How To Build a Website From Scratch | Beginners Guide

Are you looking to build a website from scratch but don’t know where to start? You are not alone! Building an SEO-optimized website can be daunting for beginners, especially if you don’t have any coding or design skills. 

However, with the right guidance and resources, creating a professional-looking website has never been easier. In this blog post, we will provide step-by-step instructions on how to create an SEO-optimized website from scratch – no coding required! 

From choosing the right domain name and web hosting provider to setting up your site structure and optimizing your content for search engines, we’ll cover all the essential elements of building a successful online presence. 

Table of contents:

1. Choosing the Right Domain Name 
2. Selecting a Web Hosting Provider 
3. Setting Up Your Site Structure 
4. Designing Your Website’s Look and Feel 
5. Adding Content to Your Website 
6. Optimizing Content for SEO Purposes 
7. Testing and Launching Your Website
8. Conclusion

Step 1. Choosing the Right Domain Name 

The first step in building a website from scratch is to pick out a domain name. Your domain name should be easy to remember, relevant to your business, and as short as possible. Once you have chosen the perfect domain name, you will need to register it with an accredited domain registrar. 

Domain Name Providers:

• GoDaddy
• Namecheap
• Domain.com
• Hover

Step 2. Selecting a Web Hosting Provider 

The next step is to select a web hosting provider. When choosing a web host, it’s important to consider factors such as server speed, security measures, customer support, and price. We recommend researching different providers and their offerings before making your final decision. 

Web Hosting Providers: 

• Bluehost 
• HostGator 
• SiteGround 
• A2 Hosting 

Step 3. Setting Up Your Site Structure 

Once you have registered your domain name and chosen a web hosting provider, the next step is to set up your website structure [blueprint]. This includes creating pages such as Home, About Us, Services, Contact Us, and any other relevant sections. You will also need to create a blog if you plan on adding content to your website.

Step 4. Designing Your Website’s Look and Feel 

Now it’s time to design the look and feel of your website. Whether you are a professional designer or just starting out, there are plenty of options for designing an attractive website from scratch. 

A) DIY Website Builders

If you want to design a website on your own, you can use a drag-and-drop website builder. The learning curve is mid to intermediate, and most website builders offer a wide range of responsive themes and a variety of customization options. Some of the most popular site builders are:

• Wix 
• Weebly 
• Squarespace 
• WordPress
• Shopify

WordPress is the most popular choice for creating websites from scratch as it requires no special coding experience and provides plenty of customization options. It also comes with a wide range of plugins and themes to help you create the perfect website.

B) Freelance Designer

If you don’t feel comfortable designing a website on your own, you can hire a freelance designer to create the perfect look and feel for your site. When selecting a designer, it’s important to review their portfolio and ask questions about their process, timeline, and estimated cost.

Hire a Web Designer:

• Upwork
• Bark
• Dribbble
• Working Not Working
• Freelancer

C) Web Design Agency

Finally, you can also partner with a web design agency to create your website. Working with an agency comes with additional benefits such as expertise in UX/UI design, a deep understanding of the latest web technologies, and access to a team of experienced professionals. If you truly want to succeed and create a website that stands out from the competition, we recommend working with an agency. 

Web Design Agencies:

• Fit Design – award-winning London-based agency
• Kota: creative agency based in New York and the UK
• Digital Silk: versatile web agency in Chicago
• Locomotive: bespoke website design services from this unique agency in Montreal, Canada

Step 5. Adding Content to Your Website 

Once you have the look and feel of your website ready, the next step is to add content. Content is key to any successful website, and it can help boost SEO rankings and engage visitors. You can add content such as blog posts, contact forms, product listings, videos, images, or anything else relevant to your business. 

Make sure you create unique content and use keywords strategically to help your website rank higher in search results pages. There are some great AI tools if you need help with content creation and optimization. 

AI Writing Tools:

• Jasper
• Writesonic
• Rytr
• CopyAI

Step 6. Optimizing Content for SEO Purposes 

If you’re looking to create an online presence for your business, the key is to make sure that your website is built with SEO optimization in mind. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a process of optimizing your website so that it ranks higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). 

A well-optimized website can do wonders for your business, as it will help you attract more customers and increase brand awareness. 

A) Research Your Keywords 

The first step is to research the keywords related to your business. You should use Google’s keyword planner or other keyword research tools to find relevant keywords for your business. Once you have identified the best keywords for your website, you can start using them in the content of your website.

Keyword Research Tools:

• Moz
• Semrush
• Ahrefs
• Spyfu
• Seobility

B) Optimize Your Content 

The next step is to optimize the content on your website with those keywords that you have identified during the keyword research process. This includes adding relevant headings, subheadings, meta descriptions, alt text and titles throughout the page content as well as ensuring that all images and videos are optimized with accurate captions and titles.

C) Create Quality Links 

Another important aspect of SEO is creating quality links back to other websites within the same niche as yours. Link building helps improve your ranking in SERPs by showing search engines that other sites consider yours an authoritative source of information on certain topics. Quality links also help improve user experience since they provide additional sources of information related to whatever topic they are researching on your site.

Step 7. Testing & Launching Your Website

Before you launch your website, it’s important to test it for any bugs or errors. You can test the website across different devices and browsers and make sure that it’s working as intended. Once you are satisfied with the results, you can launch your website and start driving traffic to it.

Performance Test Tools:

• Pingdom
• GTmetrix
• WebPageTest
• Seoptimer
• Ubersuggest

Conclusion

Creating a website from scratch is no easy feat, but with the right knowledge and resources, it can be done. Whether you choose to go solo or enlist an agency’s help, understanding the latest web technologies and gaining access to experienced professionals will ensure that your website stands out in today’s competitive digital landscape.

Once you have created your site design and added content, optimizing for SEO purposes should be your next step. Finally, before launching make sure to test across various devices and browsers so that everything works as intended. With these steps complete, you are now ready to launch your amazing new website!