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I started building websites in 2009 when having a website was only just becoming a necessity. Things like mobile-optimized websites and e-commerce were in their infancy.
Jump to 2024, and it's clear that running a successful brand without a website is nearly impossible. According to Google, more than 50% of online shoppers discover new brands via search.
To put it in perspective, Google handles over 8.5 billion searches per day, if even 1% of these searches lead a user to your website, that’s about 85 million potential customers you’d have missed out on without a website.
Now, to be realistic, you’re not going to get anywhere close to millions of website visitors easily (SEO isn’t that simple) — That said, anywhere from 1000 - to 10,000 monthly visitors is quite realistic and can mean dramatic uplifts in revenue.
This article will cover everything you need to know to create a website from scratch for your brand or business idea.
We’ll start off by explaining what a website is, the types of websites, and the (hundreds) of different ways you can go about building a website.
We’ll also provide expert advice to help you decide the best option for your specific use case.
With the introduction out of the way, let’s get to it.
A website is a collection of interlinked web pages that reside under a single domain name. It's essentially your online storefront, providing potential customers with a place to learn more about your brand, products, or services.
In the old days, brands relied on mediums such as print and broadcast media to showcase what they had to offer. These traditional advertising methods were the cornerstone of marketing strategies, from magazines to newspapers to full-fledged billboards.
With the invention of the internet came a revolution in the way information was being consumed. This pushed businesses to explore a means to showcase their brand online, and thus — business websites were born.
Today, a website has become a requirement for growing a sustainable, competitive business in most cases.
So, what do you need to create a website?
To create a website, you need to fulfill four basic requirements: a hosting server, a domain name, your website’s design, and a website development platform. If you’re unfamiliar with these terms, don’t worry. It’s more important to understand their functions, as the platform you choose or the professional you hire will handle the technical details.
Here’s a quick breakdown:
This is where your website’s files are stored. Think of it as the land on which your website is built. A reliable hosting server ensures your website is accessible to visitors around the clock.
“A server is a powerful computer or device that provides resources, services, or data to other computers, known as clients, over a network. Servers play a crucial role in the infrastructure of the internet and local networks, enabling various functions such as hosting websites, managing emails, storing files, and more.”
In terms of hosting, there are a ton of hosting providers that offer a range of different options, choosing which to go with really depends on the kind of website you’re trying to build and the tech stack (web development tools) you decide to go with.
We recommend going with a specific hosting provider that offers great support and is based in the country you are targeting. This makes your website load faster for local users, preventing frustration from slow load times.
Some popular hosting options you can explore include:
This is the address of your website, like www.yourbrand.com. It should be easy to remember, relevant to your brand, and ideally, include keywords that your target audience might search for.
In more technical terms, a domain name is a string of letters pointing to the server's IP address holding all your website’s files and database.
“An IP address, short for Internet Protocol address, is a unique identifier assigned to each device connected to a network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. It functions similarly to a physical address, allowing devices to locate and communicate with each other on a network.”
To further simplify things, when a user types in “yourbrand.com”, their browser converts that to an IP address “124.23.423.1” which is where your website’s server is located; the server automatically sends whatever website files it has back to the user and that’s what they see on their browser.
All of this happens under the hood and very fast (ideally).
So, how do you get a domain name?
Just like hosting providers, some companies allow you to purchase domain names for your brand. These companies are called “Domain Registrars”.
Some popular domain registrars include:
Note: Many hosting providers also allow you to purchase domain names which further simplifies things as you can get both requirements from one source.
Your website’s design encompasses its layout, color scheme, typography, and overall aesthetic appeal. A good design is crucial for creating a positive user experience and ensuring your site is easy to navigate.
Before you decide on hosting and your website’s development platform, you should choose a design — In most cases, depending on the kind of website you want to build, there are existing templates you can utilize, but it depends on the platform you’ve chosen and your goals.
