This beginner-friendly article was written to benefit all those unfamiliar with technical jargon who want to build a website with a limited budget. After reading it, you’ll be aware of the right tools to create the site and that it will cost you surprisingly little.
Choose a Domain Name
The first step is to choose the most suitable domain name for your website. It is also known as the URL; the address people enter in their browsers to access your site. Usually, it doesn’t cost more than $15 to buy a domain name, and you need to renew it every year.
When choosing a name, you also need to choose the extension. Examples are .com, .org, .net and more. The most common extension is .com, and it’s best to stick with that unless your name of choice is taken. If that’s the case, you can resort to one of the others.
You can use tools to brainstorm domain name ideas, such as Nameboy, Namelix, Namemesh, and DomainWheel. They work like this: enter the main subject matter of your site (what you sell, offer, cover, or the main topic you write about), and the tools will provide you with suggestions of names.
Then, register your domain before someone else takes it. You can buy affordable domains from providers like Bluehost, GoDaddy, and Namecheap.
Web Hosting
After your domain is ready, it’s time to look for the best hosting provider for your needs. Popular providers include Bluehost and GoDaddy. They both offer managed WordPress hosting. Managed hosting is where the host runs and maintains your site so it’s always accessible to visitors. They save your site on their computer and observe its activity there.
Apart from the ones mentioned above, there are other options that offer fast WordPress hosting. Generally, the web server cost ranges from $12 to $60 a year.
Learning About WordPress
There are some great tutorials on this content management service on YouTube, like WP101. Usually, they’re free to watch—some cost around $15 a month.
You’ll find that WordPress is fully customizable, which means you can set up anything from a basic blog to a large online store. It is also very rich in features. There are many free and custom integrations to power up your WordPress site and generate higher revenue and traffic.
Considering WordPress’s popularity, you can find a lot of information if you need support.
Paid Themes
WordPress has a large variety of free themes that you can choose from to set the background of your site. You can get a paid theme if you can’t find anything you like. Look for a theme that’s lightweight, secure, and responsive.
Lightweight themes only have the essential features to run your site. It will perform better and load faster as a result. You can also get good web designers for this job if you need them.
The theme should integrate the best developer coding practices to keep hackers and malware at bay.
Finally, it should adjust to the size of the user’s screen without worsening your site’s appearance. This function is vital to keep visitors engaged.
Blocksy, Genesis Framework, OceanWP, GeneratePress, etc., are premium themes that fulfill the above criteria.
There are so-called theme stores with numerous premium WordPress themes to choose from. You’ll definitely find what you are looking for. Some of these stores offer a subscription period, during which you can download the tools and themes as many times as you need. Alternatively, you can purchase a theme for a one-time fee, up to $70.
Plugins
You’ll be happy to know plugins are free. The following are recommended:
Antispam Bee – Filter spam comments from blog posts.
WP Super Cache – Make site pages load faster.
Yoast SEO – Makes your website search-friendlier on Google and elsewhere.
Smush Image Optimizer – Reduces and compresses image files to increase loading speed without compromising image quality.
WP Sweep – Improve your site’s performance by cleaning your WordPress database.
WordFence – protects your site from online threats, like brute force attacks. The premium version of the plugin secures your site further. Getting the paid copy of WordFence is recommended if you’re big on security.
Contact Form 7 – Finally, people will contact you with any questions or comments through this form.
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