How To Build a Website: A Beginner&39s Guide (Video 2023)

Creating a website is the fastest way to grow your business.

It’s the best way to develop your brand, find new customers and increase sales. If you’re a business owner in 2023, you need a business website to get the job done.

Reading: How to create a website from your info on shopify

Your business website builds on itself. It automates and sells. It connects with customers and promotes offers.

Your website searches the world for people and opportunities 24/7. Brand awareness, lead generation, customer retention, loyalty, sales and a digital home all start with building a website.

Good news: creating a new website for your business is easier than you think. You know how to use a computer and you have access to the internet, which means you can build and launch your website at low cost.

This tutorial will take you step-by-step through creating a website and show you some top notch business website examples to draw on for inspiration.

How to create a website: video tutorial

How to create a website with a free website builder, step by step

1. Choose the goal of your website
2. Choose a website builder
3. Choose a web host
4. Choose a custom domain name
5. Make up your mind for a layout
6. Add relevant pages
7. Connect a payment system
8. Add business tools
9. Preview, test and Publish your website

1. Decide on the goal of your website

Before you start creating a website, it is important to understand your goals. Goals give you a long-term vision and help you manage your time and resources so you can build the best website possible.

Set specific goals for your business website, such as:

• Sell physical or digital products
• Sell services
• Give visitors a place to learn more about your business
• Express your brand identity
• Share updates and announcements
• Highlight customer reviews
• Turn website visitors into leads
• Expand your online presence

It’s okay to have more than one goal for your business – to have website. Just remember to develop a strategy to reach everyone.

Assuming your goal is to sell physical products, how will your website do that? Will you organize your store so that visitors can easily explore your collections? Thinking about offering first-time buyer discounts to encourage sales? What payment gateways will you use?

The more detailed your goals are, the easier it will be for you to plan them and be successful with your business website.

2. Choose a Website Builder

The fastest way to create a business website is with a website builder. An easy-to-use website builder can get you up and running quickly with little effort or coding knowledge. New business owners benefit from these tools as they can easily set up a website.

The best website building software will:

• Provide templates to speed up the creation of your website
• You can customize website templates
• Save time and money over hiring a web designer or web developer
• Offer a library of stock images and videos
• Use a drag-and-drop design tool to make changes easily
• Make it easier to optimize your website for search engines

Sometimes you may need more customization options for your website. A good website building tool will also give you access to the HTML or CSS files. This allows you to edit the code and take full control of your website if needed.

Whether you’re starting an online store, selling services, or blogging, you can use Shopify’s website builder to build your website fast.

When you build a website on Shopify, you’ll have access to beautiful mobile-responsive themes, 24/7 live support, free SSL certifications, and payments right on Accept from your website (no third party required). It’s also a complete content management system (CMS) that helps you organize and manage your digital content.

If you want to try Shopify before committing to a paid plan, you can Get started with a free trial.

Other good drag and drop editors include:

• Weebly
• 3dcart
• Volusion
• Wix
• Squarespace
• GoDaddy

3. Choose a web host

Every website you’ve ever visited is hosted on a server. Web hosting is providing storage space for your website on a server, usually provided by a provider. Web hosting makes the files on your website (images, code, audio, etc.) visible on the web.

Choosing a hosting provider can be a challenge. Each web hosting company offers different amounts of monthly data transfers, email accounts, storage space and other services. How you pay may also differ from provider to provider (e.g. monthly payments versus yearly payments). So taking the time to know exactly what you want from a web host is vital to the success of your website.

Look for web hosting providers that offer:

• Unlimited bandwidth so you’ll never be billed for website traffic again, as you grow.
• Level 1 PCI compliance to keep customer data safe and secure.
• Hassle-free setup to create your website in minutes and update features instantly.
• Fast servers so customers can load your website quickly no matter where they are.
• Unlimited email forwarding to save time and help your business look professional.
• Your own domain so you can create them and quickly register a domain name for your website.

Shopify offers fast, reliable, and unmetered web hosting for small businesses around the world, no matter which plan you choose. Shopify also offers a free domain for new websites until you’re ready to create a custom one. Learn more about Shopify’s website hosting plan.

4. Choose a custom domain name

A domain name is like a digital address that lets you be found online. It gives credibility to your business and helps you rank higher in searches for industry-related keywords. You can customize a domain name to make it easier for customers to remember you and find your business later.

Some companies, like Biko, an online fashion retailer, are getting creative with their domain names. The brand uses the ilovebiko.com domain. It’s understandable but clear and puts customers in the right mindset when they arrive.

When choosing a domain name, keep these things in mind:

• Keep it short, brandable and memorable
• Avoid hyphens and numbers
• Try to secure a top-level domain like .com
• Search them after other TLDs like a specified country or .shop
• Include search engine optimization (SEO) keywords when possible
• Use a domain name generator for inspiration

5. Decide on a layout

Now that you’ve set up a domain name and web hosting, it’s time to choose your website’s layout. Your website builder likely offers themes or templates that you can install on your store. Use these templates as a starting point to design a basic website.

