Creating a website for beginners (2026)

A classic website is the right choice if your goal is to present yourself, your club or your business online.

For most companies, a website is now their most important digital presence. It has become a basic element of modern marketing.

Your site gives potential clients and new customers a place to learn about you, your goals and the services or products you offer.

Creating your own website — or having one built for you — also means you can be found through search engines such as Google.

A classic website can be anything from a simple one-page landing page or digital business card to a larger site with 20, 30 or more subpages.

Building a website is easy to learn. A small site with just a few pages can be created within a few hours.

Most of the content — text, images, your logo and contact details — stays relevant for a long time and only needs occasional updates.

A blog is a kind of online diary. The word “blog” is short for “web log”, combining “web” (the internet) and “logbook”.

Unlike a traditional website, a blog doesn’t just consist of a few static pages. Instead, it publishes articles regularly, usually arranged in chronological order.

Another typical feature is the built-in comment section, which invites visitors to engage with the author and join the conversation.

While blogs were originally used mainly by private individuals to share thoughts and experiences — often in diary form with photos or videos — the range of uses has expanded significantly.

Today, creatives, athletes, and book or travel enthusiasts blog to update others on their projects or hobbies — and, ideally, to generate a passive income through advertising revenue.

Businesses can use a blog as a digital channel too, for example to position themselves as experts in their field.

A blog can also be a section within a larger, more traditional website.

If you want to create a website primarily to sell products or services, you’ll need an online shop.

Thanks to easy-to-set-up shop systems, even beginners can benefit from the e-commerce trend and manage an online shop from their desk at home.

You can also reach a much wider audience online — for example across the UK or Europe. On top of that, targeted online marketing can help you attract new customers.

What really matters is building trust with potential buyers. For that, high-quality images and clear, informative descriptions are essential.

An alternative is selling through marketplaces such as Amazon or Etsy, where you can list your products.

You do benefit from their large reach, but it comes at a cost: these platforms charge sellers significant fees, which can make your online business less profitable than running your own shop.

Plus, the competition is always just one click away.

That’s why building your own online shop is becoming increasingly important for long-term success in e-commerce.

Modern website builders are usually the best choice for creating a standard website. They let you learn how to build a website quickly.

A few years ago, many builder systems were slow and sometimes a bit clunky. By now, they’ve become much more mature and offer professional solutions for most typical use cases.

You also don’t need a large budget.

You don’t need technical knowledge or a programming language to build a website.

That’s because these tools are based on modular design templates created by professional web designers.

With just a few clicks, you can put everything together to fit your project — using drag and drop and simple text editing, directly in your web browser.

Your website should present you and your services clearly. So what you need to provide yourself are good texts and strong, meaningful photos.

If you want to expand the site later, most website builders also allow you to add blog and online shop features.

After publishing, you can use the website creator to work on search engine optimisation (SEO) and marketing as well.

Many tools also include a virtual assistant that guides you through the structure and design of your new website.

WordPress is the world’s most widely used content management system (CMS). It powers over 40% of websites worldwide, and is especially popular for creating blogs. We also run “websiteadvisor.co.uk” using WordPress.

Originally launched as a blogging platform, WordPress has developed into a powerful tool for building websites.

Behind WordPress is a large community that creates ready-made design templates (known as themes) and plugins that add extra features.

Unlike a website builder, WordPress lets you customise a site much more freely — for example using widgets and plugins, or even by editing the HTML and CSS code directly.

That flexibility is also the main challenge with WordPress: because you can do so much, you usually need more time to learn how everything works.

If you want to add a simple online shop module to an otherwise straightforward website, you can often do that with the usual website builders.

But if e-commerce is your main focus, a dedicated online shop system is the better choice for creating your web shop.

Similar to website builders, you can set up a more advanced online shop here with just a few clicks. Free themes are usually available, too.

The most popular tool for online shop systems is Shopify.

With Shopify, many features that make building an online shop easier are included.

Shopify works like a central dashboard for your shop. You can manage everything from stock and order processing to basic bookkeeping tasks and marketing — all in one place.

You can also set up a blog, start email marketing, or use discount codes to attract customers.

Just like with website builders, you don’t need to code a homepage with Shopify. No programming skills are required to create a web shop, and signup, setup, and everyday use are generally straightforward.

If you want to expand later, there’s an app store with additional features. For businesses with a physical location, Shopify POS can help you manage in-person sales as well.

If you just want to try it out first, you can test it free for 14 days.

