The task of creating the first website should not be a complicated thing for students. Once they understand the basics, it should be a straightforward process. This step by step guide will cover critical details in website creation. Let’s take a look at the following steps necessary to create your first website.
Why you need a website
Having a personal website is crucial for a student in this internet age. It will go a long way in boosting a student’s credentials. First, a website will help you tell more about yourself to potential employers. This is because it adds more professionalism to your profile. As a result, you will be more competitive in the job market. Second, creating a website will give you the chance to showcase your portfolio through video or images. Due to this, you can express yourself and present a more transparent account of yourself. Third, a website offers you the opportunity to interact with various individuals across the world. In this way, you can share new knowledge and ideas. You can also learn about new cultures and strengthen connections. Fourth, setting up your website will help you develop your brand. A personal brand creates an excellent chance for you to start a business and attract clients. Finally, knowledge of website creation ensures you have an in-demand skill on your resume. Many organizations favor employees who know how to create websites. So, adding this skill to your resume with the expert assistance of ResumeThatWorks.com will give you an edge in the job market.
Choose Domain Name and Hosting
Choose Domain Name and Hosting
The first step is to select a unique domain that will make you stand out. Picking the right domain will give you a proper brand name for your visitors. The domain name is crucial because it’s the first line of contact between you and your visitors. It will help them associate you with your specific brand name. It is best to brainstorm for several domain names and then select one that will leave a lasting impression. For a personal webpage, you can use your name in the domain. You can keep the following tips in mind when choosing the best domain:
- Keep it short
- Use easy language
- Try not to use characters or numbers
- Use proven domain name systems like .org, .com, .net
The whole idea of a domain name is to choose something memorable.
The second step is to find a reliable hosting service provider. This will guarantee that visitors can access your site’s content anytime. You can search for reputable hosting service providers like Hostinger, Dreamhost, Hostgator, and Bluehost. These popular hosting services will boost your student website’s performance and functionality. Choosing weak web hosting platforms will create unnecessary downtimes in your site. You can identify one that suits your particular student needs. Also, look for price comparisons and expert reviews to get one that fits your budget.
Install WordPress
The second step when making your website is installing WordPress. It is a popular system for managing and designing content on sites. Many people associate WordPress with blogging alone. However, the platform can now support non-blogging needs. WordPress is a beginner-friendly platform, so you don’t have to worry about any technicalities. This means the installation process is fast and easy. It’s also a trusted software as it powers some of the leading websites. Before installing WordPress, make sure you first have a reliable hosting service provider. This will ensure you don’t have any compatibility issues during the installation process. WordPress recommends Bluehost as the hosting service provider. The best part is Bluehost has a 1-click installation for WordPress, which makes your work even more relaxed. When installing WordPress, you have to fill in details such as:
- Admin name
- Admin email
- First and Last name
- Title
- Domain name
Once you have installed WordPress software, you can customize it to suit your student-created website’s content.
Choose Website’s Design and WordPress Theme
To attract more visitors, your website needs a strong visual impression. This will help visitors stay longer on your site and read your content. So, you must know how to make a website that has a high aesthetic value. Look for these key features of a well-designed site.
- Mobile friendly
- Easy navigation
- Unique web elements
- Clean structure and organization
- Comments section
- Social media links
- Contact form
- Consistent font and color
Your website design should match your theme. The right theme aligns with the kind of persona or brand you want to portray to your visitors. You will be glad to know that WordPress provides you with countless themes to include in your website. In this way, you will see the one that suits your brand. Remember that a well-designed website takes plenty of time. Due to this, it may be a challenge for students to get sufficient time for their classes and web design. You can hire experts from essaywritingservice.ca for professional writing services that will give you more time to design your website.
Install Plugin
Install plugins
Plugins are instrumental in adding more powerful features to your website. WordPress contains lots of plugins that will boost website functionality. The plugins are either free or paid, so you can check which one will best fit your website. When building a WordPress website, it’s best to use a self-hosted WordPress website. This is because you will miss installing plugins when using WordPress.com. The three ways of installing WordPress include manual installation, Plugin uploads, and Plugin Search. The latter provides the simplest way to install a WordPress plugin.
Write quality content
Now, before you launch a WordPress site, you need to create quality content. Otherwise, your efforts in designing a website will be fruitless. Be creative and relevant to ensure your visitors enjoy reading your content. Take your time to craft content that will be informative to your audience. Countless websites offer duplicate or irrelevant content online. So, you can provide higher value by hiring experienced writers at Edu Jungles to get excellent content. In this way, you can stand out from the millions of websites in your niche.
Getting traffic
Once you have great content, you should take additional steps to generate more traffic to your website. You can consider the following nine ways to drive more traffic to your site.
- Social media marketing
- Backlinking
- SEO
- Blogging
- Email marketing
- Online directories listing
- Hashtagging social media posts
- Google Analytics
- Online ads
Therefore, you now have a complete guide on setting up your first website while in college. Select an appropriate domain name and reliable hosting service provider. Then install WordPress and its plugins. Ensure your website is well-designed before crafting high-quality content. In this way, you will have a robust platform to attract more traffic.
