Making your own website can be fun, but it might sound challenging to build out. So what is the best way to create a website?
It’s best to do it on a simple builder, such as WordPress. Along with that, you’ll need other resources such as web hosting, training, and support to assist you.
You can get these tools by signing up for membership at a platform I currently use right now. As I’ll discuss shortly, if you sign up for a paid membership, you can utilize their resources at an excellent price.
In this article, I’ll briefly go over where to get started. Also, I’ll summarize a recent case study that was done on this platform last year.
UPDATED: APRIL 10, 2023
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- What Is The Best Way To Build Your Own Website?
- What Else Can You Else Besides WordPress?
- The Twenty Twenty WordPress Theme Case Study
- An Overview Of The WordPress Case Study Series
- What Is The Purpose Of This Case Study?
- What Will You Need To Pay For?
- Is A Premium Membership Needed To Build A Money-Making Website?
- Overall Thoughts
What is the best way to build your own website?
Instead of doing it alone, why not look at other options? Coding can be confusing and very time-consuming, especially when you have no idea about doing it.
Using a basic builder such as WordPress (WP) can come a long way. It’s very easy to navigate and free to use.
WP is used by almost half of the websites on the internet. Around 810 million websites are under the WP platform, with about 43% of all websites currently active online.
There’s definitely a market for WP, as it’s one of the most widely used content management systems (CMS).
What is the best way to build a free website?
Using a web build such as WordPress is the way to go. For beginners, it’s the easiest platform for writing blog posts in general, while also being efficient as well.
What else can you use besides WordPress?
Building a website via WP is not that complicated, as you can do a lot within the platform. However, you’ll need more than just a web builder.
You’ll need web hosting and support for your website. Along with that, proper training that helps you build a profitable niche website can be beneficial as well.
That’s where a platform such as Wealthy Affiliate (WA) comes into play. It’s an educational platform that teaches people how to build niche websites- primarily through affiliate marketing.
I won’t go over what this platform is all about, but they have excellent resources to get your website up and running. For example, they offer weekly expert classes on a variety of topics, such as website design and niche research.
The Twenty Twenty WordPress Theme case study
Not too long ago, I watched an excellent series on building a niche website from scratch. It was all done using free tools- both inside the WA platform and external tools.
Based on the case study, it turned out to be great results; for example, the website started to get traffic within the first month up and running.
This website was built using tools inside WA, along with a tool called Canva, which is a free design tool for making images.
An overview of the WordPress case study series
The series consists of 13 classes, which include the following:
Class 1: Finding an evergreen niche
This class goes over materials such as:
- What to promote on your niche website
- How to find affiliate programs
- Determine if a niche is too saturated
- How to use Amazon to research and decide on a niche
Class 1: Finding An Evergreen Niche (Twenty Twenty WordPress Case Study Series)
Class 2: Building the website
This class goes over how to build a website, including the following:
- Activating the Twenty Twenty WP theme
- Installing the website within minutes
- Adding the basic pages
- How to discover opportunities for affiliate programs
I thought that part was an eye-opener for me, so I learned something brand new. It’s definitely a class I recommend watching from start to end.
Class 3: Researching, organizing, and adding blog content
This class goes over the process of putting all of your content together, including:
- Organizing your content structure
- Writing informational posts
- Writing “how to” content
Class 4: Writing content live
This class shows the instructor writing a post during this live session. In a mostly quiet class, you’ll learn the following information:
- Structuring the headings in an article
- Writing “The Intro”
- Writing “The Conclusion”
- Writing “The Body”
- Proper formatting and corrections
This class goes over setting up social media accounts, including:
- Setting up Pinterest
- Determine whether to set up a Facebook page or not (based on the niche)
Class 6: Writing product reviews
This class dives into the process of writing product reviews, including:
- Asking yourself if you need to own a product to write a review
- Whether you need to own a product
- Setting the layout for a review
- Where to source your information
Class 7: Writing buying guides
This class breaks down the process of a buying guide; for example, the general idea is “Best x for y” type of posts. Some of the materials covered include:
- Choosing products for your buying guides
- A specific layout template (the instructor provides a sample to share and download in Google Drive)
- Where to find specific FAQS for the buying guide
Class 8: Hiring writers for growth using sweat equity
This class goes over how to scale your content. More so, you’ll learn how to hire and delegate tasks to others. These factors include the following:
- What to look for in a writer
- What you will not find in a writer
- How to use the WA platform to find writers (i.e. Use credits earned through WA)
Classes 9-12: Building growth on Pinterest
The next few classes go over how to leverage Pinterest for the website. The selected niche is very visual, and Pinterest is an excellent place to post visual content.
Keep in mind that Pinterest is not a social media network, but works more like a visual search engine (opposite of Google).
These classes cover the following:
- Creating standard pins
- Creating video pins that stand out to viewers
- Growing your Pinterest community through idea pins
- How to use Pinterest for ideas and content
I highly recommend watching these classes if you want to use Pinterest as a source of traffic for your website.
Class 13: Future-proofing your online business (Wrap-up)
This class summarizes everything you need to know, along with future-proofing the website in the long run.
Some of the things covered include the following:
- How to scale your writing
- Creating a systematic process
- Using a content creation calendar for organization
Can I develop my own website for free?
Can I develop my own website for free?
You can do it on your own if you’re a skilled coder. However, it will take you much longer to get a website up and running by doing it manually. More so, you may want to use a website builder to create a basic website in no time. WordPress is an excellent place to do that for free.
What is the purpose of this case study?
This case study is meant to show that you don’t need to pay for anything outside of the WA platform. When it comes to building a niche website, you can utilize the platform at your discretion.
