Build a website 101
You're all set to embark on your website creation journey.
With your content ready and a clear vision for your site’s functionality, the next step is execution. This comprehensive guide is your key to mastering the art of website construction.
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Understanding Website Builders: A Basic Guide
In essence, a website builder (similar to the one we offer) empowers you to create a website without the need for coding skills.
This is achieved by offering ready-made templates that enable you to incorporate your unique page layouts, backgrounds, color palettes, images, text, and more. You have the freedom to tailor these templates to match your precise vision for your website. It’s important to note that our website builder is just one of many available options.
Exploring All-in-One Website Builders
In the contemporary digital landscape, a myriad of all-encompassing platforms such as GoDaddy, Wix, Joomla, SquareSpace, and Cheapcooldomains present a diverse array of services tailored to cater to the unique needs of their customers. These platforms not only offer hosting solutions but also provide comprehensive website building tools and support services.
Explore our offerings at Website builder and witness the distinct advantages we bring to the table. While it’s noteworthy that Cheapcooldomains may not be the most budget-friendly website builder on this list, our standing as one of the premier hosts is attributed to our unwavering commitment to exceptional service and our principled stance against price gouging.
At Cheapcooldomains, we champion honesty and transparency. Our pricing structure stands out as consistently competitive year after year, in stark contrast to others in the industry who resort to imposing exorbitant hosting fees post the initial year.
Navigating the multitude of hosting options can be a daunting task. To make an informed decision, it’s essential to prioritize providers like Cheapcooldomains that prioritize integrity, reliability, and steadfast dedication to customer satisfaction. Visit our platform and experience the difference at Website builder.
Choosing the Right Hosting Service
Selecting the right hosting provider is a pivotal decision in the creation of your website. Opting for the wrong one might mean missing out on essential features or overspending.
Essential Criteria for an Exceptional Hosting Provider:
- Scalability: An excellent hosting service should offer a range of plans that can evolve with the growth of your website.
- Support: Professional and responsive support is crucial, especially for platforms like WordPress. Phone support is particularly valuable for a hands-on resolution to any challenges you encounter during the website-building process.
- Security: Protecting your website and customers is paramount. Hosting services with malware scans that proactively identify threats and automated backups provide a safety net in case of unexpected issues.
- Speed: In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, swift page loading is imperative. Visitors may navigate away if your web pages take more than 2 seconds to load.
- Price Transparency: A reliable hosting provider will be transparent about their pricing, avoiding hidden costs or tactics that might lead to unexpected expenses.
- SEO Optimization: A proficient search engine optimizer can significantly impact your website’s visibility and traffic. Climbing the ranks on Google ensures that your content reaches a broader audience.
Once you’ve settled on a hosting provider, the next step is choosing a website builder that aligns with your needs and preferences. Dive into the world of website creation with confidence, knowing that with Cheapcooldomains, your hosting experience is marked by scalability, support, security, speed, transparent pricing, and SEO optimization.
Selecting the Perfect Website Builder
In this guide, we’ll categorize website builders into two main types. The first category includes the conventional website builders offered by hosting services like Cheapcooldomains, Wix, and GoDaddy. The second category comprises open-source website platforms, with WordPress being a prominent example.
WordPress stands out as the most widely used content management system (CMS) globally, managing over a third of all websites, including notable entities like The New Yorker and The Walt Disney Company. With unparalleled customization options and an extensive array of plugins, WordPress empowers users to achieve virtually anything with their websites.
However, it’s important to note that WordPress might not always be the optimal choice for every website. The decision to use WordPress should be based on specific needs. If you’re aiming to create a complex site with diverse plugins and possess the expertise (or budget to hire someone with it), WordPress is a suitable option. On the other hand, if your goal is a straightforward blog or a website for a local business, the complexity of WordPress may be unnecessary.
Determining When to Use WordPress:
- Use WordPress if you need to build an expansive site with numerous plugins, provided you have the necessary expertise or financial resources.
Determining When to Use a Website Builder:
- Opt for a generic website builder if your website’s requirements are simple, such as a professional appearance or the creation of a basic online store. These builders offer an aesthetically pleasing design, and certain plugins enable functionalities like social media integration, PayPal, and credit card processing.
As you navigate the choice between a website builder and WordPress, it’s worth noting that there’s a way to create a website without investing in a hosting plan. Explore alternative options and find the approach that best aligns with your goals and budget.
Creating Your Website Without Traditional Hosting Plans
Many individuals may not be aware that constructing a website doesn’t necessarily require a hosting plan from a website builder. (Although hosting and a control panel, like cPanel, are essential.) This alternative is referred to as unmanaged hosting and could be a viable choice for certain users.
Unmanaged hosting entails downloading a website builder, such as WordPress, via cPanel or another type of control panel like Plesk. This approach tends to be more cost-effective as you only pay for the cPanel plan. However, it comes with significant drawbacks.
Firstly, the user shoulders all responsibility for performance and security. This demands technical expertise; otherwise, the website might load slowly and be susceptible to malware. Additionally, obtaining an SSL certificate, a virtual necessity in today’s digital landscape, requires a separate purchase.
While unmanaged hosting might suit those anticipating minimal website traffic or individuals adept at securing and optimizing multiple websites, it may not be the ideal choice for the average website owner.
It’s possible to acquire a cPanel plan, download a website builder, and purchase security and SSL certificates separately. However, this often proves more expensive than opting for a managed hosting plan, which offers comprehensive services catering to the needs of the majority of users.
Once you’ve determined the approach for building your website, let’s delve into the steps involved in the actual construction process.
Step-by-Step Website Construction
(Note: Although this guide primarily focuses on WordPress, the procedures outlined here are applicable to various website builders, including our own.)
