You want to build your own website?
Website here, website there. No matter where you look, pretty much every company and self-employee has its own website. Whether it is for information purposes or as an advertising channel – everyone needs them. But how difficult is it really to create your own website?
I tried this within 48 hours and as inexpensively as possible, of course 😉
Here you can read which steps are necessary to create your own website in just 48 hours.
Please keep in mind that this should not be a step-by-step guide, otherwise the content would be as long as half a book. The aim is to have an overall guide which shows the steps that have to be worked through.
Content: What this article is all about
1. Purpose and Benefit
What should your own website do?
- Should it represent you as a brand?
- Do you want to start a blog?
- Are you a photographer and want to have a portfolio?
- …
As soon as you know exactly how you want to use the website we come to the next (often very difficult) point.
2. Your domain name
Believe it or not, but it can take a long time to find a good and suitable domain name.
Again, you should consider whether the name fits your use.
Example: if you want to have a portfolio as a photographer, your domain name should not be called “carstobuy.com”. Here it would make sense to use either your name or a fantasy name with which you want to appear.
- The name should fit to you and your brand!
- The name shouldn’t be confusing or deceptive.
2a. Is your domain name still available?
Now you have found your perfect name, but is it still available for your domain name?
And if so, which extension (top level) do you want to use? .at, .de, .eu, .com, etc.?
Here you can simply enter your desired name and click on “Search for this domain”. While this website is specialised for Austrian customers, you can still by your domain there, even though you’re living on the other end of the world. If you would like to buy your domain somewhere else, that’s fine, but I just don’t have a lot of experience with other platforms and therefore cannot recommend any specific.
You will then get a nice list with your desired name and all possible endings and see immediately if your name is still available or not.
“TLD”= Top Level Domain – “Domain Ending”
In this Wikipedia article you can read something about the extensions (TLD’s). It is also well explained what the endings actually mean.
3. Hosting
Now you have to find a host who hosts your own website – making it accessible to the world, so to speak, and it is therefore accessible 24/7.
Here you can choose between different hosts. It is important to know where the server is located, on which your website will be stored – why? As soon as someone calls up your website, personal data (e.g. the IP address) is processed and, according to the GDPR, the server must be in the EU as soon as this is the case. Therefore, you have to be very careful which host you choose!
Then the question is how many email addresses and how much memory you want/need for your own website. The prices and offers in this regard naturally vary from provider to provider.
*WERBUNG*
A provider with whom we already have a lot of experience and can only recommend is Christian Toller (Tethis IT). Not only that you are in good hands with the price & performance, his offers also include the required web space and a number of email addresses. Christian is a fan of fair use! You get what you need, everything you want!
In addition, Christian is also an IT service provider, i.e. he can also set up the domain for you and install WordPress, etc. in advance! So if something is incomprehensible or does not work, he is at your side with advice and action, within a minute!
Therefore, we have a special goodie for you!
Team-Fresh.eu readers get:
- tethis easyWeb -50% for the first year as well as
- the moving of a WordPress Website from another Hoster incl. Migration of up to 3 IMAP Mailboxes for only 49€
You can easily reach out to him via this E-Mail adress: christian.toller@tethis-it.at
The “Website in 48h” could only be created because Christian spontaneously took his time on a Saturday and helped us! So a real recommendation from our side, but feel free to build your own opinion!
4. Installation
If, for example, you don’t have a provider that pre-installs everything for you like Christian Toller does, you must now install WordPress on your web space yourself. But that’s half as wild as it maybe sounds!
Here you will find numerous tutorials. Most hosts even have a “one-click installation” where you only have to choose which CMS (Content Management System) you want to install. In that case we need WordPress!
Backup
As soon as this is done, you should take care of a backup of your page. I recommend the “UpdraftPlus” plugin **
This is available as a free version but also as a premium if the free version is not enough for you.
How this works exactly, I explain to you in this * post!
*this content will be created- in the meantime you can find a lot of tutorials for this 🙂
SSL – Certificate
As a next step, it is important that you install an SSL certificate. You will also find numerous tutorials on this. Many hosts give you at least a “Let’s Encrypt Certificate” for free.
Mail-Addresses
Now you can think about the e-mail addresses you will need and create them. Bspw. office@….com, info@……com, contact@…..com, etc.
You should do this at this timepoint, as you will soon be setting up more plugins. If you plan to buy plugins, it is quite possible that it is necessary to create an account. Here it makes sense to use the domain email addresses already.
Plugins
Furthermore, you should now install some plugins which – in my opinion – are important and great tools to make your site safer and faster and to protect it from spam.
-> Here it should only be noted that this GDPR should be compliant, or how to implement it GDPR compliant. Look up every plugin you want to install whether it is GDPR conform.
