How to Build a Website: 5 Ways to Consider

Building a new website used to be a daunting thought. You would either have to be an expert in coding or pay a lot of cash to get a professional to do the work for you. Times have fortunately changed, and most people can now get their own little place on the internet relatively easily.
Free website builders have made it simple to get a small website online in little time, using in-built templates and features. For some people, this is a perfect solution, but others may need something more robust. Template sites and WordPress websites allow you to be more expansive in your demands for a small cost; or if you want to learn something new, why not try to code your website yourself?
Of course, sometimes it is good just to let a professional handle the task; web designers are still the best solution for more complex plans. Check out the list below to see the five best ways to build your own website.

1. Free Website Builder

Arguably the easiest and most efficient way of how to creat a website is to do it yourself with a free website builder. Gone are the days when building your own site with a free tool was clumsy and offered limited features. These days, free online builders deliver a myriad of pro-level tools that can help you create a high-quality website with a slick design and strong performance.
There are hundreds of free website builder tools available, but some are obviously better than others. It is worth checking out our list of the best free website builders of 2018 for information on the leading providers in the market. For quick reference, some key features you should look for include SEO optimization, e-commerce integrations, unlimited pages, 500MB of free space, and site analytics.
While you can expect a professional-level website, there are some limitations by going down the free builder route. Firstly, while many free services offer mobile optimization, it does not mean a site is fully coded for mobile use. Ideal for small businesses and individuals, people with more expansive website needs (such as larger organizations) may be stifled by a free website builder as they would need more available space and more robust e-commerce tools.

2. Template Websites

Sometimes free website builders have a limited number of templates or restrict the scope of the finished site. If you need a customizable and extensive website but don’t know how to build a website yourself, a template site is a great option. Essentially, you can purchase a pre-existing template and use it for your site.
Usually the biggest cost of website creation is the design process, so you will instantly save cash with a template. These days there are many templates to choose from, and developers are making them CMS compatible. That means you can use it on a content management system (CMS) of your choice, such as WordPress.
Despite the positives, there are some significant drawbacks with template websites. Chief among them is the fact that templates to build a website are not unique, so to put your own twist on the design you will need to know code or hire a programmer. While this may be OK once or twice, it can be annoying to hire someone every time you want to make a design tweak to the template.

3. WordPress Websites

While template websites now often include CMS support, why not just go directly to the source and find out how to build a website from scratch? WordPress is undoubtedly the biggest CMS (content management system) on the market, although it is certainly not the only one.
WordPress websites are a fantastic middle-of-the-road solution to build a website. They can be more customizable than a template design yet more extensive than a free build. It is worth remembering that any website you build will need a CMS, so going directly for a WordPress website is an ideal shortcut. There are options on WordPress to create free sites with templates, or you can pay a web designer to create your web space.
However, not everything is perfect. WordPress websites are arguably more vulnerable than others in terms of security. The service has worked hard to improve this aspect, but the fact remains that WordPress is open source and requires third-party plugins for most website functionality.

4. DIY Website

If you were paying attention in IT and programming class, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about when it comes to a question of how to make your own website. Even if you have never coded before, learning how to create a website so is fun and rewarding. A do-it-yourself website can certainly save you money and allows you to craft the exact web space you desire.
By removing middle men, your vision can be met (if you know what you are doing!). The sky is really the limit with a do-it-yourself website. Whether you are creating an online store, a forum, or a streaming service, you can do it all – provided you learn the relevant code.
And that’s where a major caveat lies. Coding is a rich experience and can unlock major potential on your website, but it is not always easy. Unless you are a designer or coder, chances are you won’t know many of the processes for website design. A beginner could learn to create a simple 1-3 page website for sure, but more complex designs with stronger features would be a challenge.
If you have the time and/or patience, a DIY website is a good choice. However, prepare yourself for mistakes and the need to retrace your steps along the way.

5. Professional Website

Ok, so you have looked at the options above offering you the ways of how to build a website yourself with minimum outside help. You may have thought to yourself, “There must be an easier way.” Luckily there is: you can simply pay someone to build a website for you.
In fact, if you want to build a website free of problems, fully SEO optimized, CMS ready, secure, and designed to your exact specifications, then hiring a professional is always a good bet. A qualified web designer will be able to take your vision and realize it, while providing a concise description of how the site will look.
The single drawback to hiring a web designer is cost. Sure, if your website is a simple affair with a few pages, the cost could be relatively low. However, for larger websites prices for designing and implementing the site can soar pretty quickly. Still, considering the complexities of building a rich website experience, it is often a price worth paying.

Whichever way you build a website, make sure that the website provides all the needed information that might be valuable to your audience. Also, pay attention to the simplicity of the use of the website and the color scheme.