As a web developer, all my clients ask me: what do I need to create a website? These 4 essential step are what you need to create a website. In this article, we are going to show you everything you need to build your site.
What do I Need to Create a Website? You Need a Plan
It’s tempting to skip this part, and get right to the making your website part, but no! Your website will be a mess if you don’t make a plan first. Use a free text editor like Google Docs, and make a separate document for every page you want to have on your website.
Upload all the pictures, text, and video you want into these documents. Organize the document in a way that makes sense to you. Make sure you have all the content you want planned out before moving on.
Trust me, rookies always skip this step, but the pros know this is essential.
You Need a Domain
A domain is your address on the internet: google.com is a domain, example.com is a domain, WebsiteShepherd.com is a domain. You can pick anything you want, unless someone else picked it first. To do a full search of all available domains, go here and see what domains are available.
Pick a domain that is easy to remember, easy to spell, and describes you or your brand. Buy the domain (should be around $14 a year). This step is required, everyone does this, and once you have one, you have a slice of the internet.
You Need Hosting
Your website is made up of files, just like your computer’s desktop. There are lots of files and folders, at least one for each web page. But unlike your computer, you can’t keep them on your desktop. It doesn’t work, I’ve tried.
What you need is hosting. Hosting is a company that holds on to your website files, and hands them out to people visiting your website. Now, there are free hosting companies, but there is always a catch, and free hosting has horrible SEO (people won’t see your website on Google).
Build your website right, and get a good hosting company. A good hosting company will help you build your website, every step of the way. Oh, and we offer hosting as part our Website Shepherd Care Plans.
Read reviews on your hosting company before you decide. There are a lot of bad apples out there, and with hosting, you always get what you pay for.
You Need a Way to Add Content
If you know how to code a website, build it on your computer and upload it to your hosting company’s server.
If you don’t know how to code, that’s fine, there are lots of programs that will help you. The most powerful and most flexible option (and the most free!) is WordPress. We have a complete guide on how you can set it up yourself, without coding.
There are no fees, it has thousands of “plugins” that add new functionality to your website (also free), and you can customize it as much as you want. WordPress helps you pick a design for your website, and makes it easy to add your content.
Done: You just made a website! You will never again have to ask “What do I Need to Create a Website?”. Now share it with others, and post it in the comments below!