For serious brands, a custom-made design is always the best route, as it allows you to integrate your brand guidelines tightly and create an experience for users that truly engages, delights, and converts.
We recommend working with a UI/UX agency to design your website. A web design agency will research the absolute best design to communicate your branding and use best practice UX/UI principles to deliver a website that converts prospects to loyal customers.
The agency will give you a full wireframe that you can give to a developer to build with custom code or a no-code platform like Webflow or Shopify. A wireframe is a visual representation of your final website and prevents costly rework after development.
A website development platform is a tool that helps you build and manage your website. The right platform depends on your technical skills, the complexity of your website, and your specific needs.In terms of what to choose, we have a whole section dedicated to that later in this article so for now just understand that it’s a requirement.
All that said, understanding these prerequisites will help you make informed decisions as you embark on your website creation journey.
Creating a website involves understanding the specific purpose it will serve. Let's explore the most common types of websites, each designed to meet different needs and objectives.
These can also fall under either B2C or B2B, depending on the target audience and services offered.
If you're looking to attract potential customers and gather their contact information, a lead generation website is what you need.
These sites are all about drawing in visitors and encouraging them to share their details.
They typically feature landing pages with forms, compelling calls to action (CTAs), and easy-to-fill contact forms.
For example, a real estate website might offer a free property evaluation in exchange for contact details, or a consulting agency could use a lead magnet like a free eBook to gather email addresses.
Most service-based businesses go for lead-generation websites as it’s the best way to convert online users into paying customers.
Lead generation websites can be B2B or B2C, depending on whether the leads are businesses or individual consumers.
E-commerce websites are designed to sell products or services directly to consumers online.
They include detailed product listings with descriptions, images, and prices, a shopping cart for adding items, and a secure payment gateway for processing transactions.
Think of online retail stores like Amazon, or smaller niche stores using platforms like Shopify. Whether you're selling physical products, digital downloads, or services, an e-commerce site can help you reach a global audience.
E-commerce websites can be B2C (selling to individual consumers) or B2B (selling to other businesses).
If you're an individual looking to showcase your work and skills, a personal or portfolio website is perfect.
These sites typically feature a gallery or portfolio section to display your projects, an "About Me" page to introduce yourself, and contact information for potential clients or employers to reach out.
Whether you're an artist, designer, writer, or consultant, a well-crafted portfolio website can help you highlight your talents and connect with opportunities.
Portfolio websites usually fall under B2C, but can also be B2B if the services you render as an individual are aimed at businesses.
Blogs and informational sites are all about sharing knowledge, news, or personal insights on various topics.
They usually include regularly updated blog posts, categories, and tags to organize content and a comment section to encourage reader interaction.
Personal blogs might cover lifestyle tips, travel experiences, or cooking recipes, while informational websites offer expert advice on topics like health, finance, or technology.
These sites are great for building an audience and establishing yourself as an authority in your field.
Depending on the target audience, these sites can be either B2C or B2B.
Brand websites are designed to provide detailed information about a brand, organization, or individual.
Unlike lead generation websites, they are not primarily focused on capturing leads or direct sales. Instead, their main goal is to inform visitors and present comprehensive content about the brand.
A good example is Coca-Cola, which does not sell its products directly on its website.
Instead, the site focuses on sharing information about the company, its history, sustainability initiatives, and community engagement. Visitors can learn about Coca-Cola’s brand story, explore its various beverages, and read the latest news without being pushed to make a purchase.
Entertainment websites are focused on providing fun and engaging content to their visitors. This can include streaming services, gaming sites, and platforms for music and movies.
These sites are designed to captivate and retain visitors through interactive and multimedia content.
Examples include Netflix, Spotify, or even blogs dedicated to movie reviews or video game walkthroughs.
Entertainment websites are generally B2C, but can also be B2B if they target businesses for advertising partnerships or content licensing.
Software as a Service (SaaS) websites are designed to promote and provide access to software applications hosted online.