See also: How to Start a WordPress Blog on Bluehost (2023 Review)

Topics are usually divided into categories. Some are best for large product catalogs. Others are for service businesses and specific industries like restaurants or health and beauty.

The Shopify Themes Store offers over 70 paid and free themes, each with their own style and functionality. You can choose from themes created by world-renowned designers including Happy Cog, Clearleft, and Pixel Union. Each high quality theme is customizable and easy to use, allowing you to preview your storefront as you make changes to it.

When choosing the perfect theme, consider the following points:

• Themes are available with multiple styles. Look for one that has the design aesthetic you want.
• All themes have built-in features. Consider which ones you need based on your website’s goals. For example, if your goal is to make products easy to find, look for a theme with an auto-fill search bar. If you want to highlight awards and accolades, consider a theme with a media section.
• Don’t choose themes based on colors or fonts. You can customize these details later.
• Test different themes before committing to them. You’ll never get stuck on one theme. If you don’t like the responsive design of a theme on mobile, you can install a new one without having to rebuild all your web pages.

If you need help designing your store or need further customization , you can always hire a web design expert. We recommend hiring a Shopify expert to help make your store a huge success.

6. Add Relevant Pages

A relevant page on your website has different meanings depending on the type of business. If you are running an ecommerce website, product pages and collections pages are required. If you’re a restaurant owner, you want landing pages for your menu and special offers.

Real estate professionals will likely add a page to showcase their listings and a form to collect the lead’s contact information.

But your business website needs to do more than advertise your business. It needs to build trust with visitors and help them understand your business.

Default pages that you may want to include on your website are:

• Homepage. This is the entrance to your website. It will communicate who you are and what you offer. Use the home page to make a good impression on visitors and direct them to take action on your site.
• Product or service pages. Create pages that explain your offers and encourage buyers to buy. You should create separate web pages for each product or service you offer.
• Contact page. This gives people the opportunity to get in touch if they have any questions. You can provide different ways to get support or refer people to a FAQ. Or create a contact form for people to fill out their information and send a message to your support team.
• FAQ Page. Here you can answer frequently asked questions about your company. It’s great for encouraging self-service and freeing up customer support teams.
• About us. Create a page that tells your story and explains your business model. An about page helps connect with visitors and build trust between them and your business. You can also add links to your social media profiles.
• Policy Pages. Regardless of your business model, you must follow certain legal guidelines. For example, you need a return policy and a shipping policy.

You don’t have to stop there. Try to create pages that build trust with customers, such as B. blog posts or shopping guides, and show your offer in the best light.

7. Connect a payment system

The ultimate goal of building your website from scratch is to make sales. You want to make it easy for visitors to shop through your website. A seamless payment system is non-negotiable.

Shopify makes it easy for business owners to accept credit cards and other popular payment methods. You can offer express payment options like Shop Pay, G Pay, or PayPal, or let customers pay over time with Afterpay.

When you set up Shopify Payments, you don’t have to deal with third-party activations. All you have to do is enter your Employer Identification Number and bank details to quickly start selling online. Shopify Payments is included with every Shopify plan.

8. Add business tools

As a small business owner, you’re used to doing things on your own. But sometimes you could use a little extra help. Your business website can easily be transformed into a digital seller.

In addition to your template’s visual assets and functionality, Shopify offers over 3,200 add-ons and plugins to make managing specific parts of your online business easier. The Shopify App Store has free Shopify apps to help you:

• Build an email marketing list
• Find trending products to sell online
• Show Facebook ads
• Create lead generation pop-ups
• Offer live chat support
• Create Loyalty programs
• Integrate with online sales sites
• Add more payment gateways to your shopping cart
• Understand Google Analytics data

These business tools can unlock new possibilities for your website that improve customer experience and increase sales. It’s all about finding the right apps and pricing that fit your business needs.

9. Preview, test and publish your website

Creating a professional website for your business is the beginning, not the end. Test your site. Run a quick user experience check and make sure your products and services are presented in an appealing way. Make sure there are no broken links or images. Send your website to colleagues, friends and family to ensure it loads quickly, correctly and is mobile friendly.

Once you’ve followed this step-by-step guide, your new business website should be ready to go live! Double check that everything looks fine – then click publish.

How to create a website with WordPress

1. Decide if WordPress is right for you

WordPress is an open source platform for building and managing websites. Its main appeal lies in its extensive customization options. There are many plugins, themes and apps for WordPress.

WordPress is a popular platform for ecommerce website builders as it offers a wide range of options for building a store. A popular ecommerce platform on WordPress is WooCommerce.

Here are some considerations when choosing WordPress:

• WordPress is not an all-in-one platform. To use it as an e-commerce platform, you need to install and manage additional extensions.

