So, you want to learn how to code a website.
First, ask yourself these two questions.
Do you want to learn how to make a Website for free? Are you wondering how to code a website so you can start a business website?
If you answered yes to either of those questions, then you’re in the right place.
Everyone should know how to create a website in the 21st Century, especially if you operate a business and don’t have a website yet. You should really consider creating a website for your business.
The best part?
With the advance of technology, today you can build your own website for free, with very little effort and without actually knowing how to code a website from scratch. Building a website today can be easy and inexpensive, if you follow our advice.
Why should you know how to create a website for your business? The real question is: “How can you operate today without one?”
The truth is, you can’t afford tobe without one.
Business websites generate more clients and revenues than any other media today. Business websites can benefit you in endless situations. In fact, you probably use the Internet to find information about businesses too.
Now that you know you need a website, we’re going to show you How to Code a Website in 5 Easy Steps.
This guide is meant for beginners, giving them the tools and resources to get started building websites. We’re going to explore WordPress and other website builders. Overall, you’re going to learn how to choose a website building platform, get a domain name, web hosting, business email and set up and customize your website. By the end of this guide, you should be able to take the skills you have learned, and start building websites like a pro. Note: This guide is dense, make sure you take your time reading through it.
But, before we show you how to build a website step by step, without having to learn how to code a website from scratch, we’re first going to help you understand how they are built. If you don’t want this additional information, then skip ahead to step 1.
Let’s get started!
Every Website is Coded with HTML & CSS
To code a website from scratch, you must know how to code a website in HTML. That is because all websites are written in HTML and styled with CSS.
HTML is the HyperText Markup Language, which tells the browser what type of element to display, such as a paragraph.
CSS means Cascading Style Sheet, which tells the browser how to style that element, like when you assign black text to the paragraph and blue to the links.
A website cannot exist without HTML, and it would look plain without CSS.
Every website uses these languages. Therefore, you must know some HTML and CSS if you want to learn how to code a website from scratch.
The Best Part?
Most websites today are no longer hard-coded in static HTML, even though they may have static parts.
Instead, most modern websites are built on platforms like WordPress, or designed with website builders, which we will explore later. With this advance in technology, you don’t need to know how to code a website from scratch. You just need to know how to use the platforms upon which they are built, and we’re going to show you how to do just that in the steps below.
What You Should Know Before You Learn How to Code a Website from Scratch
When you code a website from scratch, there is a lot to think about before you’re ready to build it.
Before you code your own website, you need to know and understand how to code at least several types of programming languages such as Javascript, HTML, C++, PHP, and CSS.
Code Academy is a great place to start learning how to code for beginners.
The best part?
Their classes are free! Code Academy offers free coding classes in 12 different programming languages. We recommend you check them out if you want to learn how to write website code.
Additionally, there are several things you need to think about, such as the website layout and mobile responsiveness, when building a website.
Furthermore, you need to know how to code a website layout to build a website from scratch.
Layout Basics
Website layouts include several semantic elements that define the different parts of a web page. These standard essential elements you need to code from scratch are:
- <header> – a header for a document or a section, and a spot for main elements such as your logo, a tagline, and a navigation menu.
- <nav> – a container for navigation links.
- <section> – a section in a document.
- <content>- main content, with different styles of type.
- <article> – an independent self-contained article or other content.
- <aside> – content aside from the main content (like a sidebar) which has several elements.
- <footer> – a footer for a document or a section.
- <details> – additional details.
- <summary> – a heading for the <details> element.
- <css> – the style of the site or page.
To code these elements, you will need the following:
- Text editor. You will need a text or code editor to create and edit a website from scratch. Using a text editor is the first step to learning how to code a website for free. Text editors create and modify unformatted text files. All computers come with a basic free text editor such as Notepad. Simply put, you can make a website using html in Notepad or any other text editor. However, Komodo Edit is a great FREE third-party editor with more advanced features, and it’s great for beginners.
- Photoshop, or another image editing software package.
- Basic knowledge of the html language.
- Basic knowledge of CSS.
- An internet browser. Of course, if you’re reading this, you probably have one.
