How to create a website
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Plan the pages
Define the main visitor task. Most small sites start with a homepage, service or product information, an about page, and a contact route.
Choose your platform
A hosted builder can simplify maintenance; self-hosted WordPress provides a different balance of control and responsibility. Compare total cost and portability.
Launch and verify
Check accessibility, mobile navigation, forms, HTTPS, backups, and search-engine visibility before sharing the address.
Choose the simplest workable stack
A brochure site may only need a handful of pages and a contact route. A store needs checkout, policies, and inventory workflows. Write down the required functionality before choosing software.
Launch acceptance test
Open the site on mobile, navigate without a mouse, check contrast and form labels, test HTTPS, and confirm that search engines can access the intended pages.
Put this guide to work
Use this short worksheet before making changes or purchasing a service. Keep your answers with your website records so you can revisit them when your needs or contract change.
- Plan the pages: Define the main visitor task. Write down what this means for your own website, identify the information you still need, and verify it using your current account or the relevant provider’s documentation. Do not substitute a general marketing claim for a plan-specific answer.
- Choose your platform: A hosted builder can simplify maintenance; self-hosted WordPress provides a different balance of control and responsibility. Write down what this means for your own website, identify the information you still need, and verify it using your current account or the relevant provider’s documentation. Do not substitute a general marketing claim for a plan-specific answer.
- Launch and verify: Check accessibility, mobile navigation, forms, HTTPS, backups, and search-engine visibility before sharing the address. Write down what this means for your own website, identify the information you still need, and verify it using your current account or the relevant provider’s documentation. Do not substitute a general marketing claim for a plan-specific answer.
If an answer is uncertain, pause that part of the decision and verify it. For changes to a live site, make a restorable backup first and test the result before deleting the previous configuration.