• WordPress is less beginner-friendly, especially when all that All you need is a simple website. You are responsible for the technical setup of your website, including hosting, maintenance, creating backups and installing plugins. This can be a viable option if you’re comfortable with it (or willing to pay for outside assistance).

In short, use WordPress if you’re tech-savvy and willing to put in the time to set it up.

2. Buy the right hosting plan

Whatever type of website you create, it needs to run on a server. All of the images and videos on your website, along with their files, plugins, and extensions, are all on a server owned by a hosting service. You typically pay a monthly fee for this service.

Finding a WordPress host with a good reputation is important. Some things to look out for are:

• WordPress Specialization. Some hosts offer bespoke setup and services for WordPress sites – it’s not always necessary, but it’s a nice bonus.
• Unlimited bandwidth so you don’t get penalized when You have a sudden influx of visitors.
• Easy setup. Setting up WordPress sites requires manual effort, but hosting services can do several things to make it easier.
• Fast servers allow customers to load your website quickly, regardless of their device or location.
• Outstanding customer service, so that you always need support.
• Good ratings. Look for positive experiences with support and high uptime numbers (so you know the servers won’t go down when you need them).

Check out Bluehost, as WordPress itself recommends it becomes. With 24/7 support and great reliability, it’s definitely worth checking out.

3. Choose and register a domain name

4. Choose a theme for your website design

See also: App Development Cost (2023)

This is where you can start to work your creative magic and truly make the website your own.

WordPress has a huge community of theme creators , which means you’re sure to find something perfect for your website. Just follow the Themes link in your WordPress dashboard (or visit the WordPress Themes website) to see what’s available.

There are a number of free themes you can use, where they are usually simpler themes without complicated features. Or you can pay for premium themes, which often have great aesthetics, a larger selection of page templates, and sometimes a custom interface.

If you’re having trouble choosing, most templates in the Play library with interactive demos to see exactly how they work. Remember to keep the main purpose of your website in mind; Don’t choose a recipe blog topic if you’re selling phone cases, for example.

The actual website design (colors, fonts, backgrounds, etc.) can be changed afterwards. The important thing here is to find a topic that your target visitor will understand and enjoy. Remember to meet their needs beyond your own aesthetic preferences.

You can always work with a WordPress designer later to customize your site or tweak pages and templates.

5. Create and customize your content and pages

In your WordPress dashboard, you will see Pages in the main menu on the left side of the page. Click on it and then click Add New.

This is where you add static pages like your About and Contact pages. Take the time to make them legible, to the point, and relevant to your brand. The editor gives you plenty of options for arranging the page layout, adding links, images, and videos to make things appealing to your users.

In WordPress, the alternative to pages are posts. These are part of the blogging functionality and are designed for any new content that you publish over the life of your site. To create a new blog post, go to the Dashboard menu again and select Posts > Add New.

You can click Publish for either type of content when you’re done adding it to your site.

6. Select and install useful plugins

Which WordPress plugins should you use? It all depends on what you want. There’s tons to choose from, so be sure to browse the plugin catalog to find the best one for you.

Nevertheless, we recommend plug-ins for utilities such as Akismet (spam protection) or Jetpack (security and speed) and one of the analytics plugins to see how many people visit your website.

If you are building an online store, activate it as a plugin in this part—you need it to activate payment systems, shopping carts, item inventory and other important e-commerce functions.

You can also find SEO tools and other popular plugins like:

• WooCommerce
• Easy Digital Downloads
• MemberPress

Don’t overdo it – just stick with what you need. The more plugins you have, the more complicated things can get, especially when things go wrong.

Shopify also has an integration with WordPress. You can add a Shopify Buy Button to your WordPress website and start selling for as little as $5 per month. All you need is a product to sell and you’re good to go. You can also customize the Shopify Buy Button to match your brand’s look.

7. Do final checks and publish

Now for the final step: make sure everything is working.

This is a professional website that represents your business – even if you have one funny and whimsical site lead brand, you still need to get the basics right. This means making sure there aren’t any:

• Typos
• Bad links in your navigation menu
• Images that won’t load
• Mobile-unfriendly pages

Put yourself in your customer’s shoes: How about navigating your website for the first time? Better yet, ask for feedback – friends and family can help, or you can ask for feedback online through message boards and business communities.

That’s it! Your WordPress site is ready to go live. It’s time to tell everyone you know and take it out into the world.

What happens after your company website is online?

Start by patting yourself on the back. You survived the hardest part of online business. Now remember that your website is not a static asset that can be locked away and never touched again. Visit your business regularly to add more content or keep it up to date with your brand identity, new products and announcements, and any other small changes you feel are necessary.

For the next few steps, you probably want to start selling online. If you’ve built a Shopify store and are ready to start making money online, check out How to get your first sale in 30 days.

And if not, there’s never been a better time to take your business online. Are you ready to take the plunge?

See also: Creating a GitHub Pages site

Ready to start your first business? Start your free Shopify trial – no credit card required.

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