Coding a website from scratch, including these layout elements, was the industry standard for a long time. However, that is not the case today. These elements are coded on most websites using a theme within a CMS platform or a website builder that automates the creation of these components. Additionally, most websites today are built from PHP frameworks such as WordPress or using website builders, themes, and templates, which we will explore further in steps three and four.
Further Coding
There are many free sites where you can find html code for website design, so if you want to learn how to code a website from scratch and that’s absolutely free, you should definitely check out Code Academy or W3schools. Either of them will show you how to code a website, and both have tons of free, ready-made html website templates code. Resources like theses make it even easier to code a website from scratch.
There are also similar platforms for applications and games. So, if you want to convert your website into an app, you can easily do so, with a free app building platform like Appsbar.
Furthermore, if you want to know how to code a game, you can easily do so. Today, companies have developed simple game making software like Game Salad, and using them requires very little programming knowledge.
But, we think you should start with websites, and hone that skill before you advance to other platforms.
Consequently, we don’t recommend learning coding from scratch. It could take months, if not years, to fully master, and even then, you may not be satisfied with the results. Just make sure that you know some CSS and understand HTML, but you don’t need to know code to build a website and get it up and running.
Of course, if you have some coding knowledge, you may still want to go with a CMS, or build your site from the ground up using a platform like WordPress.
The Modern Way to Build & Code a Website
Until recently, to expertly build a website using code required a lot of work and years of experience. Most web professionals had 4-year college degrees in IT, which was necessary to design websites.
That is not the case today.
Presently, things are completely different.
When it comes to building a website, there are TWO ways you can do it.
You can do it the easy way, or the hard way.
Meaning, you can code it from scratch, which could take months, or you can use a website builder, and complete it in just a few days, or even a couple hours.
I think you prefer the easy way. Right?
Modern coders have built popular website building platforms and PHP frameworks like WordPress, Wix, and Shopify, so that you can easily build a website.
Most popular website building platforms are free, easy to use, and don’t require knowledge of code.
Now ask yourself this:
With the provided information above Do you still wan’t to know how to code a website from scratch? Or Do you want to know how to easily create a professional website, using a platform like WordPress, like many web developers today?
If you answered yes to the second question, keep reading because we’re going to show you how to do just that. Note that it is not necessary to learn how to code a website by hand given the advance of technology today.
If you want to know how to code a website from scratch, this is not the guide for you. However, we hope the links above will point you in the right direction.
Without further ado, let’s discuss how you can easily build a website.
Getting Started: Steps & Tools
Before you start building your dream website, we’re going to go over the steps and tools you need to get started.
Here are the 5 simple steps we’re covering to make a website:
- Get a Domain Name.
- Find Web Hosting.
- Get a Personalized Business Email Address.
- Chose a Website Builder or CMS Platform.
- Design Your Site.
Of course, you’ll need to test your site before publishing it, to make sure there are no bugs, typos or broken links, but those are the five important steps.
Follow the steps above, and you’ll be online in no time at all!
Here are the tools you need to build a website in the 5 step that we’re going to cover:
- Domain name.
- Hosting.
- Business email address.
- Website building software.
- Website theme or template design.
Keep in mind that these are just the essential items you need to create a website, and you can expand this basic list as you become more comfortable with the process.
It’s not that intimidating, right?
Perhaps you’re still a bit unsure whether you can do it. Maybe you feel that you’re not the creative type?
Don’t worry, the steps in our Internet Ideators guide are easy to follow.
Website Types
If you want help deciding what type of website you would like to build, we have a comprehensive Types of Websites guide that will give you more insight about the subject, and help you find the type of website that best suits your needs.
Bottom line?
Building a website is simple, because modern technology makes it easy to create a website for free. If you already have a domain name, hosting, and business email, then skip ahead to step 3. That’s where we’ll explain how you can set up and customize your website.
Now, the part you’ve been waiting for.
We’re going to show you how to easily make a website without knowing how to code a website from scratch. We will walk you through 5 simple steps to professionally build website from scratch, for almost any purpose, in no time.
Step One: Get a Domain Name & Web Hosting
If you’re reading this on the Internet right now, you used a website address to get to it.
