Create Your Website In 4 Easy Steps

Step 1: Your domain

The first thing you need is your web domain, or URL. If you don’t have one yet, I recommend picking something simple and straightforward. Don’t make the mistake I made and create the scammiest sounding website ever: iwillteachyoutoberich.com 

Here are some good examples to get your brain thinking: 

• masalabody.com 

• howtobeinstantlyirresistible.com 

• 10xtravel.com 

• wtfprofessor.com 

• s2-groupe.com 

• amotherfarfromhome.com 

• freelancetowin.com

To see if the domain you want is available and to purchase it, I recommend going to Hover.com.

Step 2: Web hosting: WP Engine 

Next, you'll need to set up your web host for your website. 

One popular hosting option is HostGator, though you can often get hosting through whatever site-build you use. For example, I recommend WP Engine for students building their site through WordPress (we’ll cover what site-builders to use later). 

Since you’re just starting, you can go with low-cost options. For exam-ple, if you’re using WP Engine, then sign up for the Personal option. As your business grows and you get more traffic, you can upgrade to a higher level.

 NOTE: Once you have a domain and host, you’ll need to connect the two so your domain points to your site. I won’t go into detail on that here, but if you get stuck, know that companies like Hover and WP Engine have excellent customer support and can help you.

Step 3: Build your website 

Now that you have a place for your site to live online, it’s time to actu-ally build it. I’ll break down some of the top site-builders to use short-ly. But I recommend WordPress for most people. It’s what I use and fantastic if you plan to blog regularly.

Step 4: Web design

 Don’t worry, you don’t need to spend $3,000 on web design when you’re just starting. You can get some beautiful, professional-looking templates that do the job fine for much cheaper.

The free themes you see on a site like WordPress.com don’t look great. But for a little bit of money you can get a clean, professional look. One theme I recommend is Genesis at Studiopress.com.