How To Build a Website From Scratch - 3 Steps To Building Up a Website

Not only will these 3 steps show you how to build a website from scratch, but you’ll be given all the tools, tips & resources to establish an awesome online presence.

Nobody wants to spend loads of cash setting up a website, which is why there is a totally free option to choose from as well as highly affordable options if you want to own your website & domain.

So let’s get started with creating a website for you now…

3 Steps To Building a Website From Scratch

1. Name It

The first step to setting up a website is to register a suitable domain name for it.

Before you go ahead and register the first name that pops into your head, it’s advisable to do some research first.

For instance, you need to consider the following;

Choose the right domain name extension like a .com, .org, .net.
Over 40% of the domains registered onthe internet are .com TLDs as they are not only the most popular, but also the easiest to remember.
However, your business may be country specific in which case you can use your country’s TLD, for instance co.uk if your business is in England. It would still be useful to register the .com version if it’s available though as it can be pointed to the co.uk version or vice versa.
Choose a domain name that is “brandable” rather than generic.
You want your website visitors to associate your domain name with your brand so it needs to be unique, memorable and to stand out from your competition.
On the other hand, a keyword stuffed generic name wouldn’t do much in developing your brand.
If your preferred business name, or other name, has already been taken, it may be available with a different TLD like a .net or .info one.
A short concise name is better than a long one.
The average domain name is 12 characters in length, so ideally aim for 6-14 characters.
Ensure that it’s easy to pronounce and type, like Google or Amazon.
Avoid hyphens and numbers which make it more tricky to communicate.
Try and use keywords pertaining to your niche without compromising your brand.
Ensure that you aren’t using names that could be registered under a trademark.
This could be a disaster if you’re forced to take down your website after spending a significant amount of time & effort setting it up.
So check here to make sure your preferred name isn’t already trademarked.
Use a domain name generator like this one here, if your creative juices just aren’t working.
Elements your domain name should include;
1. First impressions – the domain name, in your website’s url, is the first thing your site visitors will see and a memorable one will create a favourable impression.
2. SEO – keywords in your domain may help your ranking.
3. Brand – the right domain for your website will help create a strong brand.

Search For Your Preferred Domain Name

Find a domain starting at $0.88

2. Host It With a Cheap Web Hosting Plan

One of the biggest fears for a website owner, is for your web hosting provider to close down overnight and disappear with your website and domain, leaving you no way of retrieving it.

It’s happened to me and the impact of this nightmare can be almost irreparable, if not just totally despairing, for the website owner.

It is therefore of vital importance that you pay special attention to the selection of reliable, professional but cheap hosting for your website.

5 Top Web Hosting Options

While all of these hosting options provide the best in speed, support and features, they’re highly affordable and make a great choice to build your website from scratch.

1. Bluehost

2. A2 Hosting

3. HostGator

4. Wix

5. Namecheap

3. Build Your Website With a Free Web Builder

Now for the fun part of this guide showing you how to build a website from scratch.

While everyone wants their site to create the very best first impression possible, using an easy web builder isn’t the only option to achieve this.

Below are some of the hosting companies that not only provide affordable & reliable hosting, but also offer free website builders with their hosting plans.

3 Free Options For Building Your Website

All three of these options will provide you with web builders as well as all the tools, including templates & images, for setting up an impressive website.

1. Elementor: Free WordPress Page Builder

Once you’ve got your domain and web hosting account set up, you’ll be able to install WordPress and the Elementor plugin for free.

Furthermore, Elementor is the world’s leading WordPress page builder and can be used to create any site you can imagine.

The following free plugins can be installed to make designing & building your professional looking website so much easier.

5 Free Elementor Plugins

Elementor Addons & Templates – Sizzify Lite. Read more »
Press Elements – Widgets for Elementor – Read more »
Elementor Addon Elements – Read more »
NavMenu Addon For Elementor – Read more »
Elementor – Header, Footer & Blocks – Read more »

All of the above plugins can be installed for free through your WordPress plugin menu option.

The first one provides you with a wide range of free templates to choose from.

These professionally designed website templates cover many niches from health & nutrition to plumbing.

Elementor also provides tons of free page templates, as opposed to website templates, to choose from.

There are also many more you can install and activate to allow your website to perform optimally.

