and make any necessary changes.
Step 5: Publish your website and share it with the world.
Shopify

Shopify is a popular e-commerce platform that allows you to create an online store.
Here’s how to get started with Shopify:
Step 1: Sign up for a Shopify account and choose a plan that suits your needs.
Step 2: Choose a theme that suits your store’s branding and customize it using the various options.
Step 3: Add products to your store, including product descriptions, prices, and images.
Step 4: Set up payment and shipping options for your customers.
Step 5: Preview your store and make any necessary changes.
Step 6: Launch your store and start selling your products.
Overall, these website builders offer a range of customizable templates and features that make it easy to create a website or online store.
Whether you select Wix, Squarespace, Zyro, Shopify, or any other platform, choose one that suits your needs and is easy to use.
That said, my personal favorite is WordPress. That’s WordPress.org.

It’s the most popular content management system with over 43% of the website worldwide powered by WordPress.
The level of customization and features it offers is unmatched.
Yes, there is a slight learning curve upfront.
But once you do get the hang of it, the possibilities with WordPress are endless! 🙂
While you can select any of the above-mentioned website builders, I recommend WordPress! 🙂
Selecting a website template or creating a custom design
Once you’ve chosen your website builder or coding platform, you must decide whether to use a template or create a custom design.
Templates are pre-designed website layouts you can customize with your content and branding.
They’re a great option if you want to get your website up and running quickly and don’t have the budget to hire a designer.
If you have more time and money to invest, creating a custom design can be a great way to make your website stand out and showcase your unique brand.
A custom design allows you to create a website tailored to your specific needs and goals and can help you establish a strong online presence.
If you are like me and like creating websites using WordPress, you’d probably prefer using WordPress themes.
Currently, there are 10,684 free WordPress themes that you can use.
Some of the popular WordPress themes include:
Astra

Astra is a lightweight and customizable WordPress theme that is suitable for a wide range of websites.
Here’s how to get started with the Astra theme:
Step 1: Install and activate the Astra theme.
Step 2: Go to Appearance > Astra Options in your WordPress dashboard.
Step 3: Customize the theme using the various options, such as the header, layout, typography, and colors.
Step 4: Save your changes and preview your website to see how it looks.
Kadence

Kadence is another popular WordPress theme that offers a range of customization options.
Here’s how to get started with the Kadence theme:
Step 1: Install and activate the Kadence theme.
Step 2: Go to Appearance > Customize in your WordPress dashboard.
Step 3: Customize the theme using the various options, such as the header, layout, typography, and colors.
Step 4: Save your changes and preview your website to see how it looks.
OceanWP

OceanWP is a lightweight and responsive WordPress theme that is suitable for a wide range of websites.
Here’s how to get started with the OceanWP theme:
Step 1: Install and activate the OceanWP theme.
Step 2: Go to Appearance > Customize in your WordPress dashboard.
Step 3: Customize the theme using the various options, such as the header, layout, typography, and colors.
Step 4: Save your changes and preview your website to see how it looks.
GeneratePress

GeneratePress is a lightweight and fast WordPress theme that offers a range of customization options.
Here’s how to get started with the GeneratePress theme:
Step 1: Install and activate the GeneratePress theme.
Step 2: Go to Appearance > Customize in your WordPress dashboard.
Step 3: Customize the theme using the various options, such as the header, layout, typography, and colors.
Step 4: Save your changes and preview your website to see how it looks.
Overall, these themes are all relatively easy to use and offer various customization options, making them suitable for a wide range of websites.
Want more options?
I’ve reviewed 55 of the top themes and listed them all for you. 🙂
Check my article ‘The Best WordPress Themes for 2023: Top 55 (Reviewed).’
Incorporating branding and visual elements
When designing your website, it’s important to incorporate your branding and visual elements.
This includes your logo, color scheme, typography, and imagery.
These elements should be consistent throughout your website to create a cohesive brand identity.
Your logo is the visual representation of your brand and should be prominently displayed on your website.
Your color scheme should reflect your brand’s personality and evoke the emotions you want your audience to feel.
Typography plays an important role in your website’s readability and should be easy to read and consistent throughout your website.
Finally, your imagery should be high-quality and relevant to your brand and content.
I recommend using Canva.