These platforms offer software solutions that users can access over the internet, usually through a subscription model.
SaaS websites typically include detailed product information, transparent pricing, free trial options, and robust customer support resources.
Examples of SaaS websites include Slack, Salesforce, and Dropbox. SaaS websites can be B2C, offering solutions to individual users, or B2B, targeting businesses with enterprise-level software.
Note: Some websites can and will fall within multiple types, for example, most SaaS websites are designed to generate leads as well as sell a service. That said, don’t confine the kind of website you want to build to a box — This list is just for educational purposes.
When it comes to creating a website, you essentially have two paths to choose from: selecting an existing website platform and building on top of it or building your own platform from scratch using web development technologies like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc. Let's dive into these options.
Building a website from scratch might sound daunting, especially if you're a beginner or a non-technical brand owner.
While it's possible to learn the basics and put something together, it's often best to hire a trusted professional or agency to ensure everything runs smoothly.
When you build a website from scratch, you'll be working with fundamental web technologies.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is used for creating the structure of your web pages.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) takes care of styling, making your website look visually appealing.
JavaScript adds interactivity, allowing users to engage with your content dynamically.
The main advantage of building a website from scratch is the flexibility it offers. You can customize every aspect of your site to meet your specific needs and optimize it for performance and SEO.
This is particularly important if you have unique requirements that can't be met with off-the-shelf solutions.
For more complex and dynamic websites or web applications, frameworks like React, Next.js, Flutter, and Angular come into play. These tools make it easier to build feature-rich sites that are fast and scalable.
If you're looking at larger-scale applications, you might encounter terms like the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js) or the MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, Node.js), which are used to develop robust, full-stack web applications.
That said, while building a website from scratch provides maximum flexibility and customization, it's often best left to professionals unless you have the technical know-how and time to invest.
If you’re not a tech wizard, no-code website builders are a fantastic option. These platforms allow you to create a professional-looking website without writing a single line of code.
However, even these can come with their own set of challenges, so hiring an agency to handle the setup can ensure you get the best results.
Let's look at some popular no-code website builders, discussing their strengths, weaknesses, and what they are best suited for.
WordPress is like the Swiss Army knife of website builders. It’s incredibly versatile and powers over a third of all websites on the internet.
WordPress is great for blogs, business sites, and even e-commerce stores with the right plugins. Its main strengths lie in its flexibility and the vast library of plugins and themes available.
However, it can be a bit overwhelming for beginners due to its complexity and the need for regular maintenance and updates.
Wix is perfect for those who want an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface. It’s ideal for small businesses, portfolios, and personal websites.
Wix offers a wide range of templates and an intuitive editor, making it simple to create a professional-looking site quickly.
The downside is that it can be less flexible compared to other platforms, especially if you want to scale your website in the future or require advanced features.
If you’re planning to launch an online store, Shopify is the go-to platform. It’s designed specifically for ecommerce, offering everything from payment processing to inventory management.
Shopify is user-friendly and provides a range of customizable templates tailored for selling products.
Its major strength is its comprehensive ecommerce functionality, but it does come with a higher cost, especially as you add more features and grow your store.
Webflow is aimed at designers and developers who want more control over their website's look and feel without writing code.
It combines the ease of a visual editor with the power of a CMS, making it suitable for complex, custom websites.
Webflow is excellent for those who want pixel-perfect design capabilities and a high degree of customization.
However, it has a steeper learning curve compared to more straightforward builders like Wix or Squarespace.
Squarespace is known for its beautiful, designer-quality templates. It’s a great choice for creatives like photographers, artists, and small businesses that want a stylish online presence.
Squarespace offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it easy to build and customize your site. It also includes robust features like e-commerce, blogging, and built-in SEO tools.
The downside is that it can be less flexible than WordPress and doesn’t offer as many third-party integrations.
