Monday, November 26, 2018

How to Build a Website without Coding

So you want to build a cool new website, but you don’t have any programming experience? That’s ok! There are actually a lot of resources out there these days that can help you. Websites like WordPress use a modular system that allows you to design your site by moving around pre-made components, such as text boxes and pics, without typing out the code. This makes it easy to put together a simple website yourself. Let’s take a look at how you can start building your website code-free!

Get a Domain Name and Business Email

Before you start building anything, you need to choose your domain name. This is the online address used to reach your website. Since so many websites exist already, you might find that your original business name is not available as a .com option, so you should come up with a few other options. You can search and purchase available domains at sites like godaddy.com or hostgator.com.
If you haven’t already done so, you also need to set up a business email address. As you set up and build your website, use this email for all business-related steps. This looks more professional and is safer than putting your personal email address out there. In general, a gmail address is a good way to go, since this simplifies a lot of social media setup, but it's not required.

Choose a Website Building Software

Now that you have your domain and email, you need to choose a good website building software that’s easy to use. Some of the simplest options are WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly. Not only are they easy to use, but they’re also great tools overall. In fact, many people who know how to code end up choosing to use one of these tools, because they’re so simple and save a lot of time.
Your skill level and understanding of how websites work will determine which website building software you’ll want to use. Here’s a closer look at the four main options:
  • WordPress - This is the most flexible website builder and the one that we tend to use at VMA. You can customize to your heart’s content with their versatile plugin system. However, it’s not the easiest software for beginners, and some previous experience is helpful.
  • Weebly - This is the easiest website building software to use. If you’re a complete beginner and tend to shy away from technology, this is your best bet.
  • Wix - This is a great all-around builder. It has many features and tools that allow you to drag and drop just about anything into place on your website.
  • Squarespace - This is the most design-oriented builder. It has a ton of design templates to choose from.

Decide on Hosting

Now that you’ve started actually building your website, it’s time to find that domain address a permanent home on the Internet with web hosting. Think of this step as putting an address (domain) onto a house (host). There are four general types of hosting, and you should make a decision based on what you want out of the service (and your budget).
  • Free Hosting - There’s almost always a free hosting option provided by the fully managed drag-and-drop website builders mentioned above. This is a great option for budget hosting, but it doesn’t come with as many options or much support.
  • Shared Hosting - This is hosting that you share with other websites. Think of it like sharing your apartment with a roommate. This is simpler and more affordable than most individual hosting options, but leaves you with fewer options. One major downside is that the server can get overloaded if one of the websites gets a lot of traffic suddenly.
  • VPS Hosting - This is another type of shared server that gives you more space, so that your site can handle more visitors. This is a great step to take before you jump onto your own dedicated server. Your website is growing, but not big enough for its own building.
  • Dedicated Hosting - This is a server that’s set up just for you. This is like renting out that entire apartment mentioned above by yourself. This option is often used by larger enterprise websites that need more server space or cannot risk having the server overload and crash.
In most cases when building your first website, it’s best to start with free hosting. Once your website is polished up, getting more traffic, and you want to start tracking your visitors, you can move to a larger hosting space. Start small and grow your hosting along with your website. You can find more information on hosting here.

Fill Your Website with Great Content and SEO

After you've set up and designed your website, it's time to put it to good use! By providing a constant stream of quality content, you will keep your viewers engaged and coming back for more. Also, setting up a website is the best time to add some basic SEO strategies. Don't worry, this is also pretty easy to do. Learn how to set yourself up with great videos, blogs, SEO, and more with VMA's other blogs!

Basic Checklist to Build a Website

  1. Choose a domain name and purchase it.
  2. Set up a business email.
  3. Choose your website building software.
  4. Find a hosting company that works for you.
  5. Make sure you have good content and photos, set up some basic SEO, and track your data so you can watch it grow.
With all the tools available, it’s easier than ever before to build a website. Most of the website building softwares have great online communities that can answer any questions that might arise. Go through the steps outlined above and you’ll find that you have a working website in no time. Then you just need to fill it with quality content and start spreading the news on your social media pages.

If you’re still feeling overwhelmed by any part of the process of setting up your website, designing it, creating content, developing an SEO strategy, and connecting through social media, Virtual Market Advantage can help! We provide services to help with all of these aspects of online design and marketing, and you can pick and choose which parts you want us to handle for you.

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