How to start a website in 20 minutes
Sometimes when we hear the word website most people take to their heels as they always imagine it must be something very complex. Well allow us to quickly show you how you can get your own website up working in no time and you do not need a web developer or designer for this. So you know just about anybody can start their own website.
5 reasons to start a website
1. Boost your CV and boost your professional presence.
2. If your reason for creating a website is to make money then you are on the right path.
3. Presents you with more freedom and allows you to work from just about anywhere.
4. Very easy and affordable.
WordPress
WordPress is a free Content Management System (CMS) that lets anyone create, design, write and manage their own website. Do not think just because of its free cost then it's not the real deal. Well so you know CNN, NASA all are using WordPress. Statistically, WordPress platform manages over 25% of all website present today. One more thing it is really beginner friendly.
WordPress needs to be installed on a web host and in this article; we will be using Bluehost which is very easy to run. The cost of using Bluehost is very minimal.
1. Choose and register a domain name
The first thing you need to do is get a domain name. This is usually what people type on their browser to find your website. For example, savethestudent.org is a domain name. With a domain name, everyone who wants to check your website out can easily find it. We have different domain name extensions, .com, .net, .info, .org. We have special service providers that could easily get you any domain name for a low-cost if such name is available. Note sometimes you have to make multiple changes to a choice of name because you are just one person in a million trying to get a domain name registered. So if your name is not available all you need to do is make a twitch by adding a number (1…..) or a character (-) or you can try a different extension (.info). A little twitch to the name can be beneficial.
2. Setup website hosting
As mentioned earlier every website needs to be hosted. Do not be scared when you hear these names. Think of a web host as the house accommodating all websites. When any visitor types your domain name it’s the job of the web host to serve your website to be seen. There are loads of web hosting services out there but for the purpose of beginners, we suggest you use Bluehost.
6 main reasons for choosing Bluehost
1. it’s not expensive (from $2.95pm)
2. Trustworthy (99.9% uptime)
3. Free domain name, email addresses & 1-click WordPress install
4. Very cool and effective support and guides.
5. 30-day full refund policy if services granted are not satisfactory.
6. WordPress recommended.
Usually to get a good price you need to pay for about a year or more and this will result in you paying just a little fraction.
3. Installing WordPress on Bluehost
So now after the two steps above you already have an online presence but to have your website looking as it should be you need to download WordPress. Now you can add content and create your own design. There is no need for any formal education to be able to use this platform. Most of the tools you will need are already available to you inside. All you have to do is use what you want.
Technically your online presence is secured at this stage, but if anyone goes over to your site, there won't be much to see! That won't be for long though… you're about to install WordPress which allows you to easily manage your whole site, including content and design, without any technical background or coding experience. WordPress which was formally designed for blogs but now millions of websites use it with some very big names like CNN and MTV.
4. Choose your WordPress theme
If someone visits your website at this stage it still looks too basic and empty. So, it’s time to do some work. First, you change the theme of your website. This going to be the first page every visitor sees when they arrive on your page. There are loads of themes available for you to choose from. Get to the Admin panel click on Appearance > Theme. After you see what you like you can first preview it to see how it looks or go ahead and install to apply the Theme.
Adding contents is quite easy, click on “Posts" > "Add New" will open up the editor window, which looks just like the typical word processor.
As soon as you get some articles published on your website there can be an endless flow of audience to your website and this brings us to the one important thing to know. You need traffic and by this we mean people visiting your website. Of course, you now have a functioning website but what use will it be if no one visits it. With Face book, Twitter and other social platforms it’s quite easy to drive traffic to your website page.
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