You don’t have to know coding to create a website. With plenty of website builders and CMS platforms around that are beginner-friendly like Squarespace, WordPress, Shopify, and Weebly, everyone can build a slick-looking website at little or no cost.
There are plenty of guides to creating a website. But, I felt that there was something missing – a complete guide that starts at the very beginning, from understanding how website works to picking the best website platform, and finally useful links and resources (after the infographic) to make a site. This guide is for individuals and small business owners with little to no coding experience, not for those who have a dedicated development team or big budget to develop a site from scratch. Let the fun begin!
Here are the links and resources for all website builders and platforms mentioned in the infographic:
Blogging PlatformE-Commerce PlatformWebsite BuildersEducation PlatformForum softwareSocial Networking Platform
1) WordPress.org
Check out the full tutorial on how I create a self-hosted WordPress site (buildwebsitecarl.com) in 10 – 15 minutes.
- Pricing: Free (open source). Hosting and domain are not included.
- Customizability:
- Ease of Use:
- Best For:
- Professional bloggers/Serious in blogging
- Internet marketers/Monetizing blogs
- Looking for a full-fledged CMS platform that is very customizable
- Domain name registrar: Namecheap
- Web hosting: HostGator – excellent live chat support and uptime (this blog is hosted on HostGator)
- WordPress themes:
- Free WordPress Themes
- ThemeForest – over 5000 WordPress themes available, ranging from about $20 – $70.
- If you are looking for themes that are more customizable, here are the 2bestWordpress frameworks available:
- StudioPress Genesis Framework – gorgeous themes right out of the box
- DIYThemes Thesis Framework – extremely customizable but steeper learning curve (framework that this blog is currently using)
- Resources:
- WPBeginner – an excellent WordPress resource site for beginners
2) WordPress.com
- Pricing:
- Free (no custom domain)
- Premium: $99/year
- Business: $299/year
- Customizability:
- Ease of Use:
- Best For: Casual bloggers
- A great comparison of the differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org
3) Blogger
- Pricing: Free (no custom domain)
- Customizability:
- Ease of Use:
- Best For: Casual bloggers
- Huge collection of Blogger themes
4) Tumblr
- Pricing: Free (no custom domain)
- Customizability:
- Ease of Use:
- Best For:
- Interacting with other bloggers (reblogging)
- Posting more photos and videos than words
- Tumblr themes
5) Medium
- Pricing: Free (no custom domain)
- Customizability:
- Ease of Use:
- Best For: Sharing your thoughts on a minimalist blogging platform
1) Shopify
- Pricing:
- Starter: $14/month (up to 25 products only)
- Basic: $29/month
- Professional: $79/month
- Unlimited: $179/month
- Best For: Small/medium online store
2) Bigcommerce
- Pricing:
- Silver: $29.95/month
- Gold: $79.95/month
- Platinum: $195.95/month
- Best For: Large online store
3) Magento
- Pricing:
- Magento Community: Free (open source). Hosting and domain are not included.
- Magento Enterprise: Quotation required. More features and functionality. Professional support is provided.
- Best For: Large online stores with big budget (varies greatly from $2500 – $100,000 or even more)
Alternatives to consider:
- WooCommerce – a very popular WordPress eCommerce plugin
- Volusion
1) Squarespace
- Pricing:
- Personal: $8/month
- Professional: $16/month
- Business: $24/month
- Best For:
- Creating slick-looking websites easily with drag-and-drop editor
- Those who are looking for a paid website builder. Currently the best website builder available.
- Small business sites like restaurant and local business
- Personal and group sites for music band, church, etc.
- Squarespace templates
2) Wix
- Pricing:
- Free (no custom domain)
- Connect Domain (Most Basic): $4.08/month
- Combo (For Personal Use): $8.25/month
- Unlimited (Entrepreneurs and Freelancers): $12.42/month
- eCommerce (Best for Small Business): $16.17/month
- Best For:
- Those who are looking for free website builder. Currently the best free website builder available
- Hotel websites. Wix has a online booking system app for managing reservations.
3) Weebly
- Weebly For Education
- Best for creating classroom websites, student portfolios, project websites, etc.
- Pricing:
- Free
- Pro: $39.95/year
- Campus Edition
- A total package for school administrators to manage teacher and student accounts
- Pricing: 30-day free trial available, $499/year
4) PhotoShelter
- Pricing:
- 14-day free trial available on all plans
- Basic: $9.99/month
- Standard: $29.99/month
- Pro: $49.99/month
- Best For: Photography portfolio website
- Alternatives to consider:
5) TheKnot
- Pricing: Free to create wedding website (no custom domain)
- Best For: Wedding invitation website
- Alternative to consider: WeddingWire
1) Edmodo
- Pricing:
- Free
- Premium: $2500/year
- Best For: Learning Management System for Primary/Secondary schools
- Alternative to consider: Schoology
2) Moodle
- Pricing: Free (open source). Hosting and domain are not included.
- Best For: Learning Management System for Secondary/Tertiary schools, requires technical knowledge
1) Xenforo
- Pricing: $140 per license, cheaper if purchase in bulk. Hosting and domain are not included.
2) MyBB
- Pricing: Free. Hosting and domain are not included.
3) Vanilla Forums
- Pricing: Free. Hosting and domain are not included.
Alternatives to consider:
1) Ning
- Pricing:
- 14-day free trial available on all plans
- Basic: $25 (up to 1000 members & 2 admin)
- Performance: $49 (up to 10,000 members & 5 admin)
- Ultimate: $49 (up to 100,000 members & 10 admin)
2) BuddyPress
- Pricing: Free (Open Source). Hosting and domain are not included.
3) Spruz
- Pricing:
- Free (no own custom domain, up to 50 member profile pages)
- Starter: $4.95/month (up to 150 member profile pages)
- Plus: $19.95/month (unlimited member profile pages)
- Unlimited: $49.95/month (unlimited member profile pages)
FAQ
What is your favourite website builder or platform? Let us know at the comment section below. Also, feel free to suggest improvements or new resources. I will be constantly improving this guide when necessary!
