01. Define what type of website you want to make
Any website you create begins with a clear website goal and target audience. By identifying your niche and purpose, you can take steps towards building a site that not only looks pretty but performs as you hope it will.
The first step to building a successful website is figuring out its purpose. Start by asking yourself what's the main goal of your site? Do you want to sell products, share information or build a community? Whatever it is, having a clear goal will guide your decisions as you move forward.
Next, think about who your website is for. Who will benefit most from what you're offering? Create audience personas to get a clear picture–include details like demographics, interests and challenges they face. You can also gather insights by running surveys or having one-on-one conversations. The better you understand your audience, the easier it'll be to design a site that grabs their attention and keeps them coming back. Be clear about what makes your website unique. Highlight the benefits and solutions you offer that set you apart from the competition and connect with your audience on a deeper level.
Everything from your site layout to content should ladder up to your intended impact. For example, a portfolio website will naturally look different from an online store. A portfolio will include pages showcasing your work and a prominent “Contact Me” form—whereas an online store will have product pages, payment pages and maybe even print-on-demand integrations that are intended to monetize your website. Meanwhile, a one-page website organizes all key information—like services, testimonials and contact details—into a single, seamless scrolling experience.
Consider also researching other websites in your target market, including their design and functionality. Start with your competitor sites to understand if there are some things your website must have. Take a look at your competitors to spot trends and uncover gaps in the market. See what they're doing well and where they might be falling short–this can help you find opportunities to stand out and offer something different.
Finally, set clear, actionable goals to stay on track. Define specific benchmarks–like website traffic, engagement rates or conversion metrics–to measure your progress. These targets help evaluate what’s working and guide you in refining your strategy for even better results.
Depending on your goals, there are different types of websites that you may want to consider creating and various elements worth adding to your site:
Event website (including a wedding website)
Note that one site may serve multiple purposes—in which case, you'll want to be very clear about the primary goal of your site. For example, Cleverchefs' catering company uses its site to share its brand story. While the site serves to attract new bookings, its main focus is to educate existing prospects on what sets Cleverchefs apart. Since their website represents the ethos of their company so well, it has become an incredibly helpful tool in closing clients who share similar values and appreciate what they do.
Expert tip from business owner Nick Collins, founder of Cleverchefs
"When I ask my clients why they chose us over our competitors, they usually say it's because of our website. I think they can really feel our passion through the way we connect with them and stand out as a creative catering company."
02. Choose your website builder
A website builder is a popular and affordable solution that enables you to set up, design, personalize, publish and manage a website without having to use code. The best platforms help you get a site set up and launched quicker and without fuss—while also offering 24/7 support and built-in features that make scaling easier.
Expert tip from Esin D. Habif, product marketing lead (outbound) at Wix.com
"What often gets forgotten when talking about choosing a website builder is the capabilities of the infrastructure that’s promised to you—the reliability of the hosting, the level of security that’s in order to protect your visitor’s data, and of course your site's speed. Even if infrastructure is not the first thought that comes to mind when it comes to making a website, if it’s not robust enough, it can cause large headaches for website owners when trying to scale a website later on."
With the right website builder, you won’t have to deal with the mountains of minutia that other DIY site owners may face (e.g., installing security features by hand, fixing bugs on your own, etc.). Low-code-no-code software takes care of web development for you, so you don't need to know how to code to customize your site's design. Modern-day website builders will also include AI-powered capabilities, allowing you to work faster and smarter than ever.
Learn more: Website builder vs. CMS or Wix vs. GoDaddy
That said, while there are several solid players in this website-building industry, you’ll want to make sure that you do your due diligence before investing in the right website creation software. Making the wrong choice could leave you with serious regrets down the road.
Sign up for Wix today.
Here are some key factors to consider so that you end up with a website builder you love:
Customizability: A good website builder should offer the customization you need to start and design your website according to your unique brand and vision. For example, do you envision creating a static website or a dynamic one? Look for builders that offer a range of layout options, as well as the flexibility to tweak the design and functionality to your liking. Wix, for instance, offers hundreds of designer-made templates in addition to AI-powered site creation that can be easily modified for your brand. Furthermore, its WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor lets you preview your changes in real time as you go.
Back-office tools/business capabilities: Beyond just website design, when it comes to starting a website, a website builder should provide the back-office tools that you need. This might include features like eCommerce functionality if you need to create your own eCommerce website, inventory management, appointment scheduling and customer relationship management (CRM) tools. Create your list of must-haves and the tasks that need automating as you evaluate your options.
AI capabilities: AI is all the rage these days—and for good reason. When you’ve got a full-time job or business to run, AI tools can simplify the process of creating and maintaining your website. For example, Wix’s AI site builder can help you produce a fully functional website in minutes. It makes sophisticated decisions on your behalf regarding your web design, site copy and user experience, while setting you up with the right business apps; you can always edit your site as desired, but can save yourself hours of setup time.”
