How to Build A Website

Purchasing your own domain is a crucial step as it allows for added customization, optimization, and appears more professional. It will come in handy for SEO and other marketing channels in the future. 

Visit GoDaddy’s Website: Start by visiting the GoDaddy website, where you’ll find a user-friendly interface designed to simplify the domain purchase process.

Search for Your Domain: Use the search bar to check the availability of your desired domain name. This is the moment where creativity and relevance come into play. You can search for exact match domains, which are domain names that precisely match your business or website’s main keywords. For instance, if you’re running a bakery in New York, an exact match domain could be something like “NewYorkBakery.com.” Such domains can be beneficial for SEO, as they clearly convey the purpose of your website to search engines and potential visitors.

Select Your Domain: GoDaddy will present you with a list of available domain name options related to your search. You can choose from different domain extensions like .com, .net, .org, and more. While .com is the most popular and widely recognized, others may suit your niche or preferences better.

Add to Cart and Check Out: Once you’ve found the perfect domain, add it to your cart, review your selections, and proceed to checkout. GoDaddy often offers promotional discounts for the first year, making it an affordable choice for budget-conscious website builders. Avoid any unnecessary addons or packaging as we’ll go through all the steps without them.

Domain Registration: During the checkout process, you’ll be prompted to create or log in to your GoDaddy account and provide the necessary registration information. Ensure that your contact details are accurate, as this information is used for domain registration and management.

Estimated 10 minutes to complete. Cost estimated under $15.

Setting up a Cloudflare account is a crucial step in optimizing your website’s performance, security, and reliability. Cloudflare offers a range of services that can greatly benefit your online presence, including content delivery, DDoS protection, and DNS management. 

Visit the Cloudflare Website: Begin by visiting the Cloudflare website at www.cloudflare.com. Cloudflare provides a free plan that offers essential features, making it accessible for individuals and businesses of all sizes.

Sign Up: On the Cloudflare homepage, you’ll find a “Sign Up” or “Get Started” button. Click on it to initiate the registration process.

Enter Your Email and Password: Provide a valid email address and create a secure password for your Cloudflare account. This email address will be used for account-related notifications and password recovery, so make sure it’s accurate.

Add Your Website: After signing up, Cloudflare will prompt you to add your website. Enter your website’s domain name (the one you purchased from GoDaddy in Step One) into the provided field and click “Add Site.”

Select a Plan: Cloudflare offers various plans, including a free plan that provides essential security and performance enhancements. Review the plan options and select the one that suits your needs. For most beginners, the free plan is an excellent starting point.

Scan DNS Records: Cloudflare will scan your website’s existing DNS records. Ensure that these records accurately represent your website’s configuration. If everything looks correct, click “Continue.”

Update Name Servers: Cloudflare will provide you with a set of name servers. To activate Cloudflare’s services for your domain, you’ll need to update your domain’s name servers with the ones Cloudflare provides. Log in to your GoDaddy account (where you purchased your domain in Step One), find the domain management section, and replace the existing name servers with the Cloudflare ones. This step may take some time to propagate, so be patient.

Verify Setup: After updating your name servers, return to your Cloudflare account and click “Done, check nameservers.” Cloudflare will verify that your DNS records are correctly configured.

Estimated 10 minutes to complete. No Cost.

Choosing a reliable hosting provider is essential to ensure your website runs smoothly and efficiently. WPX Hosting is known for its high-performance WordPress hosting, and setting up an account with them is straightforward. 

Visit the WPX Hosting Website: Start by visiting the WPX Hosting website at www.wpxhosting.com. WPX Hosting offers premium WordPress hosting services that are renowned for their speed and support.

Choose Your Plan: WPX Hosting provides different hosting plans to cater to various needs, from small blogs to large e-commerce websites. Review the available plans and select the one that aligns with your website’s requirements. They often have promotions and discounts, so be sure to check for any special offers.

Review and Confirm: Carefully review your selected plan and any additional services you may want, such as SSL certificates or site migration assistance. Confirm your choices, and proceed to the checkout.

Create Your Account: During the checkout process, you’ll be prompted to create a WPX Hosting account. Provide your billing information, including your email address and payment details, to complete the registration.

Set Up Your Website: Once your account is created and payment is confirmed, you can log in to your WPX Hosting account’s control panel. Here, you can add your website by specifying your domain name and following the on-screen instructions. WPX Hosting usually offers a one-click WordPress installation option, making it incredibly easy to set up your website.