Whether you want to build a website yourself or hire a professional, following these five major steps will help ensure that your website not only looks great but also effectively serves your brand's purpose.
Before you start the website creation process, it is important to already have a brand identity guideline established for your business.
“Brand Identity refers to the visual and verbal elements that represent a brand, such as color palette, font selection, logo, and overall design style.”
All these elements work together to create a consistent and recognizable brand image - one that consumers can easily identify and connect with.
When crafting your brand’s identity, a brand identity designer will come up with something called a Brand Identity Document.
A brand identity document also known as a brand guidelines or brand style guide, contains all the necessary information and guidelines to ensure consistency in the visual representation of a brand across various platforms.
It explicitly defines how and when a brand’s colors, typography, logos, and other design elements should used.
It also contains information about your brand’s target demographic or persona.
“Marketing personas are detailed, semi-fictional representations of your ideal customers based on real data and research. In simpler terms, who your brand is solving a problem for.”
With this information at hand, a web designer or design agency can effectively create a proper design that tightly integrates your brand’s voice, and needs with your website’s design.
Whether you plan on creating a custom website or using an existing DIY platform, market research is equally as important.
With all the market research taken care of, you or your design team should have a clear vision of the features, elements, and layout your website needs.
Suppose you’re building the site using a DIY pagebuilder platform like Wix. In that case, this phase involves browsing through hundreds of templates to find one that fits best with your market research — As you can already tell, this can be quite limiting and time-consuming as no template on platforms like Webflow or Wix is tailored to a specific brand.
However, as a starter brand with a limited budget, this option can save you some money if you don't mind the limitations.
Most brand owners prefer to hire a web design agency. Despite the higher costs, it produces the best long-term results for your brand.
By providing all of your branding materials, the agency can conduct extensive market research (if not already done) and create a website design that is specifically tailored to your brand.
This approach produces a hyper-optimized, one-of-a-kind website design that not only effectively represents your brand but also includes all of the features required for online success.
Once the design agency has completed your website's design, they will usually invite you to a call or a live meeting to review it. This collaborative session enables you to provide feedback and make changes until everything looks and feels right. This iterative process ensures that the final design is consistent with your vision and meets your brand's specific requirements.
By the end of the design phase, you should have a detailed prototype or mockup of your website that is ready to move on to the development phase.
Now that your design is finalized, it's time to bring your website to life. This phase involves converting your design into a fully functional website. The approach you take will depend largely on whether you’re using a DIY platform or hiring a professional developer or agency.
If you're using a DIY website builder like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace, you'll start by selecting the appropriate template (if you haven’t already) and then customize it to match your finalized design. Follow these steps:
1. Set Up Your Account: Sign up for an account with your chosen website builder and select a plan that fits your needs. Most platforms offer various tiers, so choose one that includes all the necessary features.
2. Choose and Customize Your Template: Select a template that closely matches your design. Use the platform’s customization tools to adjust colors, fonts, and layout elements to align with your design prototype.
3. Add Content: Populate your website with content. This includes text, images, videos, and other media. Ensure that each page is filled with high-quality, engaging content that reflects your brand.
4. Install Plugins/Apps: Depending on your website’s functionality needs, you may need to install additional plugins or apps. For example, e-commerce sites might need a shopping cart plugin, while blogs might require a comment management system.
5. Optimize for Mobile: Ensure your website looks great and functions well on mobile devices. Most DIY builders offer responsive design tools to help with this.
6. Test Your Site: Before going live, thoroughly test your website. Check for broken links, ensure forms are working, and verify that all interactive elements function correctly.
Note: Some agencies specialize in creating custom designs in DIY website builders like WordPress, Webflow, and Wix. This means you don’t always have to go custom just because you need a unique design.
These agencies leverage the flexibility of platforms like WordPress to create bespoke designs that meet your specific requirements while still allowing you to benefit from the ease of use and cost-effectiveness of DIY builders.