Third-party integrations: Chances are, you already have a favorite platform for emails, advertising or other functions—or perhaps you’re a retailer who wants to expand to new sales channels like Amazon. Seek website builders that integrate with your favorite tools and channels, or that offer sufficient alternatives. Explore your options in marketplaces like Wix’s App Market. (Note that you can also use Wix Headless to access Wix tools from any application.)
Security: Website security is paramount to protect your site and user data. A reliable website builder should offer security features like SSL certificates, regular backups and security monitoring to safeguard against cyber threats and data breaches.
Speed: Website loading speed significantly impacts user experience and SEO rankings. Choose a website builder known for fast-loading websites. Look for built-in capabilities like content delivery networks (CDNs), which speed up content delivery; streamlined code; and image compression.
Reliability: A reliable website builder should provide consistent uptime and minimal downtime. Read reviews and check the builder's uptime statistics to give yourself peace of mind knowing that your website and online presence will be accessible to visitors around the clock.
Support: Most of us don’t realize how important support is until it’s dire. As you evaluate your options, you’ll want to check that customer care is accessible in your time zone and that you can resolve issues before they snowball. Look for website builders that offer various support channels, including a knowledge base and self-help resources. For example, Wix has a 24/7 support team as well as a robust library of how-to articles, YouTube videos and communities to help you find whatever answers you’re looking for.
Expert tip from Esin D. Habif, product marketing lead (outbound) at Wix.com
"As a creator or entrepreneur, you're often wearing multiple hats. You're designing the website, you're optimizing for SEO. This means you need a website builder that makes it easy and very learnable for you to do all of those things, on the same platform and still deliver as if working with experts in those fields."
Building a website for your business, passion project or side hustle should be easy and exciting. With Wix, you can customize and launch a professional website in minutes, no coding needed. We’re all about simplifying the process so you can focus on what matters most–bringing your ideas to life. So why wait? Let’s get started on creating the website you’ve always wanted.
03. Pick and register a domain name
Now comes one of the most exciting parts of making a website—picking a domain name.
Your domain is like your website’s address and permanent home on the web. When an internet user enters your domain name, or website URL into a web browser, it connects with a web server who identifies your domain by its IP address and then delivers your site to the user. This process is also referred to as a Domain Name System.
Choosing a domain name doesn’t need to be too complex. While your name needs to be memorable and unique, domains (top-level domains) and subdomains typically include the name of your website and/or the name of your business followed by an extension like .com or .org. If you are struggling to come up with the perfect name for your business, try a website name generator to help get the ball rolling.
All domain names must be registered with a domain name registrar or registry, where the owners of any domain name can be searched and found.
You'll also need to consider what domain extension you want to use:
Website builders offer free domain names with a paid website building plan. This is advantageous because it will improve your website’s credibility to both people and search engines. It will show visitors that you’re a professional, trusted brand and allows people to find you more easily online.
Learn more: Website name ideas
04. Choose a web hosting plan
An important step in building a website is choosing a suitable web hosting plan. Web hosting stores your site's data, including its HTML files and images, on a server managed by the hosting provider. When a user enters your URL in a browser, or clicks on it, a request is sent to the server and your site is then served.
While many providers offer hosting services, the most straightforward, reliable and secure approach is to choose a website builder that includes hosting as part of their infrastructure. For instance, Wix includes free web hosting with every site. This saves you from having to research and choosing between hosting plans, leaving you free to focus on building and managing your website. Evaluate the hosting infrastructure, including server locations, scalability and performance, to ensure that it aligns with your website's needs.
From shared hosting to cloud hosting, there are several different hosted services to choose from. Wix sites all include reliable and secure hosting, meaning high uptime for all user sites. This is an important consideration when picking a hosting provider both as a small business owner or enterprise site.
05. Pick your template
The visual layout of your website is its most important element. You’ll want to take your time exploring your options before settling on the visual imagery and design. To get started, take a look at this database of professional website templates to see which one fits your vision best.
Whether you’re looking for portfolio templates, model portfolio examples or templates for an online store, there are dozens of customizable options to choose from. These range from simple website templates to more complex ones.
As you plan out your site, note what your competitor sites look like and check out other visual platforms, like Pinterest and Instagram. All of these examples will provide insight into what fonts, colors and web design styles and trends your audience gravitates towards. However, avoid copying what’s already been done. Rather, gain an understanding of the visual language you want to pursue and check that it resonates with your intended audience.
Expert tip from Anna Suntsov, blog and social team lead at Wix.com
"The most important thing before building a website is good research. Know what you want to do and collect strong inspirations that will contribute to your design."
Alternatively, build your website with AI
If the process of choosing and customizing a template feels daunting, or you simply don’t have the time, Wix’s AI website builder can simplify your work even further. Just answer a few simple questions about your goals and Wix will create a custom-made, fully functioning site for you in minutes.
The AI site builder combines our decades' worth of experience in web design with the best tech that AI has to offer. The result: a builder that not only creates a site that's appealing to your customers but also equips you with all the web pages and widgets you need to run your business.
Try our AI website builder for free.
Comments (0)