How to Design a Website Like a Total Pro

Are you looking to design a new website for your portfolio or your business, but you aren't sure exactly where to start?

Popularity and the emergence of website builders have created a shift, allowing people with zero web dev experience to create functional and stunning websites.

Now that the technical aspects have been covered, you still need to carefully plan and implement your ideation into the final product.

In this article, we will walk you through the essential step-by-step process on how to design a website.

How to Design a Website: Step-by-Step Process

So you’ve decided to go forward with creating your 1st website. But how do you actually go about doing it?

Even though the creation process is easy, there's still a lot to think about when it comes to the task of "how to design a website?"

Here's a step-by-step guide for how to design a website, from initial concepts to implementation:

1. Have a Clear Vision and Plan
2. Know the Latest Trends
3. Plan Your Website Structure
4. Choose a Domain Name
5. Choose a Website Builder
6. Figure Out How Much the Website Will Cost
7. Brand it Your Own
8. Build Your Website Content
9. Add Relevant Pages
10. Take Accessibility into Consideration
11. Optimize for Mobile
12. Test and Go Live With Your Website
13. Perfect Your Search Engine Optimization
14. Receive Feedback and Implement Changes
15. Keep it Updated

Step 1 - Have a Clear Vision and Plan

The first step in the website creation process is to formulate a clear and purposeful strategy.

Ask the question, what is the website's purpose? This is true regardless of whether you're creating an online store or a personal project - you've got to go in with a plan.

Write down a list of clear, defined goals for your website. Why are you building it? Who is your target audience? What are you trying to get from it - leads, clicks, sales, downloads, engagement, or site visitors?

Clarity on all these points is important when one is tackling the challenge of 'how to make my own website?'

What is the website's purpose?

• Are you looking to create your portfolio website to encourage website visitors to contact you?
• Do you want to create a business website?
• Do you want to create an online store to sell your work easily?
• Do you want to create a blog website to tell your stories, share news, and build a community?
• Do you want to create web pages, such as client galleries, to share, sell, and deliver your images to clients?

Make sure that you set your goals and decide what kind of website will best represent your brand presence online.

Additionally, you must be certain of who your target audiences are. This will allow you to tailor your website to address your target market's pain points.

You can do this by creating specific web pages and catering your messaging, which will allow you to speak directly to your audience, resulting in better customer retention and loyalty.

Step 2 - Know the Latest Trends

Nothing makes a website look more dated than using last year's hot ideas. Spend some time cruising your favorite websites and pay attention to what has been updated recently.

Notice anything that catches your eye? Have you seen websites that look fresh lately-what did they do?

You don't have to run it alone when looking for hot trends, but it certainly starts with simply keeping your eyes peeled.

Website trends are a little bit like fashion trends. As fads come and go, it's fun to see what the newest websites look like and what creative ideas will pop to the forefront.

Trends in web design range from navigation layouts and animations to simple things like colors and text art.

Many of the elements you choose for your website will be more tied to your brand than to trends. In the coming points, we'll delve deeper into branding your website.

The good news is that using a website builder takes some of the stress out of keeping your site looking modern.

Pick your favorite theme and update it regularly. A professional designer puts the theme together, and they usually do so by studying what's hot and what's not.

Step 3 - Plan Your Website Structure

Having a solid website structure is a big PLUS if you want users and search engines to browse/navigate your website easily.

Creating a structure that allows users to find the right pages that they’re looking for is a key factor in user experience and also, reducing bounce rates.

Here's an example of Michael Cordey's photography portfolio website where you can see a clear site structure in effect. 

Therefore, when planning your site structure, here are a few things you need to keep in mind.

Put yourselves in the shoes of your website visitors. Ask questions like What are they looking for? How would they navigate the site? If you offer products or services, your site should be structured in a manner that will make it easy to find.

Every website must have these core pages: “Home”, “About”, “Contact”, “Services/Products”, and “Blog”. You must first start with core pages when structuring your website.

Nesting pages related to categories. For a photography portfolio website, the website might have a category “Portfolio” with necessary subcategories like weddings, commercials, and so on.

Here’s another example of how Chris Hagan used nesting pages in his photography portfolio website.

Step 4 - Choose a Domain Name

For beginners, a domain name is what users type into a browser to reach a website. It is your website's address on the internet.

When choosing a domain name, you need to be careful. See, if you’re someone who owns a local business or a store, you would want the domain name to be similar to the name of your local business.

This makes it helpful for customers or clients to find you online and is perfect for branding efforts.

In terms of a portfolio website, the most common approach is to use your full name or a modification of it.

When choosing a domain name, ensure you check this off:

• Must be short, easy to read, and remember.
• For relevance, try to include your niche keywords, helpful for SEO too. For eg: “sportsphotography” or “weddingphotography”.
• Provide a hint of what your business does by including words that are similar to your business.
• Include your name or your business name, depending on the type of organization.

Now, if you’re finding it difficult to come up with a domain name, utilize domain name generators such as Nameboy, name.com, or Register.com.

After picking a name, you need to purchase your domain via a domain registrar (Register.com).

Now you need to pick a domain extension that fits. Extensions are suffixes that are used at the end of a web address. The commonly used domain extensions are .com and .net, which you’ve surely come across seeing them.

What you might not know is that these extensions have specific uses, and you need to select one according to your business.

Let’s take a look at some of the common domain extensions and for what type of business they can be used.

Domain Extension	Commonly Used For
com .biz	For commercial businesses.
.me	Personal portfolio websites.
.net	Commonly used for tech firms if the .com extensions aren’t available.
.us, .uk. .fr and more	Location based, based on the country where your organization is located.
.legal	Used by law firms or companies that offer legal services.
.inc	U.S.-based organizations.
.agency	Consultants and other business services.

Step 5 - Choose a Website Builder

There are dozens of popular website-building platforms. These companies make it super easy to design a website, but they are made for a general audience.

Their websites have some beautiful templates, but the ability to customize them for specific purposes is limited.

Users in particular niches might find the template options from these website builders a bit limiting. One weak area is that most free website builders don't offer all the tools for creative professionals.

Here are a few pointers to consider when choosing a website builder:

• Budget-friendly.
• Easy-to-use user interface.
• Accessibility on all devices.
• Mobile responsive and fully customizable templates.
• Project workflows.
• Availability of customer support.
• Features.

Here's a look at how to get started with the Pixpa website.

Step 6 - Figure Out How Much the Website Will Cost

Most people don't have web design expertise and look at hiring a freelancer or a professional web studio, which is an expensive option.

If you opt for approaching web development agencies, the cost of building a website can range from $200 to $150,000, depending on various factors such as the type of website, scale of the website, and more.

If you’re looking to create an online portfolio, for instance. This could turn out to be an expensive option.

The other option is to choose a website builder, which will allow you to completely customize your page for an entirely made-from-scratch look while being drag-and-drop simple to make. This option is way more affordable and easier.

With high-quality website builders, you can create a professional website with all the features you need available in one seamless, powerful platform.

Step 7 - Brand it Your Own

Just because you base your site on a professionally designed template does not mean that you have to keep every website element.

Building a Strong Brand Identity

Brand identity is a significant part of your website's marketing presence. You'll want to spend some time coming up with a cohesive plan. This is how your customers will remember you and come back to you.

Your brand starts with your domain name on the web. The URL you choose is important. We’ll delve more into domain name creation in the upcoming section.

Traditional branding dates back to business cards and billboards. Graphic designers can put together a package of brand identity items that work to sell themselves or your product.

Many factors go into this, from logo to things like fonts and color schemes. You can play with the elements yourself—none of these things are complex. They need to look good together and show your website in a good light.

Enhancing Your Web Brand with Visuals

Photos and videos play a huge part in your web brand, too. Banner and landing page graphics are some of the most impactful elements to help attract site visitors.

Choosing the right images is step one, and giving them a unique look is step two.

Think of the emotional difference that a contrasty black-and-white cityscape photo has compared with a high-key, over-saturated photograph of a tropical island.

Where does your business land? These are two extreme examples, but you can harness an entire spectrum of emotional reactions from visual imagery and brand identity.

Don't fear playing with images and using filters. One tip, however, is to try to keep things uniform.

If you want a certain look, maintain it throughout the website for consistency. Don't bounce back and forth, which will leave your website visitors confused.

On your website, the more of these touches you add, the better. While the templates are visually appealing, without your personal touches, they can all still look a little generic.

Adding a Personal Touch with Text

Your brand doesn't end with visual elements, however. Your website and your business should also have a tone and voice.

Consider this when adding text. All websites need some text, and how you speak to your audience tells them a lot about your website or your business.

