How to Build a Website in 13 Easy Steps

Learning how to build a website in today’s world is easier than you think, thanks to amazing platforms like SiteGround. This platform allows you to create a website with no coding skills, and you can build a website from scratch in no time. Without a doubt, SiteGround is our top choice for WordPress hosting, and we hope to show you why with this guide.

In this WordPress website design guide, we will teach you how to build a WordPress website on SiteGround in 13 easy steps.

Step 1: Get a Web Hosting Plan

For a website to be visible on the internet, it must be hosted on a server otherwise known as a web host or web hosting server. Web hosts supply the server infrastructure and maintenance expertise required to keep it up to date. Essentially, web hosting services let you rent out space on a web server, store the files that comprise a website, and then provide the material when someone requests it.

So to get started on where to host your WordPress website, we recommend SiteGround. Just click Start Now on the SiteGround website.

Depending on the size and type of website you wish to run, pick a web hosting package that can support your needs.

When starting your website, Shared or WordPress Hosting can be a decent option if your website doesn’t currently require a lot of server capacity. Make sure to look over each plan’s features to choose which one is best for your website.

If you want to add large photos and videos to your portfolio, you’ll need a plan with enough storage space. Similarly, if you anticipate a lot of traffic, you’ll need a hosting plan with more resources to make sure your website functions properly.

Step 2: Choose Your Domain Name.

Now that you have decided to make a website with SiteGround, you have to select the domain you want to use at this point. Here are your available options:

• New Domain: Using this, you may look for and buy a new domain.
• Existing Domain: You can input your domain here if it is registered with a different registrar.
• Temporary Domain: This will give you a sg-host.com temporary subdomain.

To assist you in selecting a custom domain name, here are some tips.

• Keep it simple: Domain names that are short and straightforward are much easier to type and remember. Stay away from putting lengthy or challenging-to-spell phrases in your domain name.
• Make it easy to pronounce: Pronounceable domain names are more likely to stay in users’ memories. That can make your website more memorable and stand out.
• Use relevant keywords: Include relevant keywords in your domain to aid in search engine optimization (SEO), which increases traffic to your website. Consider the terms that members of your target audience would use to look for your business online.
• Be unique: Select a distinctive domain name. This can increase the number of people that visit and remember your website.
• Make it brandable: The goal or specialty of your website should be reflected in your domain name. That can facilitate brand awareness and help users remember your website.

Click “Select” for New Domain.

Step 3: Setup a New Website

The next step in how to build a website is choosing whether to create a new website or move an existing one. Choose “Start New Website” for this step.

Step 4: Choose WordPress Application.

You have two options for how to build a website, which are WordPress or WooCommerce + WordPress, if your website will have an online store.

We recommend “WordPress” for this step. Next to the app you want to use, click “Select.”

Step 5: Set up WordPress Login Details.

Now that you have selected WordPress as your website platform, enter your desired password and email address you wish to use to access your WordPress website.

Step 6: Wait for your Site to be Created.

All that’s left to do is wait for the website to be created, which may take up to two minutes.

Step 7: Access Site Tools

Congratulations!!! Your site is now created. Now what we have to do is design the look and feel of your website but before we do that we have to configure your website. To do this, select “Site Tools” to access the site’s management panel.

Step 8: Install SSL Certificate

An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates a website’s identity and enables an encrypted connection. It stands for Secure Sockets Layer, a security protocol that creates a secure link between a web server and a browser. This certificate is crucial for protecting sensitive data transfer, ensuring that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral.

An SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt will be installed immediately by SiteGround. If it doesn’t work right away, give it a few more minutes to install; it should’nt take long.

By selecting Security -> SSL Manager in the site dashboard, you can verify that the SSL certificate is operational.

Step 9: Enforce HTTPS for Domain

HTTPS, or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, is an internet communication protocol that protects the integrity and confidentiality of data between the user’s computer and the site. Users expect a secure and private online experience when using a website. HTTPS ensures that a website’s traffic cannot be tampered with by attackers and that the website is the one the server it is supposed to talk to.

Adding a redirect to your website’s HTTPS version is the last step. Toggle the switch to enable HTTPS Enforcement by clicking the “HTTPS Enforce” menu item in the site control panel.

Congratulations – Your site is now live. Now its time to design the look of your site.

Step 10: Design your Website

It’s time to look into web design after you’ve installed your website. A well-designed website enhances user experience and increases conversions by fusing functionality with visual appeal.

Selecting the best theme for your WordPress website is an important first step, since it influences how visitors and search engines view your website. A suitable theme should be quickly and easily adaptable to fit your needs, and it should have a look you like.

Selecting the ideal theme for your WordPress website is an important first step to designing your website. Your theme influences how visitors and search engines view your website. A decent theme should be quickly and easily adaptable to fit your needs, and it should have a look you appreciate.

How to Choose a Theme

Here are a few essential WordPress theme factors to take into account while choosing one.

