How to Make a Website in 10 Simple Steps

If you want to create your own website, it's important to understand how websites work from the inside out. Whether you want to make one as an online business or purely for personal use, you'll need to know some of the basics about how websites are made in order to accomplish this goal with success. This guide will help you understand how websites are made and show you how you can create your own in ten simple steps!

1) First step - Choose a domain name

Choosing your domain name should be straightforward. Think of a topic you’re passionate about, and then tack on .com or another top-level domain extension. It doesn’t have to match your business name (in fact, it probably shouldn’t). And you don’t need to register anything at all—Google has your back there for free. Click here for our guide on choosing a domain name that will boost search traffic.

2) Second step - Buy your hosting plan

Before you begin, you’ll need some space on a web server to store your website. Hosting providers make space available for a monthly fee and most plans offer enough storage for just one website. You don’t need anything fancy, just simple shared hosting should do nicely. When signing up, make sure that you also have access to an FTP client so that you can upload your website later on.

3) Third step - Choose your website builder

There are plenty of different website builders available, but two (Wix and Weebly) stand out as being easy to use. If you’re willing to go with pre-made templates, Wix is likely your best option, while Weebly offers more flexibility in terms of layout and design. You can sign up for free at both sites and start creating your site right away.

4) Fourth step - Start creating your site

Choosing your website’s URL is essential. When you register, make sure that it’s short and memorable (and available, if possible). Once you’ve done that, you can start creating your site on your web host's interface. This step should be pretty simple; most hosts will have some sort of drag-and-drop editor or WYSIWYG system so all you have to do is create your template.

5) Fifth step - Promote yourself online

If you do not promote yourself online then no one will find your website. There are millions of web pages on the internet and it is very important that people can find yours easily. If you want thousands of visitors every day, sign up for social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and Google+. You should also post your website link on forums and blogs where other people with similar interests will be able to see it.

6) Sixth step - Get familiar with the social networks you are on

Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, get familiar with these networks and how you can use them for marketing. For instance, on Twitter you can link your profile to your website and promote it there. Social networking sites are an excellent way to advertise your business online. These are also valuable platforms where people can ask questions about your business and engage with other customers and clients. Answer their questions promptly and interact frequently with those who visit your profiles regularly. Also, be sure to mention your websites when posting content. You can even add links that direct visitors back to your site if they want more information. It is important that you not only make yourself available but that you offer useful information as well. If someone asks a question about something related to your business, respond quickly and provide helpful advice or suggestions that will improve their experience with what you do.

7) Seventh step - Set up analytics and tracking codes

There are plenty of free and paid tools out there that’ll help you with your analytics and tracking, from Google Analytics (free) to KISSmetrics (paid). Keep an eye on your site’s traffic data; after a while, you should be able to see which pages on your site work best—and therefore should be promoted more. And if any traffic or sales spikes occur, note them so you can duplicate them later. You might even consider using a tool like Bitly to track how many times people click on links within your content. This will give you valuable insight into what’s working for you and what isn’t.

The eighth step is to create social media accounts for your website. The ninth step is to get listed in search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and Bing.

8) Eighth step - Consider security options

When it comes to website security, there’s no such thing as too much. You may not be up against government-level hackers (at least, we hope you aren’t), but you never know what sort of shady characters might be interested in your site. It’s crucial that you take all possible steps to ensure that your website is protected from anyone who may want to harm or exploit it. Your best bet is to use a secure web host, and make sure that they offer at least 128-bit SSL encryption. This means that any information sent over your website will be encrypted before being sent—and decrypted only by you once it reaches its destination.

9) Ninth step - Protect yourself from spam

If you want people to see your site, but still don’t want spam sites cluttering up search engine results, here are two ways to protect yourself. One is easier than the other: * Use nofollow tags: Adding nofollow tags basically tells search engines not to crawl or index certain links.

10) The last Step – Keep everything updated

If you’re making or have already made your website, make sure you keep it updated. The Internet moves very quickly and it may be outdated before you know it. Your site could have been hacked or there could be other technical issues that may cause problems for your visitors. Have someone else who knows what they are doing look at it occasionally as well. If something is wrong with your site, try not to panic and fix it as soon as possible instead of leaving it until later. You never know when Google might penalize your site because of an error.