Websites are majorly associated with businesses that invest in them for many reasons. These include e-commerce, lead generation, beating the competition, controlling the narrative, meeting customers’ expectations, and much more.
Nevertheless, even if you do not own a business, you can still have a website. There are those things you would like to share with people from across the globe, and the best way to draw their attention is via websites. It could be reviews of the various destinations you have toured and met memorable experiences; a workout guide to positively impact the life of someone out there struggling with weight issues; a parenting guide to help out a young couple who are still learning the ropes of nurturing a happy family, and much more.
The good news is that even without any programming foundation, you can still come up with an interactive website attracting thousands of visitors on a daily basis. Surprisingly, apart from deriving a sense of satisfaction, such a venture can sometimes turn out financially rewarding.
Factors to consider when building your website without programming knowledge
Website builders
As a prospective website owner with no prior knowledge or programming experience, website builders stand as the most vital tools you will leverage when modeling your website. Website builders are tools that allow experts and newbies alike to come up with sites without interacting with any code whatsoever.
There are two types of website builders. They include online website builders and offline website builders. The former is web-based, which means all that you need to come up with your website is a web browser and a stable and reliable internet connection. Offline website builders, on the other hand, are software programs that you download and install on your computer. After a successful installation, you build your website using the program and upload your content to a web host once done with all the recommended steps.
Unfortunately, offline website builders require some technical skills. Meaning they might be a bit difficult to handle, especially for newbies with no coding skills. Online website builders require more of creativity and no programming experience. They are drag and drop website builders. This means that as the website builder, all that is needed of you is creatively drag and drop elements to various desired locations.
With online website builders, a library of curated templates is readily availed to you. These templates are detailed with various elements and content. Therefore, all you need to do as the website builder is to reorganize the multiple elements to suit your tastes and preferences. These include replacing the texts therein with your own, as well as images.
If you are stuck on which website builder to consider, simply consult comprehensive reviews such as https://www.thetop10sites.com/website-builders/. You can also ask your close friends, family, or acquaintances for referrals in case they have successfully come up with their websites without any prior coding grounding.
Domain and hosting
A website constitutes two key elements; a domain name, and a hosting. A domain name can be likened to your identity on the web. If people are on the lookout for your content, where do they go? Hosting, on the other hand, is a form of storage which will keep your files. The templates you customize on the time and cost saving website builder is made up of data. These files need to be stored in such a manner that they can easily be accessed by everyone or your target audience without being compromised.
Some website builders come packaged with both domain and hosting services. However, such website builders do not restrict you to their domain and hosting services. This means you can opt for other alternatives in case you are dissatisfied with what has been offered by your website builder.
A good choice of a domain is the first step to building a brand or driving web traffic to your site. Key things to consider while coming up with your domain include brand name, website name, length, simplicity, and keywords.
Your domain and brand names should be a reflection of each other in case you envision maximizing visits to your site. Furthermore, to avoid confusing your audience, your domain name, brand name, and website name should mirror each other.
On a different note, shorter domain names are easier to recall and type in search engines. If coupled up with simplicity, the shorter your domain name, the more searchable your website is to your guests. Additionally, words closely associated with your niche equally make your domain more searchable on the web. For instance, if you focus on travel as a niche, the word ‘travel’ itself could make a good part of your domain.
After coming up with a good domain name and purchasing it, you need a proficient hosting services provider. A great host will ensure that your website is fast and secure, as well as readily support you if need be. The speed at which your visitors will interact with your content majorly depends on the type of servers your host will offer you. And when it comes to security, an excellent web hosting service comes with additional security layers such as SSL encryptions even if provided at a fee.
While encryption on the domain and web hosting level is vital to the security of a website, it’s important you encrypt the data coming from your computer. After all, an insecure connection to your site from your computer introduces a potential vulnerability. This is what a VPN does best: encryption. If you have it connected while you are making any backend changes like updating content or editing some code, you will be protected at both ends.
Overall costs of getting the website up and running
Generally, there are free website builders you can use to curate your website. There are also free domain and hosting services which you can leverage to host your website. However, such services come with feature limitations.
On the other hand, premium web building, domain, and hosting services are packaged with all privileges that grant you a better experience when building your website. Whether you consider free or premium web building, domain, and hosting services, ensure that they tally with your long-term goals and budget.
In summa, coming up with a website in contemporary times doesn’t require any programming skills. All you need to consider are a powerful website builder, proper domain and hosting services, and the overall cost of coming up with your website. Build your own website today!