Are you a professional, speaking in the third person and formally? Or are you an individual introducing yourself and using "I" and "me?" Make sure your personality shows, but in precisely the way you want it to. Here are some tips on how to write great content for your portfolio website.

Optimizing Website Functionality

While you're getting to the work of branding your website, consider some functional questions as well.

The navigation of the website may need some tweaks, depending on how you've customized it.

Keep it as clean and straightforward as possible. Ensure there is a standard menu bar on the top and that it's easy to find.

The one thing you never want to do is let your site visitors get lost--always make it easy for them to get around.

Step 8 - Build Your Website Content

Now that you’ve created a seamless structure for your website, it’s time to include content!

Each page that you’ve created in your structure serves different purposes. You need to now create content according to it. The content should consist of texts, images, infographics, videos, and more.

Make use of your own material as much as possible. This is an opportunity to include unique and branded content.

People's attention spans are decreasing every year, so always ensure to provide emphasis on QUALITY over QUANTITY. Therefore, the content must be short, concise, and to the point.

Let’s look at some best practices to keep in mind:

• Make sure each page has a specific goal and cater it according to that.
• Your content must be in plain English, preferably at a level where it is understandable for Grade 9 students.
• Create engaging content that conveys your message clearly.
• Use headings, bullet points, and paragraph breaks to shorten large chunks of text, improving readability.
• Ensure your content matches your brand identity. This should be followed for even the colors and fonts you want to choose.

Step 9 - Add Relevant Pages

When you learn how to design a website, you need to know that every page is unique, and depending on your goals and objectives, pages will be added or neglected.

However, let’s explore some essential pages you must include when designing a website.

Homepage

It’s the first page a user sees after clicking your website URL, making this page one of the most important pages on your website.

On this page, you need to tell users who you are and what you provide in a short and concise manner.

It will contain your website name, logo, navigation, and imagery with a view to attracting users to interact with your website more.

About Us

In this section, you tell users your story. Share with the world how you came to create the brand, your motivations, values, and more.

The content style in an About Us page must be friendly and should have a sense of personal touch in a way that users can resonate with.

You can also share your company's mission, introduce your team members, and reiterate your USP.

Contact

A contact us page provides interested parties with the contact details to communicate with the brand or person.

Include your phone number, email address, social media accounts, and postal address (if you own a physical store). This will help web visitors to get in touch with you.

You can also create a contact form that’ll allow visitors to send a message to you without having to display your contact information.

Product/Service/Portfolio Page

This page is all about providing detailed information about your products or services.

It can be an independent page, or you can classify them into subcategories (Nesting pages) depending on the product/service you offer.

On this page, you need to add high-quality images and write engaging copy by way of product/service descriptions.

You also need to inform potential customers of conditions such as specifications, shipping policy, returns, and more.

Blog Page

Blogging connects you directly to your customers. If you write blog posts about a technical subject, it can make you an expert in the eyes of your readers.

Traditional blogs with articles are search engine favorites. Web crawlers love feeding on blogs, especially if they're filled with relevant keywords.

Blogs basically provide free marketing for your brand and business, allowing your web pages to be showcased in search engine results pages.

All it takes is researching what people are searching for and writing a short article about that topic.

Check out stunning blog websites created on Pixpa.

Online Store

Stores are one of the most complex and complicated elements of web design. There's so much that goes on behind the scenes of a store's interface. 

Product catalogs require databases of information to pull from, plus the shopping cart function and ecommerce functionality. For something that most of us use daily, it's incredibly complex once you dive in and try to build one!

FAQ

It’s not a priority page, however, it is helpful for visitors who are looking for answers to common questions. 

This can save a ton of time and a lot of emails to deal with in your inbox, plus, it can help users make a purchase decision faster, knowing that their questions have been answered.

Step 10 - Take Accessibility into Consideration

When you learn how to design a website, a key component that many neglect is accessibility.

Web devs normally don’t take accessibility into consideration for a multitude of reasons, some being: lack of awareness, limited or no testing, and difficulty in implementing it.

See, web accessibility ensures that everyone can access and interact with the website. This includes individuals who have visual impairments, hearing issues, and temporary injuries.

Building your website with web accessibility in mind will result in a better user experience, access to a larger audience, higher search engine rankings, leading to increased conversions.

