You’ve decided to build your first website: Congratulations! A website is your identity and brand on the Internet, so it’s important to make it just the way you want it.
If you’re worried about where to begin or intimidated by the complexities of web building, don’t be. We’ll walk you through the process of building your website in the clear and easy steps outlined below. You’ll learn the basic elements of a unique and impactful site for business or personal use.
Basics first
Building a website
All websites begin with three basic elements: a domain name, hosting, and a platform.
Hosting
- Where all the data and information about your site is kept. If the domain is your street address, hosting is your house.
Platform
- The tools with which you make your website and the space in which it’s created.
Domain name
Domain basics
Every website needs a domain name. Your domain is like the street address for your house. It will allow people to find your website and link to you.
But what should your domain name be? If you have a business, that should be an easy question to answer, since your website should match your business name. If you’re creating a personal site or blog, though, you can get a little more creative with your name.
I already have a domain name. I want to learn about hosting →
How to choose a domain name
A domain name will look something like http://www.yoursite.com. It’s common to use your organization or business name here. For example, if you own a bookstore, you might choose thebookstorename.com. The same format would work for pretty much any other business name.
If you don’t already have a business name, it’s a good idea to choose one based on what might be available as a domain. This is a great opportunity to match up your business and online identities from the start.
Curious to see if your ideal domain is available? Go ahead and type it in here: