Create A Website With WordPress
Another way to create a site is by using a content management system , which is a piece of software that enables you to create and modify website content.
There are several CMS platforms to choose from, such as WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal. That said, we recommend using WordPress for creating a site as its the most beginner-friendly CMS and has the most themes and plugins.
1. Install WordPress
You need to install WordPress on your web hosting account to get started. If you use hPanel, the WordPress auto-installer makes the process much simpler.
If youre using another type of control panel, the process should be similar using the Softaculous auto-installer.
Alternatively, install WordPress manually by downloading the software and copying its files to the hosting account using an FTP client or file manager.
2. Choose a Theme
Customizing the websites appearance requires a WordPress theme. Its a pack of files containing code, style sheets, and custom elements to construct the websites design and basic functionality.
When you install WordPress, it comes with a default theme called Twenty Twenty-One. However, there are more than 8,000 free WordPress themes in the WordPress theme directory to choose from.
Choose The Most Appropriate Domain Name
This is the point at which youre ready to narrow down your shortlist and complete the process of how to choose a domain name for your business.
A portion of this process is subjectiveafter all, it is critical to select a domain name you enjoy. However, there are some simple criteria that you can use to decide the process a little easier than well.
Youll want to choose a domain name that comprises the following words:
Concise and easy to understand. Long and confusing names are more difficult to remember and are more likely to be mistyped.
Imaginative and unforgettable. The more distinctive you can make your domain name, the more memorable it will be for visitors.
It is simple to read and pronounce. When speaking aloud, avoid using numbers and special characters because they are difficult to understand. Additionally, you should ask your friends to pronounce it correctly so that you do not end up on this list by accident.
Finally, its critical to carefully consider the Top-Level Domain of your domain name before purchasing it .
How To Make A Website With Your Own Domain For Free
Author: Howard Steele
So, youve decided to create a website with own domain name for free. Someone may say that this is impossible as quality websites require deep web design expertise and application of professional web building tools. However, thats not quite so.
Creating a personal or a business website at no cost or using your own domain is possible, if you are aware of the most popular web design options and professional web building software you can use to complete the task.
When it comes to free website development, there are several things to consider. To start with, you should pick the right web building tool, many of which come with free subdomains or offer integrated free domain connection option.
If you already own a domain and wish to attach it to your website, you will have to take care of that during website setup. Mind that domain costs differ as well as the terms implied by their providers. Thus, the process of free website development is not that easy and it definitely requires certain web design background or awareness of coding nuances.
To simplify the task, we have singled out several must-have points that will help you cope with all the stages of the web design process successfully and with maximum benefit.
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Connect The Domain Name To A Web Hosting Account
If you buy a domain name from Hostinger, it will automatically connect to Hostingers nameservers. This step is specifically for users who bought their domain names and hosting plans from different providers.
For this tutorial, well show you how to point a domain name to Hostinger.
Keep in mind that it may take around 24 hours for the domain name changes to take effect. However, you can clear your DNS cache to speed up the process.
What Is The Actual Mechanism By Which Domain Names Function
Well take a look at what happens when you type a domain name into your browser to get a better understanding of how domain names actually work.
As soon as you type a domain name into your web browser, it sends a request to the Domain Name System, which is a global network of servers that manages domain names .
They then look up the domains name servers and forward the request to the name servers that are associated with the domain.
Consider the following scenario: if your website is hosted on Bluehost, the name server information for your website will be as follows:
- ns1.bluehost.com
- ns2.bluehost.com
These name servers are computers that are under the control of your web hosting company. Your web hosting company will route your request to the computer on which your website is stored, which will then respond.
A web server is a name given to this computer. It is equipped with specialized software . The web server now retrieves the web page, and any associated pieces of information from the internet.
Last but not least, it sends this information back to the browser.
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Create Email Accounts With Your New Domain
Using an email address with your new domain name, such as email@yourdomain.com,will increase your credibility, whether you use it as a contact address or to communicate with business partners.
If you use Hostingers hosting service, you can easily create an email address:
If youre looking for a more premium email service, feel free to check out Titan business email hosting here.
Pro Tip
Use a password generator like LastPass to create a random and secure password for your business email address.
Place Keywords In Prime Locations
Identifying the keywords that people are likely to use in Google and other search engines , and for which youd like to be found, is a critical step in search engine optimization.
Once youve identified your primary keywords, the next step is to add them into your web page.
Use the keyword in the post title, post or page URL, heading within content, meta description for image alt text and image name.
Repeating your keywords a number of times throughout the page text is likely to boost your placement. Dont repeat keywords too many times. Once or twice is ideal.
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Add Pages To Your Website
To add a page on WordPress, go to Pages -> Add New. Every site requires a different set of pages, but generally, here are the five must-have pages:
Homepage
Whether you use a website builder or WordPress, the homepage provides the first impression about your business to visitors.
That said, you shouldnt add too much information to it. Cluttered and messy homepages will deter visitors from continuing to browse as its harder to find relevant information.
Instead, keep it organized and concise and put visuals to guide visitors to the section or page that contains the information they want.
About Page
This page should provide information about your company history, vision and mission, team members, and testimonials. It helps customers, investors, or potential new hires to know more about your business.
However, avoid overexplaining your products or services. You can provide contact information here, but we recommend using a dedicated page for it.
Product or Service Page
The product or service page is crucial and decisive to convert your visitors into new customers. Provide details like features, benefits, and prices.
Product photos or videos also help make the page more visually appealing.
Blog Page
Adding a blog to your site can help drive traffic and increase conversion rates.
When writing blog posts, use relevant keywords to help your site rank higher on search engines.