What Is A Domain Name?
A domain name is the address of your website, and usually end with .com, .org, or .net. We recommend that you stick with .com (pronounced “dotcom”) especially if you want to appear professional.
Brand Your Business Name
Choosing a domain name is the first decision you must make before you learn how to make a website, without learning how to code a website by hand. Additionally, this is also the one step you should put the most thought into. While it is very common for businesses to have domain names that are the same as their business names (such as Google.com), you can pick a domain name that includes ANY phrase you want, if it is not already taken. For example, the domain name for our website is InternetIdeators.com. We created our own unique brand and identity, using the contraction of “Idea Creator”? It is our goal to inspire other Idea Creators.
If someone already owns the domain name you want, you’ll probably need to think of something else. However, you can also reach out to the present owner and buy it. Conversely, you can also purchase expired domain names for next to nothing, if one is available in your market.
Related: EXPIRED DOMAINS: A GUIDE WITH AMAZING DOMAIN IDEAS RIPE FOR THE TAKING
The Cost of a Domain Name
There are two costs associated with buying your own domain name:
- The cost to buy a domain name; and
- The cost to keep your domain name registered every year.
A new, never used domain name usually cost $10 to $12 to buy and roughly the same amount to register it annually.
Where to Buy a Domain Name
You can buy a domain name from any domain name providers.
However, we recommend that you get your domain name from any of these top domain registrars:
- GoDaddy – They are one of the most popular domain name registrars. For our readers only, you can use this partner link to get your first domain name from GoDaddy for only $0.99.
- NameCheap – We have purchased many domain names from NameCheap, which is why we recommend them. They have some of the world’s cheapest domain names for sale. Here is a special offer for the reader. You can use this partner link to get your first domain name for as low as $0.48.
- Hostgator – They have never let us down, and they also have affordable domain names and hosting plans. Using our partner link you can get a select domain name for $4.99 and 60% off hosting. (Recommended offer)
Other Great Domain Name Companies
- CrazyDomains – Here’s another wonderful domain registrar with huge discounts. For our readers only, CrazyDomains is offering 35% off domains, and their prices start at $1.00. Which means your first domain will be practically free, depending on which name you choose.
- DomainIT– DomainIt is a reliable domain seller. Get a cheap domain name from them. Their prices start at $8.95.
- BigRock – They are a reputable domain seller that we enjoy doing business with. Their domains start at $2.99. If you use our code BRIISAV, you will receive an additional 10% off of your purchase.
Bottom Line on Domains
It’s doesn’t matter where you get your domain name from long as it’s professional and matches your business.
The best part?
Every domain registrar that we mentioned above offers many services to build a full function website, such as hosting and business email, and website builders. We will cover these topics in the next steps. In addition, most website builders, such as Godaddy, will give you a free custom domain name Skip ahead to step four to learn more about the best website builders.
Now that you have a domain name, you’re ready to host it with a service that will connect your web address to the Internet.
Most importantly, to set up any website, you need a domain name and hosting.
The Truth! If you’re trying to avoid the cost of website maintenance by learning how you code a website for free, that reality doesn’t exist. Nothing is free. You need a domain and hosting to use your site, and they cost money. Fortunately, those services are usually affordable. Which is why you should keep reading to learn how to build a professional website like the pros, using website builders and CMS platforms. But it’s just not necessary to learn how to code a website from scratch. Trust us!
Step Two: Web Hosting Service
What is web hosting?
Web hosting makes your website accessible to the Internet, so you must have it.
How Much Does Web Hosting Cost?
Hosting should cost no more than $15 a month for beginners.
If you’re a beginner, always start with the basic hosting plan, no matter the provider, and upgrade it later as needed.
There are many hosting services out there, however there are only a few that we highly recommend.
Of course, most of the domain registrars that we mentioned above are also great Hosting registrars, that we highly recommend as well.
Here are additional top hosting providers:
- BlueHost – One of the best hosting providers. Their hosting services start at $3.95/mo. The best part is that if you go with BlueHost, you’ll get a FREE domain name and personal email service (you@yoursite.com) as well.
- DreamHost – A very reputable hosting provider with plans that start as low as $7.95/mo. They also have a free website builder.