It’s a free-to-use platform that allows you to design logos, manage brand identity, and more.
They do have a premium version, that offers you a lot more, including stock photos.
Ensuring the website is user-friendly and accessible
When designing your website, it’s important to keep the user in mind.
Your website should be easy to navigate, with clear calls to action and intuitive menus.
It should also be accessible to users with disabilities, including those who are visually impaired or have motor impairments.
To ensure your website is user-friendly and accessible, consider the following:
- Use clear and concise language
- Make sure your website is easy to navigate
- Use descriptive alt tags for images and videos
- Include closed captions for videos
- Use a simple and consistent layout
- Test your website with users with disabilities
Developing Your Website

Now that you have a plan in place and have designed the look and feel of your website, it’s time to start developing it.
This phase involves creating and organizing content, adding features and functionality, and testing the website for usability and functionality.
Creating and organizing website content
Content is one of the most important aspects of your website.
It’s what will attract visitors and keep them engaged.
You should aim to create high-quality, engaging content relevant to your audience and your website’s purpose.

Start by organizing your content into pages and sections.
This will help you ensure that your website is easy to navigate and that visitors can quickly find the information they need.
Your website should include an “About” page, a “Contact” page, and pages highlighting your products or services.
When creating content, remember that it should be easy to read and scannable.
Use short paragraphs, headings, and bullet points to break up text and make it easier to digest.
Use images and videos to add visual interest and make your content more engaging.
The next step in designing your website is creating and organizing your content.
This includes writing copy, creating images and videos, and organizing your content logically.
When creating content for your website, consider the following:
- Use clear and concise language
- Focus on benefits rather than features
- Use images and videos to break up text
- Use subheadings to organize content
- Make sure your content is easy to scan
Adding features and functionality
The features and functionality you add to your website will depend on its purpose and your audience.
Some common features include contact forms, social media integration, e-commerce functionality, and blog capabilities.
When adding features, keep in mind that they should enhance the user experience, not detract from it.
Features should be easy to use and intuitive.
If they are difficult to use or understand, visitors may become frustrated and leave your site.
Testing the website for usability and functionality
Before launching your website, it’s important to test it for usability and functionality.
This involves checking that all features and functionality work correctly and that the website is easy to use and navigate.
Start by testing your website on different devices and browsers.
This will help you ensure that it is responsive and looks good on all screen sizes.
You should also check that all links work correctly and that all forms and features function as expected.
Consider conducting user testing to get feedback on your website from potential users.
This can help you identify any issues or areas for improvement before launching your site.
Launching Your Website

After testing and making any necessary adjustments to your website, it is time to launch your website.
This involves choosing a launch date and time that is convenient for your target audience and uploading your website to your hosting provider.
It is important to make sure that all of the necessary files and assets are properly uploaded and that your website is functioning as expected.
This includes checking for broken links, ensuring that images and other media are displaying properly, and verifying that your website is optimized for search engines.
You could use tools such as Dead Link Checker and Free Broken Link Checker to check for broken links on your website.
Choosing a launch date and time
Choosing the right launch date and time for your website can make a significant difference in its success.
You want to choose a date and time when your target audience is most likely to be online and to view and engage with your website.
This means taking into account factors such as their location, work schedule, and leisure time habits.
To determine the best launch date and time, start by analyzing your target audience’s behavior and habits.
Consider their age, gender, location, interests, and any other relevant factors that may impact their online activity.
Look for patterns in their behavior, such as the times of day or days of the week when they are most active on social media or other online platforms.
You should also consider any upcoming events or holidays that may impact your launch.
For example, if you are launching a website for a product or service that is particularly popular during the holiday season, you may want to consider tossing in the weeks leading up to the holiday rush.
Similarly, if your target audience tends to be busy during certain times of the year, such as tax season or back-to-school time, you may want to avoid launching during those periods.
Another factor to consider is the time of day.
Research shows that people tend to be most active online during certain times, such as early morning or late evening.
Launching your website during these peak hours can maximize your chances of reaching your target audience and generating interest and engagement.
Once you have chosen a launch date and time, promote your launch on social media and other online platforms.
Use targeted advertising, email marketing, and other tactics to reach your target audience and generate buzz around your launch.
And don’t forget to monitor your website’s analytics and track its performance after the launch to identify areas for improvement and optimize your online presence.
Uploading the website to the hosting provider
Once you have finished creating and testing your website, the final step is to make it live online.
You must upload your website files to a hosting provider to do this.
A hosting provider is a company that provides the technology and services needed for your website to be viewed on the internet.
Uploading Content Using Control Panel (CP)
Most managed WordPress hosting services offer a control panel (CP) to help you manage your website.

