Ultimate 9-Step Guide to Building a Stunning Website in 2024

Building a website is one of the best ways to grow your online presence and share your work with the world. A website is a great way to share your work and grow your online presence. Whether you’re looking to showcase your business, sell products, or simply want a digital home for your passion, there are a lot of steps to consider before getting started.

You have to think about a lot before you start, whether you want to showcase your business or sell products. I recommend using a website builder to help simplify the process, but I’ll walk you through your options and the building journey step-by-step.

This article was updated on 10/04/24. Find out what I’ve changed:

• I’ve added a new step to the guide – “Set Your Navigation”. This provides instruction and advice on building your site’s structure and navigation while considering the customer journey.
• I’ve also updated outdated information, such as GoDaddy’s new pricing for its Basic plan, and added helpful tips throughout the article to make the process of building a website as easy as possible.

1. Determine Your Site’s Purpose

The first thing you need to do is determine what type of website you want to build. You need to decide what type of site you want to create. What purpose do you want it to serve?

What is the purpose of your website? Are you looking to create an online community to sell products to customers? Are you interested in creating an online community that sells products to customers? Do you want to share your expertise through long-form blog content? Want to share your knowledge through long-form blogs?

Whatever your goals, it’s best to outline the following details before proceeding:

• Type of website: Think about what you want to share with visitors and what actions you want them to take, whether that’s through a blog, online store, or restaurant website.
• Brand identity: Your website’s tone of voice, color scheme, font choice, and unique selling point will help your website stand out and bring consistency across your site’s design.
• Goals and vision: Make a note of what you aim to achieve through your website, such as growing email subscribers, and refer back to this as you build your brand and website.
• Market research: See what your competitors are doing, identify gaps in the market, and recognize opportunities to connect with your target audience in a unique way.

Having this information at the ready will help you as you start your website-building journey. And, if you’re more of a visual learner or you’re short on time, check out our video guide on how to build a website:

2. Choose a Domain Name

Every website needs a domain name – the part of your site address visible in the browser’s search bar that identifies the website for people browsing the web. For example, ours is tobestloan.com.

The good news is that plenty of website builders package a domain name with your subscription (usually for the first year only), so keep that in mind when choosing your website builder in the next step. And don’t worry if you need to switch builders or platforms down the line – you can take your domain name with you.

Besides using website builders, you can also get a domain name from a registrar, such as GoDaddy or Domain.com. A .com domain can cost between $10 and $20 per year.

There are a few things to consider when choosing a domain name:

• Make it unique and relevant to your website, business, or brand so repeat visitors and customers can easily find your site again.
• Keep it as short and sweet as possible to make it easier to type into the search bar.
• Avoid numbers when reading or typing to reduce confusion (numbers are also harder to remember!).
• Choose a domain name you will stick with. Changing a name is a time-consuming and difficult process, especially for established businesses.
• Choose a memorable, short domain name that reflects what your brand is about. It’s easier to remember a short name, and it’s easy to type in a browser. No need to forcibly add a keyword in your domain name either – this is not a ranking factor!
• Prioritize what is relevant to your audience and what fits with your brand.
• I would also suggest choosing a recognized Generic Top Level Domain, such as .com, .ai, .org, or .co. gTLDs can be used anywhere in the world and are not tied to a specific country. This is the best choice if your audience spans across more than just one country, or you plan to expand internationally in the future.

This is the best choice if you have a large audience that spans more than one country or if you plan to expand internationally.

Caitlin Hathaway Content Strategist

3. Pick a Website Builder

To get started, you need the tools and instruments to build a website – a website builder is my top choice.

Website builders help you build, customize, and manage a website, no matter your skill level. They’re a user-friendly option for anyone short on time or lacking confidence when building a site from scratch.

These tools are a great option for those who lack the time or confidence to build a website from scratch. The best part is that website builders cater to all users, from beginners looking to create a personal site to industry-leading businesses.

For example, Shopify is home to titans of ecommerce, such as Mattel and Gymshark. I had no trouble adding products and setting up an online store with Shopify.

Website Builder Expert

Of course, if you want to get into the nitty gritty when building your website, you can also choose to build with a CMS, like WordPress, and organize your web hosting yourself. If you want to be more hands-on with your website building, you can choose to use a CMS like WordPress and manage your own web hosting. While this gives you total creative control, it’s not as accessible or intuitive to use as website builders, so I’d only recommend this route if you have prior building experience.

