How to use a website builder: 9 steps to get started

A strong online presence is vital for individuals and businesses, which may make it seem daunting when you need to build one.

Fortunately, there are a range of website builders available today that offer users the chance to create professional-looking websites without the need for coding or design experience. Whether you need just a basic site to host content about your business or a fully-functional online store, there are options available for you at reasonable prices.

The main benefit of modern website builders is that they offer a level playing field for newcomers to the online world. While you might once have needed to be an expert at coding or online development to build a site, you can now go about your work with limited experience.

In this article, we’ll provide a brief overview of you can go about choosing and then using a website builder.

Step 1: Choose the right website builder

The first step towards using a website builder is to choose the right one. You can check out our what is a website builder page if you want an introduction to this sort of platform.

We recommend that before you start comparing you put together a list of your goals and needs. Consider what sort of feature you need, what level of customisation and how many users you should be able to provide access to. Once you know the answer to these questions, you can feel confident in the choice you end up making.

When it comes to choosing, it might be worth considering what stage you are at, whether you’re a business or a personal user. If you are just starting out in the online world then it might make sense to pay less in the short-term and then upgrade to a more expensive plan later. Or, if you’re expecting that things will take off quickly, it might be worth investing more straight away.

Of course, there are a range of platforms to choose from, and they all offer a range of plans too. If you want some help comparing, you can visit our best website builder page now to see some side-by-side comparisons. Or, if you’re more interested in building an online store, you can visit our best ecommerce website builder page instead.

One final thing to remember is that when you choose a website builder, your entire online space will be attached to it. If you choose Wix, for example, and go with one of their templates, you might find it difficult to change the builder in the future if you wanted to transfer your site over to Squarespace, for instance. While this can be done, with the right support, it can be difficult – so it’s worth being as sure as possible about your decision now.

£ 9 Monthly

800+ templates to choose from
Great value for money

£ 12 Monthly

200+ templates to choose from
Excellent for creative industries

£ 25 Monthly

70+ ecom templates to choose from
Basic to advanced ecom tools

Step 2: Register your domain name

A domain name is your website’s address on the internet – for example, www.amazon.co.uk. For that reason, it’s important for your website – and for your website’s brand – that you choose the right one.

Most website builders will offer domain registration services as part of their paid plans, which will allow you to choose a domain and then register it directly with the provider. Bear in mind that you’re unlikely to be able to complete this process if you’re only using a free plan from any of the builders out there.

When it comes to picking your domain name, there are a few factors to consider.

What do you want people to see?
Does the domain name reflect your brand?
Do you already have a business and need a domain name to match?
Are people going to understand what your business or site is about?

There are, of course, a range of other questions to ask yourself, but this might be a good place to start.

Also, bear in mind that the domain name you want might not be available. With so many sites already online – and with so many people ready to buy domains – there is a chance that your business name has already been bought by someone else.

Some website builders and some of the best hosting providers will offer a service where they’ll try and obtain the domain you want for you, others don’t. For that reason, you might also want to make sure you have a few alternative domain names to choose from if you can’t get your first choice.

Once you have a domain name chosen and registered with your chosen website builder, you can move on to the next step. For more advice, you can visit our article on how to choose a domain name.

Step 3: Choose a template

All website builders offer a range of templates as standard for you to choose from. These templates serve as the basis for your site’s layout and design and are normally created to take into account usability and appearance.

Once you’ve selected the website builder you want to go for, you can browse the selection of templates they have on offer, paying particular attention to what you’re trying to achieve. Consider the industry or sector you plan to operate in, the audience you’re expecting, as well as the ease of use for you. What might work for a personal user starting a fashion blog is unlikely to match the needs of a small construction business, so be thoughtful with what you opt for.

Remember that the templates available are usually customisable, meaning that the colours and basic layout can probably be changed if you need them to be. With that in mind, focus on finding a template that fits your needs as closely as possible, but you don’t need to worry if it isn’t perfect.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that several website builders offer different ranges of templates based on the plan you choose. With some of the platforms, you only get access to basic templates in cheaper plans with more functional, premium templates requiring a more expensive plan to use.

Step 4: Customise your website

Once you have a template, it’s time to start customising it.

Website builders typically provide drag-and-drop editor functionality which allows users to modify elements of the page, such as the text, images, colours or layouts. You should take advantage of these tools to create something unique and compelling that will appeal to your audience.

Think about your brand, your goals, your industry or sector to make sure you design your site in a way that is suitable. A good-looking site can be the difference between a person or a customer engaging with your content or not, so make sure you’re happy with how everything ends up looking and working.