2. Free Web Builder With Your Hosting Account

When you sign up for a hosting account it’s wise to ensure that it comes with a free web builder.

The following reputable web hosts have free website builders with all of their hosting plans.

3. Web Hosting Accounts That Include Free Web Builders

HostGator – You’ll get a top website builder, hosting and a domain all starting from $3.46, with Gator Website Builder from HostGator.
A2 Hosting – Compare these hosting packages which all include A2’s free website builder
Namecheap – Take a look at all the features you get with Namecheap’s web builder (included in all hosting plans) here »

In my opinion, this could be your best option if you’re looking at establishing a long term web presence for your business, product or service.

When you sign up for an account with any of the above companies, you will have access to their free web builders which come with some pretty awesome templates & tools.

Not only will you be able to build an impressive site, but you’ll also own the domain and the website itself.

So if you decide to switch hosting providers, for instance, you’ll be able to have your website transferred to your new web host.

This is an important issue if you want to own the IP (Intellectual Property) of your website, which you won’t have if your site’s hosted on a subdomain.

3. Wix Free Web Builder

Anyone can sign up for a free Wix account and get access to their renowned website builder, image library and stunning templates, all for free.

You don’t even have to buy a domain or pay for hosting, you can get started right away – sign up for your free account here »

Furthermore, the Wix website builder gives you all the tools to ensure that your site’s functionality & usability will provide the best user experience.

Below are some of the key benefits and features any self respecting web designer would be impressed with.

Wix Snapshot - 5 Key Features

Pricing: 2 Options…
- Free Plan: Includes use of web builder & templates, web hosting & a Wix domain name.
- Paid plans: From $3pm including a free domain name which you own.
- It should be noted that with the free plan, the domain is not owned by you & your website may be subject to certain limitations contained in Wix’ TOS (Terms Of Service).
- Owning your own domain & website is the far better option in the long term, especially at such an affordable price.
- Start by choosing your domain name here »
Web Design Features: Massive collection of website templates for almost any niche.
Drag ‘n Drop Web Builder: Makes designing professional looking sites so easy without requiring any coding skills. Furthermore, Wix’s ADI feature will design your site for you after asking you a few questions.
Features: Huge App Market with hundreds of Apps to easily add features to your site.
eCommerce: Easy to create eCommerce functionality.

Something You Should Be Aware Of...

While this all sounds fantastic, it should be noted that the domain your site is hosted under will not be owned by you.

It’ll be a subdomain which means that is hosted on Wix’s main domain server and will look something like www.mywebsite.wix.com.

5 Disadvantages Of Having Your Site Hosted On a Free Subdomain

You don’t own the domain
It doesn’t look very professional for a business. Remember your email addresses will also have the subdomain issue.
You’ll be bound to comply with Wix’s TOS (Terms Of Service) so should they suddenly prohibit advertising, for example, you won’t be able to generate ad revenue from Adsense, which could be a disaster if that’s your main revenue stream.
After putting in many hours to get your site built & looking fantastic, you could suddenly be issued with a notice to say that you’re in contravention of some or other term and have to take it down.
Subdomains scream “freebie” which won’t do much for your site’s credibility or professionalism.

Last Thoughts On Building a Website From Scratch

While the steps above show you how to build a website from scratch, there are a few decisions that you need to make during the process.

Besides choosing a suitable domain name, you need to decide whether you want to make use of a totally free service or a paid one.

In summary, this is basically how the totally free service stacks up against a paid hosting account.

Feature	Free Hosting	Paid Hosting Plan
Free Web Builder	Yes	Yes
Free Domain Name	Yes	Yes
Free Hosting	Yes	No
Freedom To Develop Your Site	No	Yes
Will You Own the Domain Name?	No	Yes
Can You Transfer Your Site or Domain Name?	No	Yes

In conclusion, if you aren’t worried about owning your domain or having your site hosted on a subdomain, then the Wix free plan is perfect for you.

On the other hand, if you want to portray a professional image via your website & not have the uncertainty of the TOS being changed without notice, then a paid hosting plan is your best choice.

Even a really affordable hosting plan, like this one, from just a few dollars a month, come with a free web builder and many other useful tools & features.

But whatever choice you make, the sooner you start building your website, the sooner you can start generating an income from it.