Some of the resources used include the following:
- WA Site Domains
- WA Site Builder
- WA Site Content
- WA affiliate program search tool
- Jaaxy (keyword research tool)
- External resources (that are free) include:
–WordPress Twenty Twenty theme
–Google Analytics
–Google Search Console
–Bing Webmaster tools
–Canva (free version)
–Free stock photo websites (i.e. Pexels)
A related article from notimekillers.com
Read next on “What Is SiteRubix? Best Website Builder Review For Beginners“, to learn more about this builder integrated with the Wealthy Affiliate platform.
What will you need to pay for?
If you want to build a successful niche website, there are some things you will need to invest in. It’s not much compared to what other platforms may charge.
But there are two things you’ll need to pay for upfront, which include:
- A domain name (under $15/year)
- Wealthy Affiliate premium membership ($49/month)
Besides these two things, there’s nothing else you’ll need to pay for. If you want to utilize the WA platform, you can earn credits by being an active member.
That’s if you’re active on the platform. That can range from providing site feedback and comments on other websites.
Earning credits through the WA platform
You can earn a lot of credits by simply providing feedback and leaving comments to help other members. If you earn enough credits, you may be able to get a domain name for free.
You can redeem your credits to purchase a domain name through WA, so that’s a good alternative to actually paying for a domain.
So basically, you’re left with only the premium membership at WA. Besides the membership costs, you can definitely build a niche website by using free tools.
Start watching the case study, Week 1: Finding An Evergreen Niche in the next few minutes. Sign up or upgrade to a premium membership to get help you get started in the right direction.
Yes- you can certainly go down the free route; however, a premium membership can help you provide the right tools to build a profitable website.
If you’re interested in watching the case study series, you’ll need to upgrade to a premium membership,
The monthly price for a premium membership might be a lot, but let’s look at it this way: $49/month is much less than what other platforms would charge.
So you can go with the monthly plan, or you can opt-in for a yearly plan starting at $497/year. That comes to the equivalent of $41.40/month.
All in all, you would be saving around $91.00 in one year by choosing a yearly plan. So if you want to save some dough, going with a yearly plan can get your business going in the right direction.
Overall thoughts
This case study was excellent to watch, and it opened up my eyes as well. Being a long-time WA member myself, I wish I had known about this material earlier on.
But overall, I highly recommend watching it, as it’s one of the best case studies I’ve watched in recent years. If you’re currently on a test drive, consider upgrading to watch the series in its entirety.
Switching to a premium membership can be a good move in the long run. Not only will you get to watch this case study series, but you’ll have access to even more resources as well
Final Words
The best way to create a website is through WordPress- hands down. WP is easy to get started and navigate through.
The case study series is a bonus, which proves that you can create a website through free resources.
If you like what you see, consider upgrading to a premium membership. With a premium plan, you’ll get more access to the core training, along with more expert classes every week.
Take advantage of the limited-time offer by watching this case study series.
With that said, I recommend going through the core training that WA provides. That should be your first starting point, and then you can watch the case study series as well.
Your Turn: Will you create a website using free tools?
I would like to get your thoughts on this topic. Have you ever thought it was possible to create a website for free?
Do you believe using the free resources at WA can help and be cost-effective? If not, what can be done differently to make it better?
Will you take the time to watch the case study series, so that it can benefit your business? Can it help with growing your business in the long term?
Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below. I look forward to reading your responses, and I’ll gladly respond promptly.
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Eric is the owner and chief editor of notimekillers.com. He takes great pride in helping people manage their time and grow their businesses. Eric is a firm believer in financial and time freedom, as he believes in financial independence and taking ownership of your time. “Time is your most important asset. It can be your best friend or worst enemy. How you use your time can shape the future you desire to have.” In his leisure time, Eric loves to write and read whenever possible. He enjoys going for long walks outdoors while doing in-home workout videos every week. You can also connect with Eric via LinkedIn.
Fantastic breakdown and full of info! Thanks so much for making your website so easy to read with the white background and large text.
Seriously…it helps those of us who aren’t 25 anymore! LOL
Now more than ever people are looking into how to make a website. So many people want to work from home, have an online business, or promote something.
This article is super helpful. Thanks again!
Hi Debra,
I’m glad you that you found the website very useful and easy to navigate. That’s one of the reasons why I designed it that way.
The best part is it’s easier to get up a website up and running than at any time in history. Seriously, there are more opportunities than ever before, and more will come up down the road.
If you or someone is interested in learning more about building a website, I encourage you to check out my top pick for getting started. It was mentioned in the post, so be sure to check it out or share it with others.
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts- I greatly appreciate them.
Thank you for such an awesome article Eric!
Building your own website can be intimidating starting out, but you have laid out a very good case for using the WordPress model.
I had no idea WP was responsible for such much of the sites currently on the web.
I have heard of Wealthy Affiliate before, but always wondered whether the whole SEO model really worked.
From your experience, do you believe it is a sure fire method to get traffic to a website? Or are there other avenues that are just as effective or better?
Thanks again for the excellent article.
Hi Joseph,
When you’re brand new and starting out, it can be intimidating. Although WordPress can be a bit of a learning curve, it’ll be a lot easier to build websites in the long run.
It’s no wonder why most websites are powered by WordPress these days. It happens to be the case because the user experience is very good.
To answer your question: Using SEO to get traffic to your website can be very effective. Yes, it can take some time and effort- but it’s well worth it if you want free, organic traffic.
There are other methods to get traffic to your website. But I always recommend to learn SEO first.
That’s why I’ll be going over more of these methods in future posts, once I lay out the basics of building an online business.
Thank you very much for sharing thoughts- they’re greatly appreciated.