We regularly review the best website builders in the market, using our years of experience and rigorous research process to share recommendations based on 200+ hours of testing. You can see our top five website builders below:

As you can see, Wix is our top-rated website builder overall. It offers over 900 stunning templates, impressive built-in website features, and a beginner-friendly drag-and-drop editor. That said, if you’re looking to build an online store, Shopify’s ecommerce features are unparalleled. And, for a simple editing experience, Squarespace is the easiest website builder I’ve tested in 2024.

Website Builder Expert

4. Customize Your Template

Now that you’ve got this far, you should have a pretty solid foundation to build on. You know what type of website you want to create and have a set vision in mind, you’ve settled on a domain name, and you’ve signed up to a website builder. You have a vision for the type of website that you want to build, you have chosen a domain and signed up with a website building service. So, what’s next?

It’s time to design your website – your website builder should direct you to choose a template during onboarding (if you’re not building with AI).

With your chosen template, you can then start customizing your site. Builders like Wix and Squarespace offer a drag-and-drop editor, making it easy for beginners to move elements around and position sections. Others, like Shopify and GoDaddy, use a section-based editor that limits you creatively but keeps things simple.

As mentioned before, I recommend using the free trials and plans available to play around in the editor first – see which editor style works best for you. I found Wix’s drag-and-drop editor incredibly easy to use.

Website Builder Expert

When customizing your site, draw ideas and inspiration from the brand identity you determined in step one. The important things to consider are:

• Color scheme: Use the same color palette across design elements to pull the site together and keep things looking intentional.
• Font type: I recommend choosing a font type that aligns with your website goals or business type, e.g., a trendy, modern font for an artist website or something more classic and professional for a real estate website.
• Visuals: Add your eye-catching images and graphics to break up the text.
• Content: Make sure to replace any default template text with your own copy.

I loved using Squarespace’s color palette editor, especially since I could upload an image and have a palette generated based on those colors.

Website Builder Expert

5. Set Your Navigation

While your site’s looks are important, you must prioritize your site’s usability and navigation. If a visitor or customer can’t find what they’re looking for, you’re not serving their needs effectively.

One of the key areas to consider is your website’s navigation bar or menu. It directs visitors to separate pages on your site, but your navigation doesn’t need to include every page or link. Keep things simple to avoid overwhelming visitors with options, and direct readers to the most important pages, such as a contact page or your site’s shop.

Of course, your navigation bar should be your primary focus here, whether it sits at the top of your site or in the sidebar. However, don’t neglect your site’s footer since this is home to crucial site and business information.

Most website builders let you customize your site’s footer, meaning you can display the information that’s important to your site, such as a business address, social media links, or a newsletter sign-up form. I added a range of elements to my Hostinger website footer, such as social links and an email newsletter sign-up box.

Website Builder Expert

6. Create Relevant Website Pages

Once you’re happy with your site’s appearance and aesthetic, you’ll need to flesh it out with relevant pages. A lot of templates come with pages built-in already, so the work is sometimes done for you.

Regardless of your template or builder, it’s important to know what pages to include when building your website:

• Homepage: This is the heart of your website and should engage your visitors appropriately, sharing key information and branding so that people know the purpose of your site right away.
• About page: Use this page to tell your story, mission, and goals, whether that’s for an individual or business.
• Shop and product pages (if you’re creating an online store): Naturally, an online store should feature pages for shopping so make sure to include plenty of product images and information to help drive sales.
• Contact page: Help website visitors connect with you or your business through a contact form, social media links, and general contact information (such as an email address or your store’s opening hours).
• Blog page: A blog is the perfect place for you to share engaging content, build an online community, and showcase your expertise in the market.

Some bonus extras could include a FAQ page, customer review page, membership area, or booking page to take appointments – these can be great pages to further customer relationships and build trust in your website.

While I’d argue that every website should have a homepage, about page, and contact page, the rest is up to you and your website’s needs. If you’re building a portfolio website, you’ll want to add a portfolio or gallery page to showcase your work so potential clients can see what you’ve been up to.

Website Builder Expert

7. Add Website Functionality

The level of website functionality you need will depend on the type of website you intend to build. For example, you’ll need ecommerce tools if you’re looking to sell products or services, but a simple blog won’t need these features at all.

The features and tools you add to your site will also vary depending on your chosen website builder. Wix includes a lot of powerful features built into the platform, such as email marketing and internationalization tools. Shopify, on the other hand, relies heavily on third-party apps to add functionality.

