Building professional websites without programming knowledge 8 tips

Nowadays there are many online tools with which you can easily create your own website. With these website makers you can also set up your own online project without programming knowledge. Hosting provider STRATO shows you how to build a successful website in eight steps.

These eight steps will help you on your way:

1. Think, then start: purpose of your website
Before you get started, there are a few basic things to consider. Starting with the content: what is the purpose of your site? Who do you want to reach? What kind of look should your site have? If you have clarity about these basic questions, the elaboration of your plans will become a lot easier.

2. The website: capturing the outlines
Also think about the structure of your site: which main and sub pages are required? You do not have to commit yourself definitively yet. This structure will help you to keep an overview later. At least as important: which functions does your website need? For example, do you want a reservation form, online agenda or photo gallery? You may also want to integrate a webshop or blog into your site.

3. Getting Started: Choosing the Right Package
All these specific requirements largely determine the choice of the final package. Check on the basis of your wish list whether all the functions you need for your website are also supported by the website builder.
However, there are still a few things to keep in mind. Starting with the domain name. Choose a strong name that covers the load of your website and sticks well. In some cases – with STRATO for example – the domain of your choice is included in the price of your website builder. Also check whether the SSL certificate is included. This certificate confirms the security of the site for visitors; an important factor for reliability on the Internet. In addition, it is useful to know whether the hosting package with your website maker contains mail functions. This way you can send messages from your personal email address (for example info@yourdomain.nl or firstname.lastname@yourdomain.nl). Such an email address looks much more serious than the average Gmail address.

4. Design and layout: individuality
The modular principle of a website builder does not exclude individuality, on the contrary. Most site builders have a design page with different themes for different types of sites and industries. These templates contain a basic design that you can add your own twist to. When designing your website, the readability of texts should be paramount. In addition, a clear menu and space for images are essential. Make sure that all pages have the same ‘house style’. This radiates professionalism and increases recognisability.

5. Texts: clear and tailor-made
Texts are a central part of any website. To ensure that the visitors also feel addressed, you adapt the text content of the website to your target group. In most cases, simple and understandable language is the best choice. Be careful: text pages without images are not particularly attractive. Extremely important text pages are by the way your contact page and the privacy policy.

6. Illustrations, photos, graphics: the icing on the cake
Hardly any website is complete without images. They not only make the text more pleasant to read, but also tell your visitors what your site is all about. When choosing illustrations, keep the design of your website in mind. It is also important that you have the correct rights for the photos that you show on your website. In addition to your own images, you can also fall back on license-free photos and images. Some website builders include these by default, which can be very useful.

7. Search engines and SEO: right at the top with the right terms
The competition on the internet is fierce. But there are several ways to make your own website appear higher in search engines. The magic word is SEO (Search Engine Optimization). The algorithms of search engines evaluate websites for certain search terms better if the texts on the page on this subject are as strong as possible. The search engine likes texts that provide the most complete answer to the questions of the readers. Another factor is readability. You can improve this by including subheadings, paragraphs and bullet points in your texts. In addition, there are many other factors that influence the findability of your website. Some website builders offer tools that help you optimize your website for search engines.

8. Marketing and social media increase reach
Apart from SEO to build your website’s organic reach, there are of course other approaches you can take. For example, you can place advertisements online, for example with Google Ads. Many providers also share their content via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or other channels.

So much for the theory, time to get started! For example with STRATO Sitebuilder. This allows you to create a professional website without any prior knowledge. Thanks to more than 140 design templates, you can design your website individually, even on the go from your smartphone. All designs are also 100 percent responsive, so they adapt perfectly to different devices. Domain name, SSL certificate and mail functions are included.

Would you like to try out whether STRATO Sitebuilder meets your requirements? With the exclusive Cyber ​​Deal from STRATO (available from November 24 to December 6), you only pay a one-time € 1 setup fee for the first 12 months.