Contact Page
Customize Your Google Sites Design
Theres one more thing you can tweak: Your sites design. The new Google Sites themes are driven by your content, with large image-based headers and full-width text blocks. But there are still a number of ways you can create a unique look.
Just tap the Themes tab on the right sidebar, and select from one of the 6 available themes. Each one includes 3 different font styles, along with 5 color schemes, to give your site a slight different look and feel.
Combine that with your own graphics and a customized multi-column layout, and you can make Google Sites fit your branding and feel like a unique, custom-built site. The default Simple style fits Zapiers branding well, though the default blue color doesnt quite fitso a quick change to black and our page is done.
Tip: Need help making graphics for your site? Check out our Design 101 crash course.
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What Tlds Are Available With Google Domains
There are a fair number of TLD options at Google Domains. TLDs, or top-level domains, refer to the last part of your web address. That small extension is important, as it can convey a sense of professionalism or give web browsers an idea about what your site is about before they visit.
Google Domains offers all of the TLDs you would expect. Simple .net, .org, .co.uk, and .com domains available. The .com domains are fairly affordable at $12 per year.
More expensive generic top-level domains are available as well. You can find everything from .ninja to .graphics is up for grabs. Pricing varies based on the demand for the TLD and its general availability.
When compared to other established registrars, the collection of domain extensions you can get from Google Domains isnt the biggest. Namecheap and Domain.com offers several options that you cant get with Google.
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What About Other Search Engines Such As Bing
There are multiple search engines out there, none as powerful as Google. However, if you are interested in joining, for example, the Bing search engine, its a relatively similar process to the one described above. Check out the necessary steps here. Note that Voog doesnt support the XML verification method and we recommend the META-tag method.
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How To Create A Free Website With Your Own Domain
Apart from buying a new domain name from the website builder or hosting provider, there is a possibility to connect the one you have previously owned. It doesnt matter where you have got it you can attach or transfer it to your new account, following the guidelines the system generates.
Standard plan of actions looks similar to that listed in the previous part of the article. However, there are also a few nuances you need to consider to make the domain name connection process a success.
- Firstly, there is no need to buy a new domain from the system you work with. This eventually saves your effort, time and money.
- Secondly, you shouldnt forget to modify the DNS settings to make the domain eligible for transfer, if needed.
Typically, youll have to log into your domain name control panel and modify the NS records for your domain according to the instructions provided by the chosen website builder or hosting provider. The entire procedure doesnt take it long and can be completed even by a newbie.
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Publish And Share Your Google Site
One of Google Sites best features is its sharing settings, which work the same as Google Drive. You can share your site with anyone, and let them help edit it.
Just tap the person icon in the editor, and you can share the site youre working on with your entire team. With individual accounts, you can add specific people to let them edit the site in a company G Suite account, your website will be visible to everyone in your company, but they wont be able to edit it. Enable editing, and your site turns into a wiki of sorts where everyone can tap the pencil icon on the site and edit anything on it.
Then, its time to publish your site. Give it a unique URL, so you can then open your site at sites.google.com/view/YourSiteName, or at sites.google.com/YourDomain.com/YourSiteName if you have a G Suite account. And choose whether you want this site to be shared only with your teamthe default choice, best for most company internal sitesor with the web to make a quick site for a new public-facing project. You can then select to let your site show up in Google search results if youve made it public.
Our test site turned out pretty similar to our real About page, with images, text, and even embedded videos and maps. You can and wed love to see what you make in the comments below!
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Submit Your New Website To Search Engines
Since search engines use web crawlers to find new and updated content, they dont rely on manual submissions to find a new site. However, submitting your site gives it a better chance of appearing on the result pages.
To do that, you need to create a sitemap to help search engines find your website pages and content. It lists the pages, videos, images, and other relevant content on your site, as well as the relationship between them.
Most search engines use links to discover new pages and index them. This can be an issue if you have a lot of pages that are not linked to each other, as they can be invisible to the crawlers.
Thus, submitting your site is a great idea when you change the websites pages and structure. It tells search engines that they need to crawl the website again.
We have a complete guide for submitting your site to search engines. However, to sum up, here is what you need to do:
Submitting your website to search engines is only part of the work. For the website to rank high, youll need to optimize it. Here are some of our SEO tips:
Whats Hot At Techrepublic
However, Google Sites may not offer enough customization for every organization. If you need ecommerce capabilities, custom control over themes and branding, or integration with databases or other CRM systems, look at web hosting alternatives.
But for organizations that need an easy-to-edit website with little maintenance, a Google Site can serve as your organizations website. A Google Site also benefits from Googles security because its protected with your Google account sign-in, and served securely, too.
As of May 2018, youll need the following to create and use a Google Site as your website: Administrative access to G Suite , administrative access to your domain host , and either desktop Chrome or Firefox to create and edit your site.
First, a G Suite administrator needs to have enabled the new Google Sites for your organization.
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How To Create A Website
See how your can create your own website and get it online.
The Website.com Website Builder is packed with features, widgets, and tools to help you get your website online.
This guide will show you how to navigate and use the Website Builder to create your website.
Congrats! Youve created your Website.com account and youre ready to build your website.
Our website builder is designed so that you can get your website online in 3 simple steps:
Choose a template
Publish your website
The website builder is where you will be creating and editing your website.
The main area or the canvas is the working area of your website. This is where you can move your page elements around, edit your text, and make any changes you like to your web page. The toolbar is at the top of the page. Page design features and app page management are to the left.
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Ive Recently Updated My Website But The Search Engine Is Still Displaying Old Info What To Do
If youve changed your website structure, deleted any pages or even added new ones, its always good to ask Google to recrawl your website. Its a simple process and you can do it here. Check it out its a great tool because it keeps your website information updated in the search results.
You can read a more detailed guide in our blog entry here.
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