{"id":19883,"date":"2018-10-18T13:01:33","date_gmt":"2018-10-18T18:01:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=19883"},"modified":"2018-12-13T13:13:33","modified_gmt":"2018-12-13T18:13:33","slug":"building-successful-website-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/building-successful-website-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Guide to Building a Successful Website"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve got an idea for a web property whether it\u2019s for a business, to share your thoughts and ideas with the world, or to simply find and connect with other people who share your passions.<\/span><\/p>\n

The challenge now is to<\/span> build your website<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t know anything about web design or HTML, then building a website can seem like a daunting prospect. But getting all the <\/span>elements of a successful website<\/span> into place is just a matter of knowing the right steps to take and tools to use. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This guide will cover all the main things you need to know to get started.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"HostGator<\/a><\/p>\n

Step 1: Determine Your Website Goals.<\/h2>\n

You\u2019re starting a website for a reason. What is it you want the site to accomplish?<\/span><\/p>\n

Before you actually start working on the website itself, sit down and really work out what you want your website to achieve.<\/span><\/p>\n

If it\u2019s a business website, your main goal will be increasing your business profits, but you\u2019ll want to break that down into more specific and transitional goals as well, such as raising brand awareness or driving traffic into your store.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re hoping to write blog posts about what you love and<\/span> eventually monetize your blog<\/span><\/a>, then your goals will be based on driving traffic and building a community. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if you just want to use your website to put your thoughts out into the world or share your creative projects, you probably want other people to find and connect with them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Successful website design<\/span> depends on what you want to get out of the website. Whether you want visitors, sales, subscribers, fame, community, or something entirely different, you have to start by clearly defining and writing out your website goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Step 2: Pick a Domain and Hosting Provider.<\/h2>\n

While you can take each of these steps separately, they\u2019re lumped together here for a reason. Most hosting providers include a domain name (or multiple) in the cost of hosting, so you can save yourself some money by registering a domain through the hosting provider you go with.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Picking Your Domain Name<\/h3>\n

Choosing the right domain name<\/span><\/a> can be challenging. You need to pick something that makes sense for your websites, is easy for your visitors to remember, but that\u2019s still available. With millions of websites already out there, a lot of your options are already taken especially if you want to use a .com option, which is recommended since it\u2019s what your visitors will automatically type in when looking for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have a business name already, you\u2019ll ideally want to come up with a domain that matches it or is at least similar. If you\u2019re still figuring out what to call your brand or blog, then you have some more room to get creative here. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Brainstorm different keywords and concepts that you like and that are relevant to what you\u2019ll be offering on the site. Put together different combinations of terms that you like the sound of and check the availability with HostGator\u2019s<\/span> domain name search<\/span><\/a> until you find an option you like that\u2019s available.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"register<\/a><\/p>\n

Some domain registrars, including HostGator, allow you to bundle your domain purchase with your hosting plan. Let’s review how to choose a hosting plan next.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Choosing Your Web Hosting Plan<\/h3>\n

When you start looking at , you may find it all overwhelming at first. The main things you need to<\/span> cross off your web hosting checklist<\/span><\/a> are:<\/span><\/p>\n