Maybe you did just started a new business and are still in the testing phase.
You don’t want to invest a lot in a website because it’s a test…
I understand.
And in this first phase, you may not have the finances, you may not yet have an idea of what exactly you want to do, so investing in a website doesn’t seem to be the best idea for you.
You may be wondering… which is better: to make a DIY website and later a “real” website or to wait for a “real” website?
It depends on what this DIY website is like…
If it’s good enough for potential customers and Google, I recommend this option.
If not… then wait. 😉
Of course, the process to create your own website is not easy.
It takes some learning and a LOT of time.
But everything is possible, if you want it enough, right!? In this post, I’ll show you the steps.
0 | Prepare and plan
Before jump and start with the website, I highly recommend that you prepare everything you need first. Not only that this way you save a lot of time, but the website will be much better quality.
You can prepare content for the website and make it easier, check out those posts:
- Need Help with Website Copy? Here is Free Website Copywriting Template
- How To Write An About Page + Free Worksheets
- Planning And Implementing Navigation for better User Experience
- 7 Mistakes of Your Website Copy and How to Fix Them
1 | Choose a domain and hosting:
You need a domain and hosting first. To refresh what is what:
Domain = URL where visitors will find you. (eg mod.si).
Hosting = home where your website will live (space on the webserver).
More details about how to choose a domain and hosting: How to Prepare for the best website: domain and hosting
2 | Install WordPress
I recommend you use the free WordPress platform. First, you should install it on your hosting.
Instructions on how to install WordPress on hosting can usually be found at the hosting provider.
P.s. if you are more advanced, first you should create and complete the website on a local server – a computer and then upload it to the production server – hosting.
3 | Install and edit the theme
The next step is to choose and install a theme that will help you with what the website will look like (design). You can choose between:
Free: already available in WordPress (Appearance> Themes)
Premium: which you can buy and install on your website. One of the biggest providers of themes is themeforest.net
4 | Basic website settings
Basic settings include everything from the domain, description, commenting option, language, and all other settings…
Also, don’t forget to use HTTPS instead of HTTP.
5 | Add content
Now the website will become more and more attractive! It’s time to create all the pages and add content to each page.
When all the pages are set, you should also create a menu.
Bonus: when the site is in the preparation phase, I recommend that it be publicly visible only to logged-in users. You can achieve this with a plugin like Coming Soon Page, Maintenance Mode & Landing Pages by SeedProd
6 | Optimize for search engines like Google (SEO)
I prefer to take care of SEO optimization regularly, but it is necessary to take care before you publish the website. You can find lot about SEO optimization on my blog:
- How to choose keywords (online course)
- SEO beginner course (online course)
- Why SEO is important for small business and what, how, where to start
- How to: 5 Simple SEO Tips For Better Rankings
- What You Can Do For SEO Now
7 | Launch and promote – share
If you just publish the new website and expect a whole bunch of visitors… you probably will be disappointed.
It is necessary to tell and invite as many people as possible to visit your new website.
You can also find more about this in the post: How To Launch A Website With A Boom! + Freebie
Hope this helps!
Are you committed to creating your website?
Leave a comment below and let us know (you can also share a link to your new website).
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