- FlyWheel – They have lighting fast servers that you can rely on. FlyWheel has great WordPress hosting plans that start at $14.00/mo.
- Hostgator – These guys are the best in the business, and they have the most affordable hosting plans, with the most reliable service. Their hosting plans start at $2.75/mo.
Other Great Hosting Companies
- GoDaddy- They are the world’s most popular domain registrar and web hosting company with great prices. Their hosting plans start at $7.99/mo. Using our partner link, you can get your first month of hosting service for $1.00. Additionally, using the same link, you will get a free domain name, business email, and Microsoft Office 365. GoDaddy is a great place to start.
- DomainIT – Need a hosting provider that is affordable and reliable? Their hosting plans start at $7.95/mo and they provide the Weebly website builder, and your first month of service, for FREE.
- NameCheap – Hands down, this amazing company has great hosting plans year-round. Their plans start at $8.88/yr. Now THAT’S CHEAP!
- CrazyDomains – Hosting plans from these guys are crazy cheap. Their hosting plans starts as low as $2.50/mo.
- BigRock – This hosting company has plans that start at $1.59/mo.
- KnownHost – Great cloud hosting with unlimited bandwidth, free SSL, and plans that start at $6.97/mo.
Bottom Line:
These top hosting services are super affordable, beginner friendly, and easy to use. All of these services are worth checking out. However, BlueHost is by far the best and we use them personally. Keep in mind that most website builders include free hosting services. Skip ahead to step four to learn more about website builders.
Step Three: Get a Tailor-Made Business Email Address
Now that you have a domain name and hosting for your site, you’ll need a tailor-made business email address. Depending on where you purchased your domain and hosting from, you may need to find an external email service, as well. However, most hosting companies also offer email addresses.
But you’re probably wondering,
Why do I need a business email address?
When you create a new website, you will naturally want your business look professional and established. Therefore, you’ll need a custom business email address. Additionally, in many cases you will need a business address to verify that you are the owner of your site, which is why you will need a business email address.
Also, you probably don’t want your potential customers seeing that you’re using a G-Mail e-mail address like johndoe@gmail.com.
Possible customers might think that your business is not reliable or may not be around a long time. While this is a totally subjective judgment, it’s just human nature. In fact, the most common business email address format uses your business name as the domain name extension associated with your email.
For example, our email address is ourname@InternetIdeators.com.
Therefore, your address can be yourname@YourWebAddress.com.
It is easy, fast and inexpensive, getting a custom business email address. Many hosting providers and domain registrars provide business email services. You may see some overlap in the companies that we are mentioning, as we relate their service to the topic we are covering.
Here are a few top email providers that we proudly recommend:
- Google’s G Suite: G Suite email hosting offers business email addresses for a low monthly fee, starting at only $5. In fact, many popular website builders have partnered with Google to offer you their customized email addresses. G Suite email service is integrated with these website builders, so setup is simple. Additionally, if you use our special promo code (H3ADYFRJWH7DYJJ) you’ll get an extra 20% off your G Suite services for the year.
- NameCheap: Offers email hosting for your business. With their email hosting, you get reliability, security, and a user-friendly interface to manage your business email. It only costs $9.88/yr. That is a great price for a personalized business email address. We personally use their business email hosting, and we are very pleased with their services.
More Great Email Providers
- Bluehost – Remember, Bluehost gives you free business email hosting and a Free domain name when you purchase their hosting plan. They are your best solution for getting your website started.
- Bigrock – Not only do they have affordable hosting and domain services, but they have very affordable email services at $.66 /mo. So, you can save BIG!
- CrazyDomains – They have very affordable email hosting that starts at $1.40/mo.
- GoDaddy – Affordable email hosting that starts at 1.99/mo.
- DomainIT– Another great email hosting offer that starts at $0.99/mo.
Bottom Line:
We recommend that you use G Suite. They have the best features and are easy to use.
Now, let’s choose a platform, so you can start building your own site.