To initiate the website creation process, begin by downloading WordPress [insert link to WordPress Page] or another Website Builder [insert link to Website Builder Page] from your hosting provider, such as cheapcooldomains.
Once the installation is complete, take a moment to acquaint yourself with the Dashboard. Explore its features and functionalities to familiarize yourself with the platform.
The next crucial step is selecting a theme for your website.
Theme: Essentially, a collection of files that collectively define the visual appearance of your website across all pages. Themes encompass overall page design, fonts, colors, template structures (page layouts), and other stylistic elements.
The choice of theme should align with your site’s overarching purpose. Is it a blog, an e-commerce platform, or a website for your small business?
Once you’ve identified the theme that resonates with your vision, proceed to install it. Simply click the “Install” button, followed by “Activate.”
How does it look? Feel free to experiment with different themes. Changing the theme won’t erase your written content; it will seamlessly adapt to the new visual style.
If you’re satisfied with your chosen theme, you’re ready to progress to the next stage of website development.
Adding New Pages and Content with Ease
Now that you’ve settled on a theme, you might find that your website requires additional pages.
Adding a New Page: Navigate to the “Pages” section in the Dashboard sidebar, and beneath that, click on the “Add New” button.
A screen will appear, allowing you to create a new page by incorporating text, videos, images, and more. Many users choose to include an “About Us” page, so feel free to craft the content for that section at this point.
Once you’re satisfied with the content, head to the right menu bar and click “Save Draft.”
To preview how the page will appear once published on the website, click “Preview.” When you’re ready, proceed to click “Publish.”
However, your task isn’t complete. If this page is a permanent addition to your website, you’ll want your visitors to easily locate it, right? Currently, there’s no direct way to access it from your website’s homepage.
Building an Easy-to-Navigate Menu
Now, to ensure your visitors can easily access the recently created page, incorporating a menu is essential for smooth navigation on your website. (Note: Your website might already include a menu, depending on the theme you’ve chosen. If so, proceed to “Adding a Page to Your Menu.”)
Adding a Menu: In the left sidebar of your Dashboard, locate “Appearance.” Hover over it, then click “Menu” to access the Menu page.
Here, find a button labeled “Create New Menu.” Click on it, assign a name to your menu, and then click “Create Menu.”
Add the desired pages to your menu, and once finished, click “Save Menu.”
You also have the flexibility to adjust the order of pages in the menu by rearranging them in the “Menu Structure” section.
To position your new menu in the navigation bar, click the “Manage Locations” tab at the top of the page.
Adding a Page to Your Menu: Should you create a new page and wish to include it in your menu, navigate to your Dashboard sidebar and click “Appearance.” Subsequently, click “Menus.”
In the “Pages” box, you’ll find the page you created earlier, along with other pages on your site. Click on the pages you want to add to the menu; those selected will display a checkmark in the box next to them.
Click “Add to Menu.”
Crafting Engaging Blog Posts
Regardless of the nature of your website, having a blog is often a valuable addition, keeping your audience engaged and contributing positively to SEO.
Creating a Blog Post: Navigate to the Dashboard sidebar, hover over “Post” with your mouse, and then click on “Add New.”
You’ll encounter the same text editor used when adding a new page. Simply write your content and provide a title at the top.
For effective organization, consider categorizing your blog posts early on. Locate the “Categories” section in the right-hand column of the main WordPress Dashboard.
Once your content is ready, click “Publish.”
Congratulations on your post and the successful creation of your first website! You’ve completed the initial steps.
However, if you intend to sell products on your website, there’s more to explore.
Exploring the World of Shopping Carts
Numerous domain hosts, including ours at cheapcooldomains, offer a Quick Shopping Cart add-on for seamless integration into your website.
This add-on empowers you to incorporate Product Catalogs on your website and facilitates secure payment processing through major credit cards, PayPal, and Apple Pay.
Setting up your Shopping Cart and Checkout Pages mirrors the process of creating any other page on your website (as detailed in the instructions above). Additionally, you gain access to a user-friendly solution for order processing and tracking, along with a comprehensive inventory management system.
When configuring your shopping cart and checkout pages, prioritize a streamlined design. Avoid adding unnecessary steps, such as mandatory Account Creation or extra sales pages. Excessive friction during the checkout process increases the likelihood of a customer abandoning their cart, contributing to the nearly 70% Cart Abandonment rate on e-commerce websites.
Ready to get going?
Our user-friendly drag-and-drop website builder is designed for those without any coding experience. Unlike traditional builders, our Website Builder tool not only makes website creation easy but also guides you through the process, ensuring your site takes shape effortlessly
FAQ
Simple—money and time! Like cutting paper doesn’t require a table saw, not every website needs the extensive options that WordPress offers. If you’re looking for a cost-effective and swift solution for a straightforward personal representation, our Website Builder is the way to go.
Rest assured. Our SSL encryption safeguards both your and your customers’ private information, ensuring it remains confidential. Look for the indicator at the top of the browser to reassure your visitors that your site is secure.
Now, let’s clarify the distinction between registering a domain and building a website. While the domain is the address that directs users to your site, the website itself needs to be hosted somewhere on the internet.
Absolutely! Use DNS administrative settings to construct your site on a separate domain name. When you’re ready to launch, point the DNS administrator to the new one.
Well, not much in terms of templates, but where we shine is in pricing and service. With great introductory rates and modest price increases after the first year (unlike the common 2nd-year price gouging), we stand out. Additionally, we offer 24/7 US-based WordPress phone and chat support. Whenever you hit a roadblock or have a WordPress question, we’re here to guide you—a service not many can boast of.
Just give us a call at (480) 624-2500, and we’ll walk you through anything you need.
No need. Everything you need to craft a professional website is included in the package—no surprises.
No worries! Call us at(480) 624-2500, and our 24/7 support will answer any queries you may have.