The CP usually includes a file manager, which makes it easy to upload content to your website.
Here’s how to upload content using the CP:
Step 1: Log in to your hosting account’s control panel.
Step 2: Look for the “File Manager” option and click on it.
Step 3: Navigate to the directory where you want to upload the content.
Step 4: Click the “Upload” button to open the upload dialog.
Step 5: Select the file you want to upload and click the “Upload” button.
Step 6: Wait for the upload to complete, and then check that the file has been successfully uploaded.
Uploading Content Using FTP
FTP is a common method used to transfer files between a local computer and a remote server.
Here’s how to upload content to a managed WordPress hosting service using FTP:

(Source: FileZilla)
Step 1: Download and install an FTP client, such as FileZilla, on your computer.
Step 2: Connect to your hosting account using your FTP client.
Step 3: Navigate to the directory where you want to upload the content.
Step 4: Drag and drop the files you want to upload from your local computer to the remote server.
Step 5: Wait for the upload to complete, and then check that the files have been successfully uploaded.
Overall, both methods are relatively easy to use and can be helpful when uploading content to a managed WordPress hosting service.
However, the CP method may be more suitable for beginners less familiar with FTP.
Testing the website on different devices and browsers
Before making your website live, it’s important to test it on different devices and browsers to ensure that it is responsive and looks good on all screen sizes.
After your website files have been uploaded, it’s a good idea to test your website on different devices and browsers to ensure everything is working as expected.
This will ensure that your website is accessible and user-friendly to all visitors.
Once you have confirmed that your website is working correctly, you can officially launch it.
At this point, you can start promoting your website on social media, through email marketing campaigns, or by other means to attract visitors.
Making the website live
Once you have tested your website and are confident it is ready to go live, it’s time to make it live.
This involves pointing your domain name to the hosting provider and ensuring all website files are in the correct location.

After launching your website, it’s essential to promote it on social media.
Share links to your website on your social media profiles and encourage your followers to visit your site.
How to Build a Website From Scratch FAQs
What are the key steps involved in creating a website for my business?
The key steps involved in creating a website for your business include defining your website’s purpose and target audience, choosing a domain name and hosting provider, selecting a website builder or content management system (CMS), designing and developing your website’s layout and pages, creating and publishing your website’s content, and testing and launching your website.
How much does it cost to create a website for my business?
The cost of creating a website for your business depends on several factors, such as the complexity of your website’s design and functionality, the platform or CMS you use, and whether you hire a professional web designer or developer. On average, a basic business website can cost between $500 to $5,000, while more complex websites can cost upwards of $10,000.
Do I need to hire a professional web designer to create a website for my business?
Hiring a professional web designer or developer can be beneficial if you don’t have the technical skills or time to create a website yourself. However, if you have a limited budget, using a website builder or CMS can be a more cost-effective and efficient option.
What are some popular website builders that I can use to create a website for my business?
Some popular website builders for businesses include Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, WordPress, and Weebly.
How can I choose the right website builder for my business needs?
To choose the right website builder for your business needs, consider factors such as ease of use, flexibility, customization options, pricing, and customer support.
What are the essential elements that every business website should have?
Every business website should have essential elements such as a clear and concise homepage, an about us page, a contact page, a products or services page, and a blog (if applicable).
How can I make sure that my website is visually appealing and user-friendly?
To make your website visually appealing and user-friendly, use a clean and simple design, high-quality images and graphics, readable fonts, and intuitive navigation.
What are some effective strategies for optimizing my website for search engines?
Effective strategies for optimizing your website for search engines include using relevant keywords, creating high-quality and relevant content, optimizing your website’s meta tags and descriptions, and building quality backlinks.
You can integrate social media into your website by adding social sharing buttons, displaying your social media feeds, and encouraging visitors to follow you on social media.
How can I ensure that my website is secure and protected from cyber threats?
To ensure that your website is secure and protected from cyber threats, use a secure hosting provider, keep your website’s software and plugins up to date, use strong passwords, and implement security measures such as SSL encryption.
Conclusion
Creating a website can seem daunting, but following the steps outlined in this article, you can break the process down into manageable pieces.
Start planning your website, then move on to designing, developing, and launching it.
Don’t forget to test your website for usability and functionality.
Recap of the steps to create a website
- Planning your website: Define your website’s purpose and audience, choose a domain name and hosting provider, and determine the website’s structure and content.
- Designing your website: Choose a website builder or coding platform, select a website template or create a custom design, incorporate branding and visual elements, and ensure the website is user-friendly and accessible.
- Developing your website: Create and organize content, add features and functionality, and test the website for usability and functionality.
- Launching your website: Choose a launch date and time, upload the website to the hosting provider, test the website on different devices and browsers, and make the website live.
Encouragement to start building your website
Building a website can be a rewarding experience that allows you to share your ideas and connect with others online.
Don’t be afraid to get started, and remember that there are plenty of resources and tools to help you along the way.
Additional resources and tools for website creation
There are countless resources and tools to help you create a website, including website builders like Wix and Squarespace, coding platforms like WordPress and Drupal, and design tools like Canva and Adobe Creative Cloud.
Do some research to find the tools and resources that best fit your needs and budget.
Over to you! 🙂
Have you created your website? Did this article help you?
Let me know in the comments below!