Step Four: Platforms to Build Websites On
Now that you have your essentials: domain name, hosting, and a business email, you’re ready to start constructing your site. Before you start learning how to code a website the modern way, you will need to know what platform you are going to build your website on. CMS Platforms make it so you don’t need to know how to code a website from scratch to craft one like a pro. You should decide this based on your skill level and patience. Also, you should probably know what platform you are going to build your website on, before you purchase a domain name and hosting. Knowing this will save you, time, money, and frustration.
News Flash:
Let’s face it, the majority of us don’t know how to design well, let alone coding up our own web design! Nor do we have the time. This is why millions of websites are built with WordPress and Web builder templates. Furthermore, it may help you know what kind of website you want before you start building it. As shown above, make sure you check out our Types of Websites article, which will help guide you.
So, let’s explore your options.
There are many ways to build a website, other than hand-coding a website from scratch. You can use Content Management Systems (CMS) and free website builders to create a website for your business.
Free website builders and Content Management Systems (CMS) are the most popular ways to code a website today.
Content Management Systems
Web content management software is also called CMS.
CMS platforms are flexible, user-friendly programs that are used to easily create and manage digital web content without having to know programming code.
Basically, they allow you to easily build and manage a website.
Since coding is a very detail-oriented process, a CMS automates the hand-coding process, so you will not have to know as much CSS code to create your site. Today, most people and organizations useCMS when building and managing their websites. As a result, we recommend it, too. They really shrink your learning curve when discovering how to code a website.
The best part?
Most popular and well-known Content Management Systems are free to use.
Top 3 CMS Platforms for Your Business
- WordPress: Over 50% of all websites are built with WordPress. WordPress is the CMS industry leader. Beginning as a simple blogging software, WordPress evolved into a fully functional platform that’s easy to use. They are the best all around, and great for beginners.
- Joomla: 20% of websites today are built with Joomla CMS. Joomla is similar to WordPress, however more programming experience is necessary to use fully utilize its capabilities and create the website you want. In most cases, Joomla is too robust and difficult for average internet users, which make WordPress the leading platform.
- Drupal: Makes up 11% of websites. This is a very powerful platform that is popular with web developers and experienced coders. However, it comes with a very steep learning curve, making it a bad choice for beginners.
Bottom Line:
WordPress is the best. We recommend that you go with WordPress if you choose to build your website with on a CMS platform.
When to Use CMS
If you’re going to use a CMS, we strongly advise that you use WordPress. That is our platform of choice, and will focus the rest of this article around it.
WordPress is a very simple, user-friendly, versatile platform. Even though WordPress is a content-oriented site builder, its capabilities are almost endless. With WordPress, you can build a simple blog or a full-featured website with little effort. Just keep in mind, the more complex the site, the more technical skill it will take to create the site you desire. However, the additional effort will be worth it.
Overall, the types of website you can build with WordPress are virtually unlimited. With a nearly endless number of themes and plugins available, you can customize your site and add any feature you wish. Why learn how to code a website when you have WordPress?
Setting up WordPress
Now, it’s time to get your website up and running.
Before you start building your site, the first thing you’ll need to do is install WordPress (or Joomla & Drupal), to your domain.
Your hosting provider will provide you with a control panel that will allow you to easily install the WordPress platform on your domain.
Watch this video to learn how to easily install your CMS. (This video is focused on WordPress).
If it’s not easy to install a CMS, then maybe you’re dealing with a bad host.
It’s a very simple default site that appears when you first install WordPress on your domain.
Skip ahead to the next step for customizations.
Website Builders
Website builders are typically drag and drop website building tools that let you create a website without any coding experience. You simply drag and drop different website elements until you are satisfied with your site.
Most popular DIY site builders are equipped with beautiful and functional themes. They allow you to input your own content and images and end up with a site that looks like it was designed by a professional. Additionally, they offer tons of different tools that help you create the site of your dreams.
With no further ado, here are our top website builders:
Free Website Builders
- Wix – With Wix, you can create a free website exactly the way you want. Additionally,Wix offers you great Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools, a user-friendly website builder, reliable web hosting, domains, promotional tools and simple customizations. Wix has over 100 million users that create websites with them. Get Wix Website Builder.