Here are a few things you can do to improve accessibility when designing your website:

• For images and other media, use alt text. It is done to explain what the images and media contain.
• Think of colors used as background and in fonts. Pair or utilize colors in a way that the website is accessible for people who are visually impaired or color blind.
• Text must be readable, and it should contrast with the background.
• If you’re planning to use GIFs, videos, or other animations, make sure to include an option to pause or disable them.
• Use HTML heading tags (H1,H2,H3). This helps users to understand the content better and provides them with a sense of where they are on a page.

Step 11 - Optimize for Mobile

In this day and age, if you want to truly maximize your online presence, having a website that is compatible with mobile and tablet devices is essential.

With website builders, you have the option to make changes on the g, which means there is no need to create a brand new site structure.

However, you need to make changes to your web content as space will be limited. Moreover, you’ll need to prioritize certain elements and make full use of the limited space available to highlight your logo, name, and USP.

Step 12 - Test and Go Live With Your Website

One of the key components that you need to cover when designing a website is testing.

For a new website, testing it before launch will help you spot errors and make changes in key areas such as speed, functionality, security, and user experience.

Issues arising from page speed, broken links, and more can really impact your search engine rankings, and we don’t want that.

Let’s look at a few testing parameters you need to keep in mind prior to publishing your website:

A/B Testing

Use A/B testing to analyze and find out options that work best for your potential users. From content, images, to layouts can be tested to help you find the right solution for your audience.

Functionality

Everything on your website needs to be functioning. Errors can lead to annoyed users, which then results in high bounce rates.

Prior to publishing, check your menus, links, CTA’s, and drop-downs. Get rid of any unwanted surprises that can affect your traffic and search engine rankings.

Mobile Responsiveness

Your website must be tailored for mobile devices. Otherwise, you’re missing out on a large portion of mobile users. This is a non-negotiable!

Check if your website content, template, navigation, image, and button formatting are all adjusted for mobile users.

Site Speed

Use Google PageSpeed Insights to analyze your website speed. Use the tool’s suggestions to then improve your website’s page speed.

The ideal load time is 2 seconds or lower, with 3 seconds being the acceptable figure. Make sure you maintain a healthy page speed on both mobile and desktop.

Proofreading

Before publishing your website, read your content thoroughly. Your website content must be free from any grammatical errors, typos, or any other inconsistencies.

Use tools such as Grammarly and Hemingway Editor to check your content for readability and errors.

Now, testing does not stop after publishing. Here are a few best practices:

• Ask your friends and family to "beta test" it for you. Take it for a test drive and get some feedback.
• Does it load quickly? What does the site speed look like? Are there any errors? If you've got a store, does the cart work--and the checkout too?
• Set up a coupon code for 100 percent off and have some friends make sample purchases. Remember to delete that code later, though!
  

If anyone gives you feedback about the design, ask for specifics. Get some screenshots if you can, because you might not be able to reproduce what they're talking about on your computer.

Ok, you've got your domain picked out and your website laid out and branded. Your content is in there, and you're happy with the way it looks. Now it's time to go live and publish it!

Step 13 - Perfect Your Search Engine Optimization

Once your site is live and tested, it's time to start perfecting your SEO. While it may sound technical, there's not much to it.

The basic idea is that you want to take advantage of how Google, Bing, and the other big search engines scour the web and index web pages.

The number one thing to do to get your page as SEO-friendly as possible is to know what keywords your clients are searching for. This is trickier than it sounds because buyers and sellers are on very different journeys.

You've got to put yourself into their shoes and imagine what they might be searching for.

If you know they're trying to find you by name, it's easy. But if you're looking for clients who have never heard of you before, it can be very tricky.

Here is a complete tutorial on SEO optimization using Pixpa.

The easiest keywords to rank well on are as specific as possible. For example, getting your page to rank well under "landscape artists" might be difficult. So get as specific as you can.

What do you do? How about "Smokey Mountains Painter in Asheville, NC?" If you mainly sell locally, adding your city or area can be a big help. If you work in one medium or one subject, including those items is helpful too.

And, of course, you can have more than one keyword or phrase that you want to target. Using the various text blocks on your site, including your blog posts, you can channel various search terms into the site.

Also, by using one of the best SERP analyzers, you can both learn what kind of search results people will see when they search with which keywords and shape your website.

Here are a few tips to achieve a high ranking with SEO:

Keyword Research

Research relevant keywords that are part of your niche. Pick a primary keyword and a couple of secondary ones.