5. search for a theme
The great thing about WordPress is, that you don’t have to be a professional programmer to set up your website. You can install pre-made themes and customize them according to your wishes! Of course, you can also program your website completely independently if this seems easier for you 🙂
There are many free themes from WordPress itself, but also many from external providers that can be bought.
Here you will find a huge number of themes. Get yourself a “glass of wine”, get comfortable and search though all the themes – it really feels like fun online shopping. I would advise you to buy a theme, as updates are always available for it and this is really extremely important. For WordPress itself there are constant updates (mostly bug fixes and security updates) and the website has to keep up with these in the long run.
Talking about security updates!
We have also published an article on the subject of cybercrime with a specialist in this field, because the topic should not be underestimated.
If your theme is not updated regularly, it may happen that your page will no longer function properly from one day to the next, since your theme is no longer compatible with the latest WordPress version.
Take your time in this step and consider in detail what you need and what you don’t. There are demo versions for each theme, which you can view and click through directly in the browser -> a “must do”!
Let’s use the photographer example again -> you
wanted a portfolio. So what are the minimum requirements for that
Theme?
Galleries have to be displayed nicely, but a before / after slider would also be great. It would also be great if customers could log in and access private galleries. So that would be too
Customer experience great and it would be very easy to select and download your favorite pictures online.
And so on …
So really take your time for this step! Read the reviews and try every feature from the theme in the demo version and try to present your website.
Reading reviews and comments is really important!
5a. install your theme
If you have now found a theme, then install it as followed:
1. download your theme
It is important to download a .zip file.
2. install the theme in wordpress
click on “Design / Themes” in the menu
3. click on add
4. upload your theme
First click on “Upload theme” and then on “Select file”
5. choose your data file
Select your .zip file, click “Open” and then click “Install Now”
6. activate your theme
your theme is installed after a short waiting time and now you only have to activate the theme by clicking on “Activate”
Your theme is now installed and activated!
6. install Plugins
Next, plugins could be important – but everyone has to decide for themselves.
Furthermore, it should also be noted whether these process person related data -> this is very important for the GDPR-compliant use!
At this link you will find a great list of many WordPress plugins and the current status of Blogmojo. GDPR. So, you can work GDPR compliant.
Here are some I would recommend:
- Antispam Bee: Helps with spam comments – it is unbelievable how many we receive every day
- Google Analytics Germanized: Great for a data protection-compliant implementation of Google Analytics and for the cookie display
- UpdraftPlus: A backup plugin for your website, also with the option of automatically performing a backup. Backups have become indispensable in today’s world, especially in today’s cyber crime era. (You can read more about cyber crime in this article)
- WPS Hide Login: Change the standard login URL (www.eureseite.xx / wp-admin) to what you would like
- Rank Math: Helps with SEO optimization; One of the best SEO tools (better than Yoast SEO, in my opinion)
7. Layout / Website design
It is best to draw a sketch in advance with pen and paper and then recreate it.
Since most themes have different page builders, you have to read the corresponding instructions for yours and build your page.
Something that we can certainly recommend from experience is e.g. to use a plugin like Elementor, because it offers a lot of templates and possibilities, the website is particularly easy to create. But it’s a matter of taste!
Here I link you a Youtube video which explains the design with the Elementor plugin very well 🙂
7.1 Functions
Install or set up all the functions you want.
E.g. Social media links or an Instagram feed etc.
There are various plugins and if you want something very special you can also program or program new functions.
8. Legal stuff
Your own website always requires an imprint and a data protection declaration!
With this generator, however, this is no longer that complicated.
- Please also consider integrating your installed plugins here
-> Here it is very important to pay attention to all social media functions!
And please note the terms of use of the generators!
9. CD – Corporate Design
Now create a logo and think of a uniform design for your appearance.
For example, consider a colour scheme that extends from the website to your business cards, invoices, newsletters, etc.
Now apply this to your website and add your logo and colour scheme etc. Thus, your website has a professional appearance and helps you enormously with the marketing.
10. testing
Now your page is finished -> but actually only almost.
Because now it is important to test all functions, all buttons, all links, etc. on multiple devices. If the website is only optimised for the desktop, you have the problem that smartphone or tablet users could have problems with the view.
Normally there are built-in functions in the Page Builder such as the Elementor, who make it very easy, e.g. Customise buttons for smartphone use.
Normally there are built-in functions in the Page Builder such as the Elementor, who make it very easy, e.g. Customize buttons for smartphone use.
It is most practical to simply check the website continuously on your own smartphone and tablet.
You can also ask your friends to test the site on their end devices and to give you feedback on how to use them. This is also a particularly important step with regard to the loading times of graphics etc. If images are simply too large and take a long time to load, it is important that you compress them to be suitable for the website before uploading. There are also plugins that do this for you, check this list again to see if the right plugin is included.
DONE!
That’s it! You made it! Your own website is now complete – congratulations 🙂
In the future you will have to maintain your page and, for example, install updates so that it stays up to date and works smoothly!