- GoDaddy – With GoDaddy’s highly acclaimed GoCentral Website Builder, you can Learn How to Make a Website Quickly and Easily. Their website builder is easy to use Web Design software, that will let you Create a Website in no time at all! Get GoDaddy Website Builder
- DreamHost – They have their free, powerful Remixer website builder, with easy-to-use features that allow you make a beautiful website in no time. Get Started Now
- Strikingly – An easy to use FREE website builder that allows you to launch a gorgeous, mobile-optimized website within minutes. You don’t need any design or technical experience to publish a site with all the functionalities you’ll need. Get started now.
Paid Website Builders
- Shopify– The number #1 E-Commerce website builder. If you want to sell merchandise, then Shopify is a great E-Commerce website builder that will easily build an online store to sell your products. It’s a very comprehensive e-commerce solution, with great themes and a powerful App store to add great tools to your site. You can try Shopify free for 14 days. Get Started Now.
- Hostgator – As you know, all of Hostgator’s hosting plans include a free site builder. Hostgator has their powerful Gator website builder that comes bundled with a free domain name and hosting. You can get your site up and running for as low as $3.95/mo. Get Started Now
- Bluehost – They offer a few amazing website builders to help their clients build professional-looking blogs and websites, without touching a single line of code. They use WordPress, and offer the Weebly Website Builder free with their hosting plans. They both come with pre-made themes/templates, so users have plenty of options for customizing their site. Get started now for as low as $3.75/mo.
Other Great Website Builders
- DomainIT– Like Bluehost, DomainIT also offers the Weebly website builder for free with their hosting plans. Weebly is perfect for those who don’t have technical skills and knowledge in building their own website. Get Started Now for as low as $7.95/mo.
- CrazyDomains-They have Sitebeat, which is a simple, yet powerful website builder. Their drag and drop platform is affordable and easy to use. Get started Now for as low as $7.00/mo.
- Bigrock – They have a powerful website builder with 100’s of ready-made templates to choose from so you can quickly get your site up and running. Their plans start at $1.79 /mo. Get started now.
Moreover, all the website builders that we recommend are free to sign up, or at least they have a free trial period where you can give it a test drive. Explore them through our links above.
DIY builders are the answer for people who want to get their first website online in the quickest way possible.
They’re equipped to help you build fairly simple websites – not large content sites or eCommerce stores. DIY builders are also all about helping you save time when building your site.
WordPress has a steeper learning curve, so it’s not the best if you want to get a site online this afternoon. Either way you still don’t need to know how to code a website from scratch with this technology.
DIY builders can get a basic site online for you with just a few clicks. Plus, most bundle in their own hosting, domain, and business email, so you don’t have to go through the hassle of setting up separate hosting and making sure all of the technical elements are setup properly.
Website Builders vs. WordPress (Which to Choose)
If you need a website today, and you can do without any heavy features, then a DIY builder is the clear choice for you. With a DIY builder, all you have to do is choose your template, modify the layout, upload your content, and press publish. You can have your website online in a few hours, vs the months that it would take to learn how to code a website from scratch.
If you have more time available, and want to build a more feature-heavy site, then WordPress is a great choice.
With WordPress, you’ll have more control over the final results on your site and the long-term direction of it. There are more technical elements involved, so if you don’t feel comfortable, or don’t have the time to learn a CMS, then you may need to hire additional help to build your site.
WordPress is a powerful website builder. Like we discussed in the section above, WordPress is great because it’s free, versatile, and easy to use. Not to mention, it’s easy to learn, and with the unlimited plug-ins, the possibilities are endless.
Compared to other website builders, WordPress is the best because of its versatility. Most website builders are easy to use and well-designed. However, I would stick to the popular website builders, because they tend to have fewer bugs, errors, and downtime.
Note: Compared to WordPress, other website builders can be expensive and are often very limited. They are good for one-page websites and stores, but not much more.
See the difference?
WordPress is great for small and large sites. Their plugin options are so versatile that WordPress can create almost any website type. Famous WordPress sites include eBay, Mozilla, Reuters, CNN, Google Ventures and even NASA.
Just bear in mind that when you purchase a domain name from a website builder or through separate registrars, you own the domain name and can take it to wherever you want.