Also, consider what you need from your site in the future. If you’re building a site with the aim of getting online, to begin with, you might want to consider what features or design traits you might need in the future once your website has been developed and given time to grow.

Step 5: Add content

Good content is essential if you want to engage visitors in the right way. Whether you’re planning to write articles or upload video content, creating compelling content that helps you achieve your goals is vital.

Your content should be informative and entertaining when possible, and you should also think carefully about how you structure the page to provide value in the right way.

You can use your website builder’s editor to add and format text, insert videos or images, and also create interactive elements, such as forms or buttons if you want to use them. With some plans and features, you can also add more advanced elements, such as a calculator or quiz tools if they will help you to achieve your goals.

Beyond simply adding content to your site, you should also consider how you optimise it to improve performance. Understanding how you can make use of SEO best practices will help you to improve your ranking on search engines such as Google or Bing. You should also consider optimising for social media marketing purposes if you want to see results from platforms such as Facebook or Instagram.

One simple rule with adding content to your site is that your goal should be to provide the best possible experience for your users. You should also think about your long-term strategy. Adding twenty pages that you never revisit might not lead to the results you want to see, so make sure you’re updating and rewriting when necessary to keep things fresh. Also consider how you can expand your library, whether that’s with blog or news posts, or with core pages that will drive long-term engagement.

Adding content: Top tips

On-site content is vital. But how you approach it will depend on a range of factors, from what sort of website you’re planning, what industry you operate in and what sort of audience you expect.

The following tips should help when it comes to getting started.

Focus on relevant, interesting content that your audience need.
Consider whether your customers or visitors are looking for informational or transactional content.
Think about the best form of content, whether that’s text-based articles, image-led tutorials or videos.

Step 6: Integrate additional functionality

Many website builders offer a range of extra features through plugins or apps that can help you to enhance your website’s functionality.

Depending on your personal or business needs, you can integrate features such as contact forms, social media feeds, e-commerce functionality or blog sections. Of course, if you are adding these functions, make sure you do it in a way that makes sense for your website; consider the design and ease-of-use. As always, think about how your audience is likely to interact with the functions you are adding.

You should explore the options you have available to you that align with your website’s purpose and goals. Often you can configure and customise these integrations too to make sure they blend seamlessly into the design you’ve chosen.

One thing to bear in mind is that, with some website builders, plugins and apps may only be available on premium plans. So, if you’re thinking of adding them to your site, you may need to upgrade and spend more to make them work in the right way.

Step 7: Optimise for mobile

With a huge portion of users now accessing the internet through their mobile phones, it is vital that your site works well on them.

Website builders normally provide design options and templates that are mobile-responsive – and also update automatically to make sure they stay that way – but it’s important to confirm that for yourself.

Check and make sure that your website looks and functions in the way you’ve planned by trying it out on your desktop or laptop, as well as on smartphones and tablets if you have access. There are tools available that can help with this testing, so take a look around if you don’t have access to all the hardware you need.

Step 8: Preview and test

Before you publish your website, you should review and test it as much as you possibly can to identify any issues or errors that might have come up while you were preparing to go live.

This can be as simple as checking that the design appears as planned, but also can be as specific as checking that individual links have been added correctly and that images and interactive elements are functioning as expected.

With most website builders, you can preview your site, as well as individual pages and posts, before they’re launched to the world. Doing this should give you some peace of mind that things will go well when your site is available to the public.

We’d also recommend that you ask others to take a look if you can. Even if those people aren’t experts on the subject your website covers, or if they don’t have a lot of online knowledge, this can be a great way to close any loops and correct any mistakes before they cause you any issues. Additionally, you should check on multiple platforms and browsers, if possible, to make sure that something that works in one place is also working in others too.

Step 9: Publish your website

Once you’ve tested and have confirmed that everything looks and works as planned, it’s time to set your website live.

Website builders will normally provide a one-click publish option, which will instantly launch your website to the world. Once you’ve clicked that, you might want to think about the other steps you could take to spread the word; emails, social media and even word of mouth can be a great way to drive traffic in the short-term.

How to use a website builder: Final thoughts

Using a website builder to build a site has made the online world more accessible to everyone, regardless of their experience.

By selecting the right website builder, customising it to match your needs, and adding the content you need, you can easily put yourself in a position to succeed.

Though achieving success online can sometimes be tricky, with website builders it can be made much simpler.

Bryn Glover

Bryn is the founder and editor of WebsiteJumpStart. He has worked in the digital field for over a decade and was editor for Startups.co.uk - the UK's leading small business website - and for NerdWallet UK before launching WebsiteJumpStart to help people and businesses get online with ease.

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