For a more complex and customized website, consider hiring a professional developer or agency. Here’s how the process typically unfolds:
1. Set Up Your Development Environment: Developers will set up a development environment to build and test your website. This often involves setting up a local server and version control system (e.g., Git).
2. Convert Design to Code: Developers will translate your design into HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This includes creating the structure of your web pages, styling them according to your design, and adding interactive elements.
3. Backend Development: If your website requires a backend (e.g., for a content management system, user authentication, or database interactions), developers will set this up using appropriate technologies like Node.js, PHP, or Python.
4. Integrate Features and Functionality: Developers will integrate all necessary features and functionality, such as e-commerce capabilities, contact forms, and user logins. This might involve using frameworks or libraries like React, Angular, or Vue.js.
5. Content Management System (CMS): If your website needs regular content updates, developers will set up a CMS like WordPress, Joomla, or a custom-built solution. This allows you to manage your content without needing technical skills.
6. Testing and Quality Assurance: Before launching, your site will undergo rigorous testing. This includes checking for bugs, ensuring cross-browser compatibility, and testing performance and security. Developers may use tools like Selenium or BrowserStack for automated testing.
7. Client Review and Feedback: Similar to the design phase, the developers will present the site to you for review. Provide feedback and request any necessary adjustments.
8. Launch Preparation: Once everything is tested and approved, developers will prepare your site for launch. This involves migrating your site to a live server, setting up your domain name, and ensuring everything is configured correctly.
The final step in creating your website is the launch phase. This is where all your hard work comes to fruition, and your website goes live for the world to see. It's a critical step that requires careful planning and execution to ensure a smooth transition from development to a live, functional website.
Before launching, conduct a thorough review of your entire website. Ensure that all content is accurate and up-to-date and that all images, videos, and links are working correctly.
Double-check the functionality of interactive elements such as forms, buttons, and e-commerce features.
It’s also essential to test your website’s performance across different browsers and devices to ensure a consistent and responsive user experience.
For DIY website builders like Wix or WordPress, use their built-in preview tools to simulate how your site will appear on different devices and browsers.
If you’ve worked with an agency, they will handle this comprehensive testing process, using professional tools to ensure compatibility and performance.
Integrate analytics tools like Google Analytics to track user behavior and gather data on your website’s performance. Setting up these tools before the launch allows you to monitor key metrics from day one.
Additionally, consider using monitoring tools to keep an eye on your website’s uptime and speed, ensuring that any issues can be promptly addressed.
Most DIY platforms offer plugins or integrations for analytics tools, making this step straightforward.
If you’ve hired an agency, they will set up these tools for you and provide insights on how to interpret the data to improve your website over time.
Optimize your website for search engines by ensuring that all pages have proper SEO metadata, including titles, descriptions, and keywords.
Create and submit a sitemap to search engines like Google to help them index your website quickly.
Proper SEO setup at launch can significantly impact your website’s visibility and ranking in search results.
DIY builders often have SEO tools built in, guiding you through the process of optimizing each page.
Agencies, on the other hand, provide expert SEO services, ensuring that your site is fully optimized from the start. They often conduct keyword research and competitor analysis as part of the package.
Ensure that you have a reliable backup system in place. Regular backups will protect your data in case of any unforeseen issues.
Implement security measures such as SSL certificates, secure hosting, and firewalls to protect your website from potential threats and build trust with your visitors.
DIY platforms like Wix and WordPress offer built-in or easily integrated backup and security features.
Agencies will set up advanced security measures tailored to your specific needs, providing ongoing support to keep your site safe.
When everything is set, it’s time to go live. This usually involves pointing your domain name to your hosting server, making your website accessible to the public.
Coordinate with your hosting provider or development team to ensure this process goes smoothly. Once live, perform a final check to ensure everything is functioning correctly.
With DIY platforms, this process is typically automated or guided by step-by-step instructions. When working with an agency, they handle the technical details, ensuring a seamless transition to a live site and providing immediate support for any issues that arise.
