Building a Website for Dummies (Independently or with Help)

When you’re getting started, building a website for dummies can seem like a daunting task. It’s a technical process with lots of buzzwords that can make the whole thing confusing. To make your life easier, we’ve summarised some of the easiest ways to become a site builder.

Sitebuilder 101: Do-it-yourself

Depending on your budget, this may be a tempting option because it is the cheapest way to build a website. If you become a site builder, you’ll have full control over the process. You can do it at your own speed and to your own liking.

There are lots of companies that offer do-it-yourself site builder tools. These often allow you to create a website with little to no knowledge of codes or designing, making building a website for dummies a breeze.

Generally, you’ll find a theme you like. Then you'll use some type of drag and drop page builder with pre-built components. You can add text, videos, and images to your website without having to code anything. These site builders handle everything for you in the background.

I use WordPress.

For example, you may be able to find a page theme that closely matches what you need, with elements like sliders, images and text boxes already laid out for you. Then, you then just need to add in the images you want and write the copy for the text.

For themes, I use StudioPress. 

These do have their limitations though. As you’ll generally be using a pre-built theme, you’re limited as to what you can do for the design. If you want some specific features, then you’ll either have to spend some time and effort to learn how to do it or else simply miss out on the feature altogether.

In addition, you may also think of the process as a time-versus-money opportunity. If you have never been a site builder before, it may take months of figuring out, reading, and testing before you have a finished product.

If you feel like your time is better spent doing what you are good at, then outsourcing your site builder experience may be a better option.

Hiring someone to build your website

When getting someone else to build your website, you have two main options. One is to choose a cheaper option, such as a small local agency or a freelancer. The second is to choose a bigger agency, although this will most likely be more expensive.

Local freelancer or small web design and web development agency

A local freelancer may be able to build you a custom website for a few thousand dollars. For many companies, this will be more than enough.

Another benefit of choosing a smaller agency or a freelancer is you’ll have more direct communication with them, and will be able to keep a close eye on progress if needed. The disadvantage is that they may not have as much experience as a bigger agency.

Large custom web design and development agency

On the other hand, choosing a big agency means you’ll be working with a team of professionals. They will have lots of experience and will be able to offer you a comprehensive service. If you need a more sophisticated website and need something like Magento designs, then a larger agency may be necessary.

We generally advise trying to find a company that specializes in your niche or at least has experience building websites in a similar industry. For instance, if your business is related to home servicing, then a website design for home services businesses might help you. This means they will have a better understanding of your needs, as well as your customers’ needs, and you’ll end up with a higher quality finished product.

In addition, when the company has dedicated designers and developers, the overall quality of the website will be better than a jack of all trades trying to do everything. This is something to consider when you are a new site builder grasping the building a website for dummies concept.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it—everything you need to know about building a website for dummies, whether by yourself or with a little help from the pros.

The most important thing is to have a clear vision for your website and what you want it to achieve. Once you have that, the rest will fall into place.

If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at some of the websites you admire and try to figure out what it is that you like about them. Is it the design? The blog? The functionality? The user experience? Once you have an understanding of that, building your own website will be a breeze.