If you’re trying to build a large-scale site, or simply want more control over the look and feature set of your site, then WordPress is going to be a great choice.
Now you now need to decide what you want your site to look like and be able to do.
Pick your platform and let’s move onto the next step.
Again, we strongly recommend WordPress. It’s the easiest platform we’ve ever worked with, but it’s flexible enough to suit everyone from small business owners and freelancers to creative artists and bloggers.
Step Five: Design Your Site
Finally, the last step. You’re almost ready to launch your new site.
Now that you know what platform you’re going to build your website on (hopefully WordPress, Wix, or Shopify) you can now design it.
It’s time for you to choose a theme or template for your website design.
If you are building your website with WordPress, you’re going to need a theme and if your using a website builder you’re going to need to choose a template to easily customize and design your site.
Website builders and WordPress both have lots of themes and templates to choose from.
For starters, it’s a good idea to sketch out the design of your layout before you start, either on paper or in Photoshop. This will streamline your workflow and help organize your ideas.
So what do website builder templates and themes do?
Think of them as the “clothes” on your website. If you don’t like one style, just switch to another one.
What Is a Theme?
A WordPress theme is a complete design for a website. Their themes include everything you associate with web design.
If you are using WordPress, you’re going to need a theme that comes with a website builder plugin to easily create your website. For example, some of the best WordPress themes comes with hundreds of pre-made web page designs and easy to use page builders. Check out the best WordPress themes of the year here.
What Is a Template?
This is where things get a bit confusing. Some other web design systems refer to the overall site design as a template.
In WordPress terminology, a template is a page layout that’s available within a theme. The template is just single page layout, not the whole site design.
Almost all website builders come with hundreds of free templates for you to choose from to style your site.
Bottom Line?
Theme = the design of your whole website.
Template = the layout of a single page on your site.
And the best part, as we’ve said before, is that you don’t need to know any code languages whatsoever to use them.
How to Install a WordPress Theme
Installing a WordPress theme is really easy. In your WordPress dashboard, find Appearance and click on Themes. There you can search hundreds of free and responsive WordPress themes. Once you find one you like, click Install followed by Activate.
IMPORTANT: Changing themes won’t delete your previous posts, pages and content. You can change themes as often as you want, without having to worry about losing what you’ve created.
Where to find Amazing WordPress Themes
Here’s where it gets fun: There are thousands of awesome, professionally-designed themes you can choose from to customize your site.
WordPress has thousands of free themes, however, we recommend that you go with a premium theme, especially if you are a beginner.
You can find amazing, professional, mobile responsive, and elegant WordPress themes by heading over to ThemeForest at EnvatoMarket, where they have many great themes to choose from.
We personally use several of their top themes, such as the The7, Betheme, and Avada theme, and we absolutely love building websites with them. Check out the top 10 WordPress themes of the year here.
Conversely, if you are using a fully managed website builder (Wix, Shopify, or HostGator) they will provide you with hundreds of free premium website templates to choose from.
Now that you settled on a pre-designed template from your website builder or a WordPress theme, it’s time to customize your site.
Customizing your Website’s Theme or Template Design
The next thing you need to think about is content for your site.
Once your theme or template is installed, you’re ready to start adding (or creating) content to define your site.
If you are using a website builder, all you need to do is change the text, images and colors to make the site you own.
It’s that simple. You really don’t need to know how to code a website in the 21st century, you just need to know how to use the tools to professionally build your site.
WordPress on the other hand is a bit more complex.
Let’s quickly run through some of the basics to customize a WordPress website after you find a theme.
First, you need to create the pages that will make up your site. For example, you will want a “Home” page, a Services page, an About page, and a Contact page, to name just a few.
To create a page, you have to click “Pages” > “Add New” in you WordPress dashboard. From there, you will customize it to your liking and hit Save.
Next, you need to add your pages to a menu. To do this click “Appearance” -> “Menus” in the sidebar of the WordPress Dashboard. Then, find the page you created, and add it to the list by clicking the checkbox next to it and then “Add to Menu”.
Again, it’s really that simple!