If you don’t have the time or motivation to build your website yourself, you can hire a professional instead.

There’s a wide range of providers who create professional websites for small businesses or community organisations, for example:

• Local web designers or freelancers
• Online service providers who work with many clients at once
• Small or large marketing agencies

The cost of having a website built can vary a lot.

Depending on the provider’s level of experience, their typical client base, and what you want, prices can range from a few hundred to many thousands of pounds.

It’s useful to know that web designers usually rely on one of the systems mentioned above — a website builder, WordPress, or an online shop system.

That makes sense, because it means you can often update the finished site yourself later on.

Many website builder tools also offer the option to book a web designer through their platform — often someone who specialises in that specific builder.

Whichever type of provider you choose, you should have a clear idea of what you want. That’s the only way to judge an offer properly.

Ask yourself whether everything you need is included, and what ongoing costs you might face — for example hosting, a domain name, or future updates.

Even if you have your site built for you, you may still need to supply things like text and images.

The home page (often simply called “Home”) is the most important page on your website. A strong home page creates a positive first impression in both design and content.

It should make it clear quickly what your site is about. Attention spans online are short: if people don’t find what they’re looking for straight away, they’ll leave. If you describe your offer clearly and briefly, visitors can immediately tell they’re in the right place.

At first glance, your site should feel like a reliable, trustworthy offer. The internet can feel anonymous, so it helps to design your home page in a way that builds confidence.

Your home page is the entry point to your whole online presence. From here, visitors navigate to the rest of your pages. That’s why it makes sense to introduce your main topics and link to them.

Home page checklist:

• Your home page needs a clear opener — ideally a combination of an image (eye-catcher) and a headline (information). The headline can be your site title or a short promise of what visitors will get.

• Near the top, include who you are, what you do or offer, and why someone should work with you or buy from you.

• Make it easy to explore: visible links to key sections or categories help visitors find their way. You could show your latest blog posts or highlight a selection of your most popular services.

• Positive reviews, testimonials, or work samples also help build trust in you and what you offer.

• Authentic photos of you or your business add to that trust, too.

Don’ts:

• Don’t waste your main headline on obvious filler (like “Welcome to our website”).
• Don’t write in long, rambling paragraphs.
• Avoid generic stock photos that could belong to anyone. People want to get to know you and your offer.

A website can also consist of a single home page. With a “one-page design”, you present your offer briefly on one page and usually only link to essentials such as your legal notice and privacy policy in the footer.

The home page is often the biggest challenge when building a website, because you want to fit everything in.

If you’re unsure, follow a proven structure. And if you’re not happy yet, it’s fine to park the home page for a moment and start with your content pages first.

Visitors to your website want to know who they’re dealing with. An informative “About me”, “About us”, or “Our company” page helps you build connection and trust.

You’ve put effort into getting people to notice you. Now you can show those who are interested in your topic what qualifications and expertise you bring.

Don’t forget to use a good photo of yourself, your business, or what you offer.

Present yourself at your best and explain what sets you apart. What’s special about you or your offer? What benefits do customers get when they choose you?

Give people an easy way to contact you straight away or to book what you offer.

About page checklist:

• Choose a clear, fitting title (for example About me/us, Our team/company, or About + brand — such as “About websiteadvisor.co.uk”).

• Use a friendly photo or a short video message.

• Summarise your brand promise briefly.

• Share a bit of background or the story behind your business.

• Introduce your values or philosophy.

• Include direct contact options or a link to your contact page.

• Link to your social media channels, if you have them.

Don’ts:

• Avoid generic stock photos on your About page. People want to get to know you and what you offer.
• Don’t make it overly long — keep it clear and to the point.

A dedicated page for your services and products makes it easier to achieve your (business) goals — whether you want to generate new contacts, enquiries, bookings, reservations, or product sales through your website.

On this page, give visitors a clear and practical description of what you offer. Make sure you highlight the benefits for the customer.

Include buttons such as “Book now”, “Reserve here”, or “Find out more” so people can enquire about a service or buy a product straight away.

If you offer several services that need more explanation, it’s a good idea to create an overview page. There you briefly introduce each service, and visitors can click through to separate subpages for the full details.

Important: use strong, relevant images for your services and products. Including prices can also be helpful.

