You might be overwhelmed by the amount of information available on the Internet when it comes to create a website, especially if you do not have any technical knowledge in this aspect. You can also be amazed when you see others DIY their own beautiful websites, and you would like to have one too. The good news is, it’s never too late to start a website.
We’re pleased to present to you a useful guide to setup a personal or business website, which can be a blog, a portfolio or even an e-commerce store, created either by yourself or by others. Now let’s check out the ultimate guide to creating your website!
Option 1: Get a web hosting and build it on your own
Option 2: Get WordPress hosting and build on themes
Option 3: Get a website builder
Option 4: Hire a web design company to build for you
Option 1: Get a web hosting
This option is one of the most popular by far for those who are just starting out to create a website. A simple search online will return several web hosting providers who provide web hosting services, such as Exabytes.com. Before we move deeper into web hosting and websites, let’s talk about ‘domains’.
Metaphorically, a Domain is the address to your house (website), while web hosting is the floor that holds your house (website).
Getting a domain is the first step of creating a website. Always choose a domain name that represents your brand name, and the one that can be easily remembered. If you are unsure what domain name to choose, read here choosing a brandable domain name. We would like to emphasize that a domain name is the most important aspect of creating a website, as it may be hard to change when all your existing customers are accustomed to it. Anyway, if you think your domain name is not suitable, you may need to buy a new domain name and perform ‘domain redirect’ setting.
Unlike domains, web hosting services can be migrated or transferred to another provider if you wish.
There are 2 types of web hosting, namely Linux and Windows. Linux web hosting is where the operating system of the server is based on Linux. It is an open source operating system which coders around the world collaborate to develop and enhance the system with a set of rules. On the other hand, Windows web hosting is an operating system that requires a license.
Option one will require certain technical knowledge and know-how. If you know what you are doing, you can get a web hosting and start coding your way to the website you want. With Linux web hosting, you can code in PHP, Perl, and Javascript just to name a few. For Windows hosting, you can code in ASP, ASP.NET, PHP and many others. To understand more on the programming languages supported by these two OS, read here: Linux and Windows.
If you have a large traffic, and regular hosting specifications are not able to support your needs, you might need to consider checking out Virtual Private Server (VPS). VPS provides more dedicated resources and more control over your web hosting.
Option 2: Get a WordPress hosting
What is WordPress? It is an open source website creation and content management system (CMS). WordPress is capable of creating any style of website, from a simple blog to a full-featured business website or even an e-commerce store. Over 30% of websites are powered by WordPress. It is still by far the most used platform to build a website.
One of the reasons why this platform is so powerful and versatile is because you can create a website with a theme or template. There are thousands of free and paid WordPress themes available online. You can pick any theme that is suitable for your website and install them to your WordPress (installation is as easy as ABC), and there you go, you have a new website created. It is just that easy to build a WordPress website. If you do not like the theme you have installed previously, simply pick another new theme and install them. All your website content will remain intact while the entire website appearance will change completely. The best part of these themes is most of them are mobile friendly, and will make your website fit perfectly across all devices.
A WordPress theme only provides the look of your website, other aspects of your website, for example, website security or performance can be enhanced by getting a plugin. There are thousands of WordPress plugins (free and paid) available. For basic website needs, free WordPress plugin is good enough. These Plugins range from the ones that help you to protect your website to those that protect your website from being hacked. Moreover, there are also plugins that let you create a contact form, and plugins for e-commerce, which can turn your website to an e-commerce store. Check out how it works here.
With themes and plugins, you can create a website easily with WordPress. Let it be a blog, a photography portfolio website, a business website, or even an e-commerce store, you can build on WordPress. In fact, WordPress hosting is also the most offered plan among web hosting providers. Exabytes for example, provides managed WordPress hosting, where customers get a Free .COM or .ASIA domain with a yearly signup. Exabytes WordPress hosting has included everything, namely setup, security, software updates and backups, giving you the extra time to focus on creating your amazing website.
Option 3: Use website builder to create a website
Website builder or web builder is another popular choice to create a website. Website builder is a platform that allows user to drag and drop the element needed for their website content, and coding is usually not required. Some website builders come with a pre-build theme so that you can start working on it right away. You only need to do minor adjustments to the theme to suit your preferences.
Compared to WordPress, a website builder is easier when it comes to website creation, although it does not provide full control on features. Both do share a common benefit – they build mobile responsive websites. Once you created your website for desktop view, you do not have to worry how it looks on mobile, as it will automatically scale and align to different screen sizes. It saves you a lot of time and work.
Using a website builder is suitable for users who would like to create a website easily and fast. For example, showcase websites and portfolio websites mostly go for this option to create their website.
While most website builder providers only provide a builder platform, Exabytes offers a hosting together with a builder platform, which also lets you own branded/personalized email addresses with your own domain name (for example, [email protected] ). Not only that, you can create more websites on the same hosting services in the future without spending any money.
Option 4: Hire a web design company to create for you
This option used to be a very popular one as many did not know how to create a website. Today, with various website creation guides and tutorials easily available online, many have chosen to create their own website. When you hire a web design company to create a website for you, all you need to do is provide them with your requirements and they will handle the rest. Things such as copywriting, Search Engine Optimization, website optimization and website maintenance are included in their service.
We all have different needs when it comes to creating a website. Some small businesses will prefer to create their website on their own using WordPress or website builder. For some medium and large businesses, many would outsource it to an agency to save resources. However, for big corporations such as Amazon or Airbnb, they will most probably have their own in-house web designers and programmers to create and maintain their website.
SEO and Security
Now that you know the options available for you to create a website, the next important part is to enhance your website visibility and protect it. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is what makes your website more visible and rank higher on the search result. To know more about SEO, check out SEO for beginners to learn how you can make your website perform better on the search result.
Moreover, website speed is also one of the factors that determines your ranking in the search results. Besides keeping your website light (example: shrinking the size of the image files on your website, removing unnecessary plugins installed to your website), don’t forget about potential cyber threats.
There are many ways your website could be attacked. These attacks can greatly harm your website not only in terms of speed but also availability of your website. Imagine your website is always under attack and not accessible most of the time, do you think Google will show it in the search result? Websites with better security and constant availability will certainly enjoy the priority to rank higher in the search result.
Every website should at least get some basic security installed. Features such as daily malware scan and removal, web application firewall are some of the things needed to protect your website from online threats. Remember, prevention is better than cure!
Ready to start creating your own website? Take a look at affordable web hosting plans to understand what is provided. With 100-day money-back guarantee for all our web hosting plans, you can create your website with total peace of mind. Additionally, you will get a Free .COM domain with our web hosting plan, a great saving bundle that helps you get started.
Feel free to share this article with your friends and family who are thinking about creating their own website.