Additionally, if you want a blog on your website, clicking “Posts” will be where you turn to next. You can use different categories to group similar posts. First, you have to create a category named “Blog” and add it your menu, then you can start writing posts.
Well Done!
You just customized your first WordPress Website.
Easy, Right?
Further Customizations
To complete your brand, you will need a color scheme, logo and tagline to define your business. Make sure your pages are unique and optimized with the keywords you want, so they rank in search engines.
When using WordPress, you’re going to want to set up a static front page, so that your home page does not look like a blog post. To make your home page static, all you need to do is go to “Settings -> Reading” in your dashboard, choose the home page that you created, and set it as your “Front Page“
Lastly, you’ll want to customize your sidebar by going to “Appearance-> Widgets” and add things you want to accent, such as your offers, recent post, or advertisements.
Install Plugins to Further Develop Your Site
Plugins are an important part of the WordPress ecosystem, and they are essential for building great websites using WordPress
What is a Plugin?
WordPress plugins are extensions or apps that allow you to add new features and functionality to your WordPress website. They allow you to easily modify your website. Plugins can do just about anything you can think of, without having to code dynamic parts of your site from scratch. For example, you can just add plugin to create a photo gallery, a store, or a submission form, making your site more customized.
How Do I Install a New Plugin?
Plugins are really easy to install. After you find the plugin you like, go to you dashboard and go to “Plugins -> Add New” and start searching or go to “Upload” and and click “Install“.
Think about the feature you want to add to your site, and search for a plugin to add that feature. You can find great premium plugins at Code Canon at The Envato Market.
Congratulations!
Last but not least, keep improving your website. As I mentioned earlier, WordPress is highly flexible. If you want to truly master WordPress, keep tinkering and studying what other plug-ins can do.
That’s How To Code A Website The Modern Way!
If you’ve followed the steps in this guide, you should now have a fully-functional WordPress website! That wasn’t so bad, was it?
Throughout this tutorial, we hope you picked up some valuable skills that apply to your own designs, and are happy with the results.
With our helpful guide, Internet Ideators believes you have the tools and resources for HOW TO CODE A WEBSITE for thousands of dollars less than if you hired an IT professional for the job.
However, if you have a few thousand dollars lying around, and don’t want to bother with creating the website yourself, then hiring a website designer like us might be the way to go. But, if you have a limited budget, or want to be frugal about creating a functional website that’s still professional looking, we would suggest holding off on hiring a website designer, even if you’ve never built a business website before.
Before you start building your own website, make sure that you experiment with templates to find the right design for your site. Remember, practice makes perfect. You may have to play around with a few design before you get the look of your site where you want it.
Keep in mind that you can always invest in custom-built designs, once you figure out what you actually need, not what you think you need. It’s never too late for that.
When you’re ready to build your website, make sure to refer back to this article and bookmark it. You’ll want this useful resource, because our guide has everything you need to get started developing like a pro.
How to Code a Website Conclusion
Hopefully, through this post, we’ve shown you that you don’t necessarily need to know how to code a website from scratch or become a tech guru in order to create a website.
Those “old school” barriers are now gone. We certainly weren’t tech savvy when we first started out, so you don’t have to be either.
As a result, you should now have a clear understanding of buying domains, designing and building websites, and setting up hosting and email services, fully integrating your business or firm with the Internet generation.
The programs and services mentioned in this post are used and endorsed by Internet Ideators. Surely any of these will help your business grow, from domain purchasing, hosting, templates, and plug-ins, to design services and hardware installation. Therefore, you cannot go wrong using any of these fine vendors when you build websites.
The learning curve of using these website builders is not too steep, but you do have to invest a day or so, testing them out. Not a bad investment, if you are serious about building and growing your online presence for years to come!
Once you become comfortable with these builders, it doesn’t hurt to pick up some very basic coding knowledge, so you can modify your website if you want. It’s not a must, but just something to consider if you want to have a bit more flexibility in terms of styling of your website.
If we inspired you to create a website today, instead of learning how to code a website from scratch, make sure to make your choices with our links inside this post, so that we can continue to create awesome free content like this guide for you to study, grow, and be successful.
Now, get out there and DIGITIZE YOUR DREAMS.