Free or Purchased Themes

The choice between a free and a paid alternative should be one of your initial considerations. Although there are a lot of excellent free themes available, premium themes frequently include advanced functions and support.

A Theme for the Purpose of your Website

As the theme can greatly influence how users and search engines view your website, make sure it aligns with its goal. As an illustration, themes made especially for portfolio websites exist. Some are designed for blogging or e-commerce.

Mobile Friendly Design

Mobile devices account for 55% of all internet traffic worldwide, according to Statcounter. In light of this, search for a responsive theme that works well across a range of screen sizes and gadgets.

SEO Optimised Design

Your website’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs) is enhanced with an SEO-optimized theme. Search engine bots should be able to easily crawl and index the theme due to its speed, lightweight design, and clean code.

Step 11: Installing your Theme

The WordPress Theme Directory is the primary source for theme installations. All of the themes are available for free download and are taken from the WordPress directory. Only themes that uphold to the WordPress Coding Standards are available in the WordPress theme directory.

Continue reading to learn how to install a free WordPress theme from the WordPress theme directory in this section.

Navigate to Appearance > Themes from your Dashboard’s left sidebar.

You can find all of the pre-installed themes or the default themes that come with WordPress in that section.

Add a New Theme

Click the Add New button in the top-middle section of the page to add a new WordPress theme to your list.

Select your Theme

A list of the most popular themes will appear on the screen that WordPress displays when you click the Add New button. You can look over that list and select the theme that appeals to you the most.

You can use the filter to narrow down the subject matter of your website or the industry that your company operates in. WordPress will then display themes within that specific category.

Additionally, you can choose which elements you value most and how the theme should be organized. You can specify whether the theme layout should have one or more columns and where the sidebar should be placed in the Layout section.

If you already know the theme you want, you can use the right-hand Search field to type the name of the theme. WordPress will show you the theme below as soon as you enter the name.

To view the theme in action, hover your cursor over it to reveal the Preview button. By doing so, you should be able to better understand the theme’s overall impression and perhaps determine how you can customize it to your content.

Install your Theme

Once you find the theme you are interested in, you’ll need to install it. To do that, simply click on the Install button in the theme’s thumbnail.

When WordPress has finished installing the theme of your choice, you will get a confirmation message.

Clicking the Live Preview button will allow you to see a preview of the theme’s features after the installation is finished.

Activate your Theme

The final step in installing your theme is activating it once it has been installed. You can do that by clicking the Activate button. Once you do this, WordPress will then replace your active theme with the new one.

Step 12: Upload a Purchased Theme (Optional)

If you have purchased a premium theme, you must download the zip file from the seller. The zip file comprises all the folders and files that make up a theme. Once you have stored the installation file on your computer, you can proceed with the next steps.

Add a New Theme

To start the installation, you’ll need to navigate to the Appearance > Themes section.

Click the Add New button to start the installation process when the Themes section opens.

Upload the Theme File (.zip)

After that, select the Upload Theme button to open the file upload dialog box from your computer.

After that, click the Choose file option to start browsing your computer’s files for the zip file. Once you find the file on your computer, select it and uploading will commence automatically.

Once the file is uploaded, you can install it by clicking the Install Now button.

Activate your Uploaded Theme

When WordPress finishes installing, it will display a “success” message to you. You may activate the new theme on your WordPress website by clicking the Activate button located under the confirmation.

Step 13: Install Plugins

Does your website require more functionality? With just a few clicks, you can quickly install thousands of plugins to add a wide range of functions.

Plugins can enhance your website with a variety of features, such as site migration, security, and speed optimization. Additionally, SiteGround has created some excellent plugins to enhance your website. More details about them are available on this SiteGround WordPress Plugins page.

You may add, remove, and manage plugins in the Plugins area of the WordPress dashboard.

The easiest way to install WordPress plugins is to do it automatically from the dashboard.

To start, simply navigate to Plugins > Add New.

This is the page where you may click to get plugins for WordPress and browse the WordPress Plugin Directory. You can look for a plugin by author, tag, or keywords in the upper right corner.

By selecting the Featured, Popular, Recommended, and Favorites tabs, you can also view collections of plugins based on various criteria. Once you’ve selected a plugin, click the Install Now button, and your website will download and install it instantly.

The Install Now button will change to an Activate button after the installation is finished. You can turn on the plugin for your website by clicking on it.

Conclusion

To wrap it up, one of the first steps in how to build a website or blog is to setup your WordPress hosting, install WordPress and select a suitable WordPress theme. In this guide, we also discussed how to install plugins to give your website added functionality. Furthermore, we showed you how to install your chosen WordPress theme in two different ways.

Now you’re equipped with the knowledge required to create a professional looking WordPress website or blog for your work from home career, on one of the best WordPress hosting platforms – SiteGround, with the best-fitting theme to build a stunning WordPress site.