Access WPX Hosting Control Panel: Log in to your WPX Hosting account’s control panel. You should have received login credentials when you signed up for WPX Hosting.

Locate WordPress Settings: In your control panel, find the section related to WordPress settings or installations. WPX Hosting typically provides easy access to WordPress management tools.

Choose Your Website: If you have multiple websites hosted with WPX Hosting, select the one you want to create a WordPress login for.

Create a WordPress Admin User: Look for an option to add or manage users within WordPress. Create an admin user account with a unique username and a strong password. This admin account will serve as your primary login for WordPress.

Issues?: If you run into any issues, you can reach out to WPX free support and they can get them fixed for you ASAP. 

Estimated 10 minutes to complete. Estimated cost of $25/mo 

Now that you’ve set up your WPX Hosting account, it’s time to ensure that your website functions seamlessly through Cloudflare’s robust network. Configuring Cloudflare records involves creating essential DNS records that connect your domain to your WPX Hosting server and ensure proper website accessibility. 

Create an A Record:

Access Cloudflare Dashboard: Log in to your Cloudflare account and navigate to your domain’s dashboard.

Choose DNS Settings: Click on the “DNS” or “DNS Settings” tab, which will allow you to manage your domain’s DNS records.

Add an A Record: Select “Add Record” or “Add DNS Record,” and choose “A” from the record type options.

Configure the A Record: Enter your domain (e.g., example.com) as the “Name” or “Host” and the IP address of your WPX Hosting server as the “IPv4 Address.” This information can usually be found in your WPX Hosting account or obtained from their support team. Keep the proxy status toggled on.

Save the Record: Click “Save” or “Add Record” to create the A record. This action binds your domain to the server’s IP address.

Create a CNAME Record for www:

Add a CNAME Record: Select “Add Record” or “Add DNS Record” again, but this time, choose “CNAME” as the record type.

Configure the CNAME Record: Set the “Name” or “Host” field to “www” (without quotes), and in the “Value” field, enter your domain (e.g., example.com). This setup tells Cloudflare to associate the www subdomain with your primary domain. Keep the proxy status toggled on.

Save the Record: Click “Save” or “Add Record” to create the CNAME record.

Estimated 10 minutes to complete. No Cost.

Once you’ve set up your WordPress website with WPX Hosting and configured essential settings, it’s time to unleash your website’s creative potential by adding functionality and visual aesthetics. One of the most powerful tools for achieving this is the Elementor plugin. Elementor empowers non-coders to design and customize their websites with ease, allowing for consistent site design while maintaining lightweight code. 

Logging into WP Admin:

Access Your Website: Open your web browser and enter your website’s domain followed by “/wp-admin” (e.g., www.example.com/wp-admin). This URL takes you to the WordPress login page.

Enter Your Credentials: Enter the username and password you created during the WordPress setup process with WPX Hosting.

Dashboard Access: After logging in, you’ll be directed to the WordPress dashboard, the control center for your website.

Downloading the Elementor Plugin:

Navigate to the “Plugins” Section: In the WordPress dashboard, locate the “Plugins” section on the left-hand menu. Click on it to expand the options.

Select “Add New”: Click on the “Add New” option under the “Plugins” section. This will take you to the WordPress Plugin Directory.

Search for Elementor: In the search bar on the right, type “Elementor” and press “Enter.” The Elementor plugin should appear as one of the search results.

Install Elementor: Click the “Install Now” button next to the Elementor plugin. WordPress will automatically download and install the plugin for you.

Activate Elementor: After installation is complete, click the “Activate” button to enable the Elementor plugin on your website.

Why Elementor Empowers Non-Coders:

Drag-and-Drop Interface: Elementor offers an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface that allows users to design pages and content visually. You can add elements like text, images, buttons, and more by simply dragging and dropping them onto your pages.

Global Elements: Elementor enables the creation of global elements, such as headers and footers, that can be consistent across your entire website. This ensures a cohesive design and user experience without the need to manually update multiple pages.

Lightweight Code: Elementor generates clean, lightweight code that doesn’t bloat your website. This is crucial for fast page loading times and SEO performance.

Responsive Design: Elementor’s design capabilities are fully responsive, ensuring that your website looks great on all devices, from desktops to smartphones.

Extensive Widget Library: The plugin comes with a wide variety of widgets and templates that you can customize to suit your needs, making it versatile for different website types and industries.

Estimated 10 minutes to complete. No Cost.