Getting online is easier than ever. There are over 200 million active websites design today, and many of them were created by ordinary people like you and me.
Nowadays, anyone can build a websites design, regardless of their level of technical skill. We know this may seem like a daunting task, but there are tools out there today that make the process much easier. This article will walk you through the different stages of the websites design creation process.
There are two possibilities for creating a website: using a website builder or using WordPress.Website creators such as Wix, Squarespace and Weebly are without a doubt the best way to get online for tech newbies.
Website creators are great if:
- You don’t know how to code
- You want to focus on content and strategy
- You value the convenience of all-in-one
WordPress is however more suitable in terms of:
- Independence
- Back-end and advanced customization control
- Scalability
We will review the process of creating a websites design using these two approaches. You will be surprised by the simplicity of this process, especially when using a website builder. It is possible to build a websites design in as little as an hour, by following our seven easy steps.
Step 1: Choose Your websites design Builder
A very large number of people use websites design creators to build a site. Wix has well over 3 million paid subscribers and Shopify recently surpassed the 1.2 million mark.
Why? Website creators allow anyone to create a website, regardless of their technical skills.
Website creators take care of technical jargon and allow you to focus on design and content. Some do it through “templates”, others through drag and drop interfaces. Some even try artificial intelligence, which builds the site for you.
Choosing the right websites design designer is therefore very important. Different creators meet different needs. Progressing with the right choice is essential to creating a website that will fully satisfy you.
Which websites design to choose?
What is the best way to create a website? Which websites design builder should I use? What is the easiest way to build a website? These questions are asked to us every day. The questions are numerous and there are a very large number of creators. We understand very well that it is not simple.
Our team conducts tests and interviews with users, and sift through hundreds of features on dozens of products to provide you with an overview of the market. Our goal is to help you find designers who meet your needs. It is with this in mind that we provide you with all the essential information regarding the website creators available at the moment.
Step 2: Choose the appropriate plan
Once registered with a website creator, you must subscribe to a package. Website creators tend to offer multiple packages. Different sites have different needs, and the plans guarantee that you don’t pay for what you don’t need.
This is a huge plus for websites design creators compared to web developers. A web developer can cost between € 250 and € 1,000 just to customize the template, and a fully custom website built from scratch will often cost thousands of dollars. At the same time, creating your own website using a creator allows you to get a fully functional site for less than the price of a coffee.
Is it possible to create a completely free website?
It is entirely possible to create a websites design for free, but this has drawbacks. Free accounts on website creators overlook the use of many important features. They do not allow the use of a custom domain, and your free site will include advertisements for this website builder. If you want to know more about setting up a website, the free options are worth a visit. However, if you want a professional site rich in features, it will be necessary to spend at least a few dollars per month.
Step 3: Choose a domain name
The domain name is the part of the URL (the long address in the search bar of your browser) that identifies a web page: in this case, your websites design. You can save them separately on sites like GoDaddy and Namecheap, but the website creators offer to do it for you when you call them. Most provide it for free (at least initially), while some charge a few extra dollars.
The domain name is one of the main means by which a site is presented on the Internet, it is therefore particularly important. Here are some essential rules for choosing a domain name.
- It must be relevant. It may be obvious, but it is worth mentioning. Make sure the domain matches what visitors see when they visit your site. If your company is called Vintage Pants ™, do not register the domain tongsdufutur.com
- Be concise or at least choose a name that is easy to remember. If you want people to remember your site, don’t choose a domain with dozens of characters. It will look absurd and no one will remember it.
- Avoid the numbers. It is generally best to avoid numbers in domain names. They seem (generally) unprofessional and add another element to remember
- Check that the brand does not already exist. There are already millions of websites. As a result, millions of domains are already taken. Make sure your
Step 4: Choose your template
Templates provide a framework for your websites design. One can thus obtain a beautiful site without having to hire a designer. The templates dictate the color code, what your home page header looks like, the menu bar, as well as the width of the content area on your site. It is therefore essential to choose the right one.
Whichever website designe you choose, you will have a wide selection of templates. In general, the most complete packages will give you access to a greater choice of templates.
Here are some of the categories you’ll find when you start developing your own websites design:
- Photographs
- Restaurants
- Online shops
- Wallets
- Blogs
Browse the different templates, try them out, and determine if they meet your expectations. The purpose of templates is to provide choice, so get started and find one that is right for what you want to accomplish.
Step 5: Customize your template
As we mentioned in the previous step, the templates provide a framework. Given the number of people making use of creators to create a websites design these days, there is a good chance that some sites use the same framework as yours. It will at least be necessary to fill the template you have selected with content that is specific to you. And of course, a certain level of personalization will be necessary to stand out effectively.
How to personalize a website? This answer largely depends on you. websites design creators are very flexible today. Personalization can result in:
- Adding new pages to your navigation
- Changing the size, colors and fonts of buttons
- Adding new items such as contact forms and menus
- Editing images on your home page gallery
- Choosing a different color palette
- Linking to / integrating social media channels
It’s almost always possible to play with templates as part of the free trials, so you can get an idea of how easy it is to customize without spending a dime.
Step 6: Preview and test your websites design
Once you’ve chosen and customized your template, you’ll probably want to publish it and get your website online.
Always preview changes to your site before posting them. It should be guaranteed that everything works the way you want it to. Here are some key questions to ask:
- Are the spelling and grammar correct?
- Do all menu buttons work?
- Is your site meeting a goal?
- Is your formatting consistent?
- Does it work on computer screens as well as on mobile phones?
- Does the site load quickly?
- Is it optimized for search engines?
Once at this point, you will have done very well. But be careful. It would be a shame to manage to create your own site and then publish an unfinished site.
How to preview your website?
websites design creators make it much easier to get an overview of your site. Usually just press the preview button in editor mode to see what your website will look like. Most offer a toggle for checking operation on different screen sizes.
<Don’t be the only one testing your websites design. You will not detect some of its faults. Look for an outside perspective. Ask family and friends to test your site and give you feedback.
Step 7: Publish!
Once you’ve done all of this, you should be ready to go. Before pressing the “Publish” button, let’s summarize the steps followed to reach this stage:
- Choose your websites design creator
- Choose the appropriate plan
- Choose a domain
- Choose your template
- Customize your template
- Preview and test your website
It is done? Perfect. Press “Publish”! Your site is now available worldwide. You can of course still personalize and develop it, but you are already launched. It’s fantastic!
Creating a website is within everyone’s reach, and costs (literally) nothing to get started. Try two or three websites design creators and see where they take you. Your only risk is to create a fabulous site.