Starting a website can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time or you’re setting up your first blog. But don’t worry! In this article, I’ll share some basic tips to help you get started.
Assuming you use WordPress to set up your first blog, here are some basic steps you can do:
- Choose your Web server to host your website files. I prefer using SiteGround because it has a very friendly dashboard that you won’t be confused and get lost if you are a beginner. You can also search online to shop around, and compare other reviews and see if they have good deals.
- Register your website name or your domain name, Make sure you can check if it’s available and use a common name with meaningful names. Don’t use a dash symbol or an underscore in between words. Go for a “.com” is the best practice and can keep it cheap down the road. I highly recommend using NameCheap because it’s not only affordable but also includes name privacy for free. Whenever you register a domain name, you have to provide your up-to-date contact information for the public which is called the ” Whois database” and ICANN regulates domain registration and ownership. So, many domain registrars charge their customers extra bucks if they want their domain name’s contact information kept private. But, NameCheap will protect your contact information as the website owner for free so anyone, i.e. marketing firms, spammers, and scammers, won’t see your information on the web.
- Choose a font pair for your website fonts. You can use the default fonts from your WordPress template, but if you want your website to look uniquely yours, you should have your own font pairs. For example, you can select “Montserrat” as the body or for content and all paragraphs, but you can use “Raleway” for headers (h1, h2,h3,h4,h5,h6). You can search “Google font pairs” on the internet to find more resources. There are many articles or websites you can take a look at, i.e. Fontpair, PageCloud, Google Fonts, Best Google Font Pairings, etc.
- Get a logo. You can get a free logo at Canva or use Fiverr to hire a graphic designer at an affordable price
- Get an icon. It’s a small logo that is on the tab browser. You can also get an icon at Canva for free or buy it at a cheap price. But if you have a prescription with them, you can just customize your icon or a logo and download it when it’s done. But, again you can hire a graphic designer to design an icon for you when you hire them to design a logo for you as well.
- Image usage. You can use some free images for your website by adding a credit to the author on your website for the image you use. These websites are Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay. Of course, there are also some other resources that you may be able to find better than me, just check them out and compare them. But these are good websites that you can use their images for free without paying for a subscription or you can just take your own pictures. Then you don’t have to worry about a copyright issue.
- Install WordPress on your Web server
- Install a WordPress theme.
- Choose a color palette. You can choose a palette that would go with your branding online at Coolors or other websites for free. I like to use Coolors personally a lot, it’s free. You can also find a theme that you like or try to generate your own theme. Always use the combination of the colors you choose in the WordPress theme that you install. For example, you can use a bold color for your button.
And there you have it – a few simple tips on designing your first blog to give it a professional look without the need for a web designer. I trust you’ll find these tips helpful in turning your dreams into a reality. Happy blogging