Now, these could be a mix of short and long tail. Remember to take search volume and difficulty into consideration when choosing keywords.

Place these keywords in your titles, web pages, descriptions, body of content, and more. Make sure that you do not overdo this process. Keyword stuffing is a negative SEO practice, and this can lead to a loss of rankings.

Have a Good Internal Linking Strategy

Internal links can help bots crawl, index, and discover your website better, leading to positive SEO results.

Including internal links also allows users to discover other pages on your website. Therefore, improving navigation, reducing bounce rates, and allowing users to find more information and context.

On-Page SEO

Practice good on-page SEO tactics such as keyword-optimized title tags, meta descriptions, and URL optimization. This will indicate to search engine bots what your web pages include.

Step 14 - Receive Feedback and Implement Changes

As you start using your site and gain more and more site visitors, start collecting as much feedback as possible.

How did they find you? Did they find what they were looking for? Is there anything you could improve upon?

Never hesitate to ask for feedback, especially from actual customers. This is your most vital tool in making your site better, after all.

Just getting feedback isn't enough, however. You've got to constantly want to make your website better and understand that it's a continuous, ongoing process.

When you design a website, you should always expect change. Customer needs are never constant.

You need to follow that by playing around with the site structure, altering your website pages, or creating more unique and branded content if necessary.

To accommodate changing customer preferences, consider MACH architecture, which allows for scalable growth without impacting user experience.

While you focus on website structure and content, consider incorporating AI agents into your website to address customer queries and provide personalized support to make your website more adaptable to customer needs.

Step 15 - Keep it Updated

It's not all about improvements, though. The secret of the best websites is that they aren't only updated and revised.

They're also used by their creators like bulletin boards and are constantly updated. Some people think of websites like static billboards along the information superhighway.

That's pretty far off the mark--websites can be so much more than that.

Think of the last time you visited a small business's website and realized it was just a digital version of a paper flyer.

They've probably had the same layout, information, and branding since they opened several decades ago.

On the one hand, it is good for them to make it work! But they could be doing so much better. Websites are your hub in cyberspace. Adding and refreshing content constantly keeps the site fresh and relevant.

And one last thing--the more updates you make, the better your SEO performance, too!

Factors to Consider When Designing a Website

Budgetary Constraints

Building a website from the ground up by hiring a website developer can be an expensive affair. Now, if you have resources, it is important to understand the purpose and the scope of your business.

If the budget you’ve set aside for web development isn’t much, then creating your own website through a website builder will prove to be beneficial.

Knowledge, Skill, and Experience

Knowledge to create a fully functional online website can be challenging. Technical know-how about creating a website cannot be gained overnight. It requires time, which for a business owner is rare to come by.

However, website builders can be a saving grace mainly because you don’t require coding skills, all you need to do is choose a template and start working on it.

Time

As the old saying goes, “Time is money.” If you have other things that hold more priority than designing a website, then hiring a web developer and delegating the work might be the right decision.

Then again, constant communication should be maintained, and regular feedback must be given to ensure the best results.

Start Your Website Design Journey With Pixpa Today

Whether you're creating a modeling portfolio or a business site, the process is similar. This guide will help you create a website that converts.

No-code website builders allow individuals who lack the technical knowledge about web design to create professional websites for a fraction of the cost.

Pixpa is the perfect example of a website builder that has been optimized for one group of people - the creatives of the world. 

If you've got a fashion portfolio to showcase, publish, or something original like a blog you want to share with the world, your work deserves a beautiful website.

FAQ

How much does it cost to create a website?

Website development costs will vary depending on the website builder you choose. Pixpa’s website subscription plan starts at $3.60 a month. It includes access to premium templates, no commission on sales, integrated SEO tools, and much more.

Is it possible for a beginner to design a website?

Yes! Thanks to website builders, creating interactive and functional websites has become much more easy for individuals with no coding experience.

Do you need technical knowledge to make a website?

No, with the help of website builders such as Pixpa, you can create websites in no time. All you have to do is choose from a range of high-quality templates and use the drag-and-drop page builder to customize the website to your liking.

Can I design a website for free?

Yes, there are free website builders you can utilize. However, they are limited in features, including no custom domain, e-commerce functionality, and much more. Subscription plans offered by website builders are highly affordable and offer top features to help you create a fully functional website.