Services page checklist:

• Choose a clear, fitting title (for example “Services”, “What I offer”, “Products”, or “Menu”).
• Describe your offer briefly and in simple language.
• List the key elements and details in clear bullet points.
• Good images make your products/services easier to understand.
• Prices help potential customers decide. You can also choose not to show prices if you want to keep pricing flexible or you offer highly bespoke services.
• Customer testimonials and reviews can help convince visitors of the quality of your offer.
• It can also help to answer common questions in a short FAQ section.
• Don’t forget buttons that encourage action — buying, booking, or getting in touch.

Don’ts:

• Too many services and options can be confusing and make it harder to choose. Consider offering clear packages to simplify the decision.
• Avoid complicated jargon that your customers might not understand — or explain any necessary terms.

The contact page should make it as easy as possible for visitors to get in touch. That means the relevant details need to be easy to find.

If someone has to search for your phone number, email address, or contact form, they’ll quickly move on to someone else. If the information is clearly visible, it also signals that you value enquiries and feedback.

A contact page isn’t the same as a legal notice page. You have different ways to design it. Depending on the purpose of your website and what you can manage, you might include an email address, phone number, contact form, and postal address — and potentially also social media links or live chat.

If you have a physical shop or office, it’s helpful to include a map with your location(s), directions by car and public transport, and information about parking.

You can also make the contact page feel more personal by adding a photo of you or your team.

Contact page checklist:

• Include ways to contact you (email, phone, chat, WhatsApp).

• List your opening hours or times you’re available.

• If relevant, add your address along with a map and directions.

• A contact form makes it easier for people to message you.

Don’ts:

• Don’t hide your contact details from visitors!

Before you start building pages, map out your navigation so visitors can find what they need in just a few clicks.

Websites usually have a hierarchical structure (a tree structure) that helps visitors find their way around. This structure is often called a “sitemap”.

Visitors navigate your website via the main menu. You set this up in the header area of your site, and it should appear on every page.

Another way to guide visitors is through links within the page itself. These can be clickable images or text blocks, links inside your text, or buttons.

You can sketch your sitemap on paper — or, of course, on a computer:

• Level 1: Home page
• Level 2: Up to 5–7 main menu items (such as “About”, “Contact”, etc.)
• Level 3: Detail pages, if you want to split sections like “Services” into multiple pages
• Level 4 or deeper: Larger websites can have more levels, but for a simple site this usually isn’t recommended
• Utility bar: In a separate area of the header, you can place links to social media profiles, a link to the contact page, or a search function

If you’re planning a multilingual website, create parallel sitemaps for each language. In the header, add a menu option to switch between languages.

All website tools allow you to build and style your site menu. This is where you translate the structure you’ve planned into your actual navigation.

Pages like your company information, privacy policy, and cookie settings are usually linked in the footer. Otherwise, they can distract from the main areas you want visitors to focus on.

The internet is a visual medium. For most people, it’s easier to take in information through images than through text.
Images break up content, especially when you have a lot of text. On the home page in particular, good images catch attention and encourage visitors to explore your site further.

Image checklist:

• Make a plan: Which images do you need on which page? Use your sitemap as a guide.
• Invest in your own good images: It’s worth the effort. Your website will feel more authentic than if you rely on stock photos (unless you’re dealing with very abstract topics).
• Bring in a professional: If photography isn’t your strength, hire a professional photographer.
• Use illustrations: For abstract topics, consider drawings and illustrations, which you can often find cheaply or even free in stock libraries. We use these on websiteadvisor.co.uk.
• Watch loading times: Images affect performance. Too many large files slow your site down, which can put visitors off and may also hurt your Google rankings.

Some website builders, such as Wix and Squarespace (and to a limited extent IONOS), include access to professional image and illustration libraries. Otherwise, you can use free stock services like Pixabay or Unsplash.

Text is the most important source of information about you and what you offer — alongside images.

But don’t overdo it. When it comes to online copy, less is often more.

(Yes, I know… exceptions like this ultra-detailed guide prove the rule!)

Put yourself in your visitors’ shoes: what information do they expect, and how can your offer help them?

Also keep in mind that mobile users often just scroll quickly. How can you make sure they still take something away?

Website copy tips:

• Keep it short and get to the point quickly. Visitors don’t have much time and want answers fast.
• Write clear, easy-to-understand sentences. Paragraphs make reading easier.
• Structure your text with headings and subheadings. This helps people pick up information even when skimming.
• Summarise the main points at the beginning. That sparks interest and makes it clear what the text is about.
• Avoid mistakes and duplicate content. Ask family or friends to proofread your text.

As preparation, it helps to write down the key information you want to communicate as bullet points. Use your sitemap to assign your text to the pages and sections of your website.