After the launch, continuously monitor your website’s performance and user engagement. Use the data from your analytics tools to identify areas for improvement.
Be prepared to make adjustments based on user feedback and performance metrics. Regular updates and optimizations will help keep your website relevant and effective in achieving your business goals.
For DIY builders, this might involve using built-in analytics and SEO tools to make tweaks. Agencies offer ongoing maintenance packages, providing regular updates, performance reviews, and strategic adjustments to ensure your website remains at its best.
Launching a website is an exciting milestone, but it’s just the beginning of your online journey. With careful planning, thorough testing, and ongoing optimization, your website can become a powerful tool for reaching your audience and achieving your business objectives.
Once your website is live, the real work begins. Growing your website involves a strategic approach to attract visitors, engage them, and convert them into loyal customers. Here’s how you can do it:
SEO is the cornerstone of driving organic traffic to your site. By optimizing your content with relevant keywords, ensuring a logical site structure, and maintaining fast loading speeds, you can improve your visibility in search engine results.
Regularly update your content to keep it relevant and engaging. Tools like Google Analytics and Search Console are invaluable for monitoring your SEO performance and making necessary adjustments.
Consider working with an SEO agency to increase the amount of high-quality websites linking to your site. This strategy is called “link building” and is crucial for increasing your rankings in search engines.
Content is king online. Produce high-quality, valuable content that speaks directly to the needs and interests of your target audience. This can include blog posts, videos, infographics, and podcasts.
Consistent, informative content not only attracts visitors but also establishes your authority in your industry. Consider integrating a blog into your website to regularly publish new content and engage your audience.
Social media platforms are powerful tools for promoting your website and its content. Share your blog posts, product updates, and other valuable information to reach a wider audience.
Respond promptly to comments and messages to engage with your followers. Paid social media advertising can also effectively drive targeted traffic to your website.
An email list is a direct line of communication with your audience. Use email marketing to share updates, promote new products or services, and send personalized offers.
Tools like Hubspot or ActiveCampaign can help you manage your email campaigns efficiently, segmenting your audience for targeted messaging.
Building relationships with media and influencers in your industry can significantly boost your website traffic and credibility.
Getting featured in reputable publications or having influencers endorse your products can create substantial awareness.
Press releases are also a valuable tool for announcing significant updates or launches, helping to generate media interest.
Optimizing your website for conversions involves making it as user-friendly and persuasive as possible. This includes improving your call-to-action buttons, simplifying the checkout process, and using A/B testing to determine what works best.
Tools like session replays can provide insights into how visitors interact with your site, allowing you to make data-driven improvements.
Deciding whether to build a website yourself or hire a professional depends on several factors, including your budget, technical skills, and the complexity of your website.
Creating a website yourself can be a cost-effective solution, especially if you’re using DIY platforms like Wix, WordPress, or Squarespace.
These platforms offer user-friendly interfaces and a variety of templates, enabling you to build a functional website without any coding knowledge.
However, it can be time-consuming, and you may encounter limitations in terms of customization and advanced functionality.
Hiring a professional web developer or design agency entails higher upfront costs but provides numerous advantages.
Professionals bring expertise and experience, ensuring your website is visually appealing, functional, and optimized for performance and SEO.
They can create custom features tailored to your specific needs and provide ongoing support and maintenance. If your budget allows and you're serious about building a lasting brand, hiring a professional is often the best choice.
Creating a website is a fundamental step in establishing your brand's online presence. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create a website that looks great and effectively serves your business goals.
Whether you build it yourself or hire a professional, a successful website requires continuous effort and optimization.
For those seeking expert assistance in creating a high-quality website tailored to their brand's needs, partnering with "Take2Elevate" is an excellent choice.
Our team of professionals can help you design, build, and grow a website that stands out and delivers tangible results.
Contact us today to embark on your journey to a powerful online presence.
