Many people never even think about making their own website. It’s easy to imagine that web development is very difficult, and assume that you’ll need professional help. In fact, making your own website can be simple and affordable. It can even be fun!
In this article, we’ll look at the 3 best ways to build a website. We’ll cover using a website builder, coding a website from scratch and using pre-built WordPress themes. We’ll also look at the pros and cons of each method and clearly show which approach is best for you. Let’s get started!
Using a Website Builder
The easiest way of making your own website is by using a website builder. Many web hosting companies offer website builder plans. These usually come with web hosting and other features included.
How Does it Work?
Website builders are online tools that you can access via your web browser. The best website builders are WYSIWYG builders (What You See Is What You Get). That means the layout you see while you’re designing is the same layout visitors will see. That makes it very easy for beginners to create a stylish website, just by dragging and dropping features into place.
What are the Pros and Cons of Website Builders?
The pros:
Website builders are easy to use. Developing a website using a website builder is fast and simple – even for beginners. Everything you need is often included in the price of a plan.
The cons:
Website builders aren’t suitable for every type of website. If you need to make a website with very complex features, then a website builder may not be right for you.
The conclusion:
If you’re not a tech expert then you’ll love the simplicity of a website builder. Using a website builder is the best way to make your own website quickly, with the minimum fuss.
The next step:
We offer a powerful but easy-to-use website builder, complete with hosting and a range of other features. Learn more about our website builder.
Coding a Website from Scratch
Feel like a project? It could be time to try coding a website from scratch! You’ll need to invest a lot of time and effort in the development. But if you’re interested in learning how websites really work, then this could be a great hobby-project!
How Do I Do It?
HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) is the language used to hand-code websites. CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) add style to the HTML. You can code a website using a plain-text editor – like Notepad. Or you can use a more advanced HTML editor – like Adobe’s Dreamweaver.
What are the Pros and Cons of Coding a Website?
The pros:
Complete control – when you write your own code, you have total control over how your website works. If you’re a talented developer you may be able to create a leaner website by focusing on the exact features you need.
The cons:
Coding a website isn’t easy! It can take months to learn HTML and CSS. Even the basics can be difficult to master. Coding websites is becoming less popular, as most developers prefer easier alternatives like website builders and WordPress.
The conclusion:
If you’re interested in learning a new skill, then coding your own website will teach you a lot. But it may take months before you’re ready to complete your project.
The next step: Your new website will need somewhere to live! Learn more about our website hosting.
Finding a Pre-Made WordPress Theme
WordPress is a popular CMS (Content Management System). It’s used by millions of people to develop and maintain their websites. There are thousands of pre-made WordPress themes available that make it easier to build an appealing website.
What are WordPress Themes?
A WordPress theme is a template you can style your website around. Without using themes, all WordPress sites would look basically the same. The content would be different but the style would be identical (and very basic). Themes allow developers to add a consistent and attractive style to all the pages on their websites.
The Pros and Cons of WordPress
The pros:
Developing a WordPress website is much easier than coding a website from scratch. WordPress also supports some very powerful features and can be more flexible than a website builder.
The cons:
WordPress development can still take some time to learn. Some of the best WordPress themes aren’t free, so you might need to pay to get the look you want.
Other Requirements
Away from the building aspect of creating a website there are some other requirements that any website needs before designing and building.
Domain Names
Every website needs a name, this name acts as a branding tool, a marketing piece and as an address. tasjeel.ae is our website domain name, it’s our brand name, our online address and hosts the content that represents our business.
Without a domain name your website will not function. It is a crucial part of creating a website and is typically the first step to building your own site. By owning a domain name you have full control over where it points to and the message behind it.
Choosing a Domain Name
We’ve written some great articles on how to choose your domain name. However, here is a quick guide to picking the best domain name:
- If the new website is for your business, then you should include your business name in the domain. For example, yourbusinessname.ae.
- Personal websites should feature your name or your personality persona if you want to remain private.
- Try not to make it complicated. You’re likely to keep your domain name for a long time, so make sure it’s to the point and describes you or your business well.
How Much Does a Domain Name Cost?
Domain names are not very expensive, here at tasjeel.ae we sell .ae domains for as little as 129AED.
Website Hosting
If you’re using a site builder like Wix or Squarespace, hosting is already included within your package. However, if you’re developing your own website, hosting will need to be purchased.
Website hosting is easy and inexpensive when setting up a website. Find a website hosting provider, like tasjeel.ae and go through the steps to buy yourself a new hosting package. There are plenty of hosting packages available depending on your website size and the number of visitors your website attracts.
Types of Website Hosting
With tasjeel there are 4 types of website hosting to choose from.
Website Hosting
It’s our simplest and most affordable shared web hosting that is perfect for most websites.
WordPress Hosting
WordPress hosting has all the benefits of web hosting but is designed specifically for WordPress websites.
Dubai Website Hosting
Local web hosting for UAE businesses: Our Dubai data centre is the perfect home for your website.
Cloud Hosting
Powerful managed cloud hosting for businesses that need the very best!
If you want to know more about types of website hosting check out our previous article here.
Connecting your Domain and Host
Now you have your domain name and your website hosting package, you’ll need to connect the two. There are two ways of doing this:
Update Your Nameserver
Every domain name has a nameserver, this is a platform which indicates where the domain should be pointing. Your website hosting provider will provide you with their nameserver. All you need to do is change your domain name’s current stock nameserver with the new one.
This will start something known as propagation, where the internet gets used to the changes made. After around 1 hour the domain will point at the new server.
Changing Your A Record
Within every domain name there are DNS records. These are the instructions for what your domain should do, it relates to everything from where your domain mail should go, through to where your domain should be pointing.
Part of the DNS records are your A records. These are your address records. To change these, simply find the IP address of your new server and change the A record to this address.
This is a great option if you want to keep the default DNS records or you’ve already started using the domain name.
The conclusion:
If you’re making a complex website, and a website builder doesn’t support the features you need, then WordPress is the best option. You’ll need to spend a little time learning how the system works, but the end result could be better than if you code your own website.
The next step: We’ve created a special hosting plan that’s perfect for WordPress websites. Learn more about our WordPress hosting.
