How to Build a Website From Scratch: And How to Get Found After Creating It
- Adriana Leos
- Mar 19
- 8 min read
So, you’ve decided to build a website from scratch — the first place to start is to determine whether you're creating a personal portfolio, landing page, a blog, or a full site for your business. Keep this in mind as we walk through this together - starting from the ground up can feel overwhelming, but don’t worry, we’ve got you.
Let’s break it down step by step so you can launch your website with confidence.
Step 1: Define Your Website’s Purpose
Before you even touch a website builder or think about coding, ask yourself: What’s the goal of this website?
Are you selling a service, showcasing your work, sharing content, or building a community? You have to define the purpose of your website because doing so helps to guide every decision moving forward.
Step 2: Choose Your Platform
You have two main options when it comes to building a website:
Website Builders (No Coding Required): Platforms like Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify (for e-commerce) are great for beginners who want a quick setup.
Wix is especially great for beginners because they offer hundreds of different templates to choose from that you can use as a starting point, or you can start from scratch and build from the ground up.
And with Wix’s drag-and-drop editor, no coding experience is needed to create a professional-looking website (especially if you watch some "how to" YouTube videos) - it really is that easy!
Custom Coding: If you’re tech-savvy or hiring a developer, you can build a fully custom site using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Step 3: Pick a Domain Name & Hosting
Your domain is your website’s address (like yourbusiness.com). Choose something easy to spell, remember, and relevant to your brand. Once you’ve got your domain, you’ll need hosting—companies like Wix, Google and Bluehost offer reliable options.
Note: if you’re using Wix, it’s an all-in-one solution—meaning hosting, domain registration, and security features are all included. This saves you time and reduces the need for third-party services.
If you go with another platform, you may need to set up separate hosting.
Step 4: Plan Your Site Structure & Content
A great website isn’t just about looks—it needs strategic content. Map out your main pages (Home, About, Services, Contact, Blog, etc.) of the website. Think about what information your audience needs and how to make it easy for them to find.
Next, think about the copy (the words/descriptions) and images you’ll want to use. It’s helpful to list out the copy and images for each page of your website using Word or a Google Drive folder, to keep everything organized.
For the copy, can you write it out all by yourself or do you need to hire a copywriter? For images, can you use stock photos and/or create your own graphics, or do you need to hire a graphic designer and/or a photographer for a brand shoot?
These are things that you’ll want to consider before you start designing as they help to bring your website to life.
For more, check out our free downloadable guide, “How to Build a Website That Converts.” This guide will help you walk through how to build the homepage of your website.
Step 5: Build & Design Your Website
If you’re using a website builder like Wix, you can choose a pre-made template that aligns with your brand. If you are not tech-savvy and aren’t confident in your design skills, we recommend choosing a template where the design is clean and easy to navigate -- don't overcomplicate it.
Bonus tip: always ensure that your website is optimized for mobile screens before publishing.
Step 6: Optimize for SEO & Performance
Optimizing your website for SEO is so much more than just throwing some relevant keywords on the pages of your site and hoping you'll rank on the first page of Google.
Below is an overall list of some of the main the items that you’ll want to focus on:
Use relevant keywords in your content to improve search engine rankings.
Only one H1 per page.
Write meta-data for each page.
Write ALT text for all images.
Compress images to speed up load times.
Make sure your site is mobile-responsive.
Now, let’s walk through each of these so you have a better understanding of what each of them means:
Use relevant keywords in your content
Search engines like Google are all about understanding the intent behind a user’s search. That means you need to be strategic about the words and phrases you use on your website.
How to do it:
Do keyword research: Use tools like SEMrush, Ubersuggest, or AnswerThePublic to find what terms people are actually searching for in your industry.
Use long-tail keywords: Instead of just “web design,” use a more specific phrase like “custom web design for small businesses.” These are easier to rank for and attract a more targeted audience.
Place keywords naturally: Include them in page title tags, headings, URLs, and throughout your content (descriptions, blogs, FAQs, etc.,).
Example: Instead of naming a page “About Us,” try something that’s more specific and includes more relevant keywords that someone is more likely to use when searching. For instance, “Washington DC Web Design Studio: About Us.”
There is a much higher chance that someone will search for “DC web design” or “web design Washington DC” than they are to search for “About Us.”
Make sense?
Only One H1 Per Page
Your website structure matters, and heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) play a big role in both SEO and readability. The H1 tag is the main heading of a page—it tells search engines what the page is about. There should only ever be ONE H1 assigned per page.