Ecommerce: For online stores, we recommend choosing a dedicated ecommerce website builder, like Shopify. You’ll want a platform that offers intuitive product management tools and important features, including:

• Lots of payment options to give your customers choice at checkout.
• Multichannel selling so you can reach and sell to customers across social media and online marketplaces.
• Ecommerce-focused marketing tools, such as Shopify’s 3D scanner to dynamically present your products or email marketing features to engage with customers.
• Security measures, such as SSL certificates and fraud detection, to keep your business and customer data safe from malicious threats or attacks.
• Shipping methods that suit your business – for example, Shopify offers real-time shipping rates and label printing.

Apps & Plugins: A lot of website builders offer third-party apps and plugins that you can install to add additional functionality to your site. Many website builders allow you to install third-party plugins and apps to enhance your site. Some are free to use, such as Wix’s own Wix Bookings app, while others can cost extra on top of your subscription, such as Mailchimp for advanced email marketing tools.

I could browse over 8,000 apps in Shopify’s app store.

Website Builder Expert

8. Optimize Your Content

The next step is to optimize your website content and design. This will help boost your site’s visibility across search engines, improve the overall experience for visitors, and build brand awareness.

Consider these factors when optimizing your content:

• Search engine optimization (SEO): Boost your website’s visibility and traffic by optimizing your site for search engines, like Google, through SEO basics and best practices, such as keyword research, image alt text, and more.
• Content hierarchy: Place important information in prime locations on your pages so visitors don’t need to scroll or search around for it.
• Publish content regularly: Build up your authority and expertise in your niche by sharing relevant and valuable content with your readers, such as blog posts.
• Consider all devices: Almost 59% of website traffic comes from mobile devices instead of desktops, so make sure your website looks and works well for all screen types.
• Optimize your visuals: Compress any images or videos to prevent slowing down your pages and frustrating your website visitors, but don’t compromise on quality.
• Assess the user journey: Review the navigation and desired user journey to make sure the experience is smooth and intuitive.

Luckily, website builders make previewing your website really easy. Many include a button in the editor so you can see what your site looks like live – it’s handy to get a visitor’s perspective when editing. Lots of builders, like Wix, also offer a toggle to change views, so you can see what your site looks like across devices.

I toggled between desktop and mobile view when building my test website with Wix.

Website Builder Expert

9. Review and Publish Your Website

The final stage of building a website is to review your work and push it live! You don’t want to publish your website blindly – even an experienced builder is bound to make an error along the way, whether it’s an element that needs moving or a line of copy that needs editing.

You need to check that everything is working and looking the way you want before you publish. Go back through the steps above for final checks:

• Is your site’s purpose clear to visitors?
• Do all of the buttons and links work?
• Have you checked your content for errors or spelling mistakes?
• Is it easy to navigate?
• Has everything been optimized for SEO?
• Does your site run and load quickly?

Luckily, website builders make previewing your website really easy. Many include a button in the editor so you can see what your site looks like live – it’s handy to get a visitor’s perspective when editing. Lots of builders, like Wix, also offer a toggle to change views, so you can see what your site looks like across devices.

Finally, it’s worth getting external eyes on your website before publishing. You know the website, pages, and content inside out, so request feedback from family, friends, and strangers.

What Happens After Publishing Your Website?

Is your website ever really finished? No. After you’ve published your website (congrats!), the work does not stop. You might want to tweak the design, expand your audience, write new blog posts, or adjust your pages based on the user experience.

Website Maintenance

It’s important to monitor your website and listen to feedback to make effective improvements. Keep an eye on traffic and performance through your website builder or third-party integrations like Google Analytics. This will give you insight into how people are engaging with your website, meaning you can use this data to share future updates or edits.

For example, people might regularly visit your “About” page – over time, this could become outdated as team members change or your business evolves, so editing the page is an easy way to keep things fresh.

Promoting Your Site

After publishing your site, you’ll want to spread the word, whether that’s across social media platforms, like Instagram and TikTok, or through email newsletters. This is a useful way to encourage traffic back to your website and build awareness.

Sharing content between your website and social media channels can also help foster trust in your brand and improve customer relationships. Plus, additional channels like these can be great if you’re trying to share updates about your website or bring attention to new products or content.

How To Build a Website: Recap & Next Steps

If you’ve followed these nine steps so far, that means you’ve successfully built and published a website. Congrats!

To recap, once you’ve figured out your site’s purpose, chosen your domain name, and picked an appropriate website builder, the rest of the building process is all about customizing and optimizing.

And, as I’ve already mentioned, make sure to review and regularly check your website to spot areas for improvement. There isn’t a finish line when building a website – while you can get your site up and running quickly, be prepared to dedicate your time and energy to keeping content up to date.