Web Design For Beginners: How To Make Your First Site

If you have ever wanted to create your website, this article is for you. From the design to figuring out what content to include, This article will walk you through everything necessary to make a great site!

What is web design, and how does it work?

Web design is the process of creating the design and layout for websites. Web design is often referred to simply as "design" with reference only to its graphical components. This usage could mean it encompasses all creative aspects of developing websites, including content development, art direction, user interface engineering, etc.

Designers use various tools to create these instructions, including text editors or HTML-authoring programs like Dreamweaver (programs). These instructions are then converted into the code used for display on Web pages to render websites according to those specifications.

Different design elements can be manipulated with varying types of software, such as Photoshop for images or Illustrator for graphics. If you aren’t sure of how to create a website, you can make use of web designers. They may utilize various methods depending on their level of experience. Some web designers prefer using more basic programs while others prefer an advanced program which allows them a better user interface and incorporates more features from its category.

For example, Adobe Creative Suite includes Photoshop and InDesign, among other popular programs that come with a more user-friendly GUI.

Important things to consider when building a website

When building a website, there are many aspects to consider and be aware of. Here is a list of the most important things that you should keep in mind:

• What kind of site do I want to build?
• Are we going for something simple, like an online brochure? Or more complex, such as an interactive website with lots of features?
• Is it just you working on this project, or will you be having others help out too who might have a skill set they're bringing to the table?
• Do you know how much money you’re willing to spend on hosting and templates?
• Do you have the patience to learn all of this, or is there someone out there who can guide you through it and teach you what you need to know about coding, designing, SEO, etc.?
• What are my goals for your website?
• Do you want it as an online brochure, a portfolio site showcasing past work, something that gets ranked higher in Google search results pages (SEO), or other reasons?
• The list goes on, but these are some of the most important things you'll need to consider.

How to create your first website

The first step in creating a website is to find the best web hosting for your budget. All you need is an account and have some idea of what type of site you are going for. Then, find a host that can meet their needs. There are many different types of hosts out there, so make sure to research before deciding on one. Some popular ones include Dreamhost, Bluehost, and Hostgator, but there are plenty more options available. Once you’ve done this, all you need is a domain name which can be found at any registrar such as Namecheap or GoDaddy.

Next, you need to find a content management system. The CMS acts as your website's framework, which will be hosting all of the pages and files that make up your site’s design. There are plenty available, but some popular ones include WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla! Most web hosts offer one or more of these systems for free, so pick whichever best suits the type of site they want to create.

Now it's time to get started with building your website by choosing templates designed specifically for their chosen CMS platform from sites such as Templatemadness or Themeforest. These templates come in many different styles, including minimalistic designs (flat), magazine-style layouts (magazine), and more. Most of these templates will come with a “Live Demo” button, allowing the user to preview how your site might look before downloading and installing it on your website.

The next step is to build out all of the content for your new website by either using an online editor or manually uploading it through FTP. An excellent free resource for doing this would be WordPress's "Visual" page builder. This webpage provides tons of different drag-and-drop elements that can be used as building blocks to create pages quickly without any coding knowledge required (it only costs $18 per year).

Once the content is all in place, it's time to preview how everything looks on a mobile phone. This will ensure that your site displays correctly for all different devices and resolutions before publishing it live online. A good tool for this would be Google's "Desktop" view since most web hosting services offer website viewing services, which are usually linked from within your dashboard area.

The final step in creating a new website is just launching it online! Once you've done all the work mentioned above, there isn't much left to do but upload each page individually through FTP or copy/paste links manually until every page is published.

Tips on how to promote your site after it's built

Once your site is launched, there are ways you can promote it. Ensure that your site has a lengthy description of what the site is about and includes something for people to subscribe to if they like it. If possible, include some social media links, so visitors on those sites have an easier time finding your blog or website.

Here's a list of things to do:

• Send out email invites with a link back to your new page/post
• Post updates in places where followers congregate (Twitter, Facebook)
• Add a link in signature lines under all emails you send out
• Also, don't forget about offline promotion methods as well!
• Include flyers at community events that relate to the topic of the post
• Ask local businesses such as restaurants and coffee shops that serve customers who would be interested in this type of content to display a poster or flyer for your site:
• Ask professors and teachers at local schools if they will mention the website during lectures, reading assignments
• Pitch it to people who are influential about these topics (columnists, bloggers) by emailing them with links so that you can see what happens.

The last thing is persistence. We cannot stress enough how important it is not to promote your blog post/website after launch day. Keep following up and staying in touch with everyone who might have been able to help promote it once more--don't wait until someone contacts you back because of a lack of response right away.

Common mistakes people make when designing their first website

When building your first site, it can be tempting to do the following:

• No site map or navigation. This is common because people are excited about getting started and don't want to waste any time. Still, a website without these features will not only look unprofessional--it won't rank well in search engines either!

• A template builder instead of using your fonts. It's crucial that you know what fonts work for your design ahead of time so when you use them on your web pages, they still match with everything else.

• No images. It's not always necessary to add a photo of yourself, but in some cases, it can help your site stand out and give people an idea of who you are.

• A poorly written bio or no description at all! This is what sets the tone for visitors when they arrive on your website--it should be welcoming and provide them with a brief overview so that they know what to expect from where they landed.

• Not optimizing their site for either mobile or desktop. A responsive website is necessary for any site to be viewed on all screens and devices, from a phone to a computer monitor.

It's also essential to make sure your website has the following features:

• An "about" page with information about you--this should include your picture as well (you don't have to use one of those cheesy stock photos!)
• A blog/news section telling readers what's been going on lately, in addition to some background info about yourself! This will help establish a rapport between you and whoever might visit your site.

The most important thing to remember about building any website is that there are many online tools; however, this doesn't mean that these services will do everything for you automatically (even if you might end up paying more). Web designers need to have both knowledge of design software and the ability to understand how code works.


If you're looking for a way to get your products and services in front of potential customers, then web design is the answer. The process can be overwhelming or intimidating at first glance, but it doesn't have to be that way! We've provided some great tips on what goes into building a website, so you know exactly where to start. Once you do, don't forget about promotion. Even if people are coming directly from Google (or another search engine), they still need an incentive to stick around and explore more when visiting your site. Give them something compelling with well-designed content and regular updates, and watch how fast those visitors turn into paying customers!