How to do it:
Each page should have just one H1 tag, which is typically the main title of the page.
Use H2s and H3s to break up content and make it easier to read. These are the “sub-headings” that help both users and search engines understand the hierarchy of your content and make it easier to navigate and comprehend.
Example: On your homepage, your H1 might be “Custom Web Design Services for Small Businesses.” Then, use H2s for sections like “Our Web Design Services” or “Why Work With Us At vznayres.”
Write Meta Data for Each Page
Metadata is the information that appears in search engine results (not on your actual website)—it includes the title and description of your page (see image). Although these keywords don’t directly impact your website’s rankings, well-written metadata can increase your click-through rate, which overall can help your pages rank better.
How to do it:
Write a unique title tag for each page of your website (keep it under 60 characters). This should include relevant keywords and clearly describe what the page is about (not the entire website). Think: what is the person searching for? What will entice them to click on your page to get the answer they’re searching for.
Write a compelling meta description (under 160 characters) that encourages people to click on your page. Basically, you can use this space to give a little more context about what this page of your website is about so the person searching can make a better-informed decision on whether they want to click on it.
Example:
Title Tag: “Custom Web Design Services | Washington DC”
Meta Description: “Looking for a web designer in Washington DC? We create stunning, high-converting websites that help small businesses grow. Get started today!”
Write ALT Text for All Images
Search engines can’t “see” images the way humans do, so they rely on ALT text (alternative text) to understand what an image is about. ALT text also makes your site more accessible for visually impaired users.
How to do it:
Describe the image clearly in a way that makes sense. Instead of “IMG123.jpg,” use something like “custom-designed homepage template for a small business website.”
Include relevant keywords where it makes sense, but don’t force them.
Compress Images to Speed Up Load Times
Page speed is a big deal for SEO. If your website loads slowly, visitors will leave, and Google will push your site further down in search results. Large image files are one of the biggest culprits of slow load times.
How to do it:
Compress images before uploading them using tools like TinyPNG.
Use the right file format: JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics with transparency for a good balance of quality and size.
Enable lazy loading, which means images only load when they’re about to appear on the screen, rather than all at once.
Make Sure Your Site is Mobile-Responsive
More than half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of potential visitors—and Google will penalize you for it.
How to do it:
Use a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes. Most website builders do it for you, however, there are other some exceptions like Wix where you have the ability to design and customize the mobile version yourself.
Make buttons and text large enough so users don’t have to zoom in. It requires more space to tap on a phone screen using your thumb or finger rather than a mouse cursor – so make sure the buttons are large enough to tap.
Avoid pop-ups that cover the entire screen on mobile.
Test it yourself: Open your website on your phone and see how it feels. Is it easy to navigate? Do pages load quickly? If not, it’s time to make some adjustments.
Step 7: Test & Launch!
Before going live, test your website on different devices and browsers. Click all links, check your forms, and make sure everything directs, delivers, and loads correctly. Once you’re confident, then you can publish and share your site with the world 😊
Let Us Handle The Work For You
Building a website from scratch takes a ton of time and effort (trust us, we know!), but it’s totally doable if you lock in and put in the work. Our suggestion is to take your time, focus on usability, test and review (multiple times), and keep refining as you go.
But let’s be real—creating a standout website that’s fast, professional, and optimized for SEO takes a lot of effort that you simply might not have the time and/or energy for and time that you could be spending on other areas of your business. And even with a great template, your site could end up looking like everyone else’s.
That’s why hiring a professional web designer is worth the investment.
When you work with us at vznayres, you get:
A custom-built website that aligns with your brand, messaging, and business goals.
Access to a full service team; we collaborate closely with trusted partners—including a skilled brand strategist, experienced copywriter, and an automation specialist—to ensure every aspect of your online presence is covered.
Optimized design, UX and functionality, ensuring your site is easy to navigate, loads fast, looks amazing, and converts visitors into customers.
SEO best practices built into your site from day one, helping you rank higher on search engines.
Time saved—no more struggling with tech issues or endless revisions. You focus on your business, and we handle the rest.
More time to focus on your business while we handle the tech side.
90-Day Warranty & 60-Day Maintenance post launch.
If you’re ready for a website that truly represents your brand and works as a powerful tool to run and grow your business, let’s chat!
We’ll do the heavy lifting so you can focus on what you do best. Reach out today, book a free discovery call and let us create something amazing that you and your business deserve.
by:
Adriana Leos
vznayres; Chief Creative Officer
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