Hey there,
If you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking about building your own website or you’re just starting out. Maybe you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, just like I was a few weeks ago.
Let me be totally honest with you: I messed up a lot. I was stuck, frustrated, staring at a screen that refused to look how I wanted.
I wasted so much time trying to make things “perfect” before I even had any “content.” It was a nightmare.
But I finally figured it out. I got my website live. And now I want to walk you through exactly how I did it, and more importantly, the dumb mistakes I made so you can skip right past them.
Let’s get into it.
My Big “Aha!” Moment: Just Start, Don’t Perfect
My first mistake was the biggest one. I thought I needed to design every single pixel myself to make it unique. I spent days inside Elementor (a WordPress page builder), dragging things around, changing colors, and getting nowhere.
My turning point was realizing this: Your first website is a learning project, not a masterpiece. Nobody will remember your fancy animation on day one. They will remember if they found what they were looking for.
So, I stopped designing and started building. Here’s the simple process I followed.
The Real, No-BS Step-by-Step Guide I Followed
Step 1: I Picked a “Niche” (And Kept It Simple)
People get so scared by this word. “Niche.” It just means “what your website is about.” I didn’t want to build a travel blog or a food blog because I know nothing about that.
I’m learning digital marketing. So, I made my website about… learning digital marketing! I called it “The Digital Marketing Lab.” That’s it. It’s just a public journal of my projects. Don’t overthink this. Just pick something you know a little about and are willing to learn more about.
Step 2: I Chose My Tools (The Easy Way)
- Hosting: This is where your website lives on the internet. I went with a basic shared hosting plan. My favorite provider for beginners is Hostinger, but Namecheap or Bluehost are also totally fine.
- Note*: In the beginning, any decent hosting will work; once you get some return on investment (or more traffic), you can always migrate to a high-end one. Don’t stress about this now. You will pay triple for fancy hosting you don’t even need yet.
- Theme: I installed the Astra theme. It’s free, light, and doesn’t slow your site down. Then, I used the “Starter Templates” plugin to import a whole pre-designed layout with one click. I chose a simple one that looked clean. This gave me a full homepage, about page, and contact page instantly. Magic.
Step 3: I Swapped Dummy Crap for My Stuff
The template came with pictures of mountains and text about “exploring the world.” I deleted all of that. I went through every page and changed it to be about my journey.
- Homepage: I changed the big headline to “The Digital Marketing Lab” and wrote a line about learning in public.
- About Page: I wrote a short story about me, why I’m learning this, and what I hope to do. I used a cartoon avatar instead of my photo because I’m shy!
- Contact Page: I deleted the fake office address and just put a simple form and my social media links.
This took me an afternoon. Not days.
Step 4: I Wrote This Blog Post
And here we are! The whole point of the site is to have a blog, so I’m starting with this story.
The 5 Dumb Mistakes I Made (Learn From Me!)
1. Prioritizing Design Over Content
I was so worried about colors and fonts that I had no actual words on my site. This is a huge trap. Many digital marketers these days make the same mistake as ten years ago, focusing on graphics and visuals. But when a user comes to your site, they want to read what you have to say. If your crazy design distracts them, they’ll just leave. Focus on your words first. Design second.
2. Getting Stuck in “Elementor Hell”
Elementor is a powerful tool, but it’s a rabbit hole. You can spend 4 hours designing one button. I learned that you should only use a page builder like Elementor after you have your structure. Use a pre-built template first. Get the site working. Then you can tweak things slowly later.
3. Overthinking The Perfect Niche
I spent days wondering if my niche was good enough. Is it too competitive? Is it too boring? The truth is, your first website niche doesn’t matter nearly as much as you think. The goal is to learn the process. You can always change it later.
4. Trying to Be an Expert on Day One
My first few drafts of my About page sounded like I was a CEO with 20 years of experience. It felt fake. I scrapped it and wrote like I was talking to a friend. People connect with honesty, not a fake resume. It’s okay to be a beginner.
5. Not Asking for Help Sooner
I struggled alone for too long. I finally asked in a forum and got the answer in 5 minutes. If you’re stuck, just ask. The WordPress community is huge and helpful.
A Quick Note on Customizing Your Theme
When you do start to customize your theme, keep in mind the followings:
- Don’t use too many fonts. One for headings, one for text. That’s it.
- Don’t use a rainbow of colors. Pick 2 or 3 colors and stick to them.
- Make sure it looks good on a phone. This is non-negotiable in 2024.
You Can Do This
Look, if I can go from frustrated and stuck to having a live website that I’m proud of, you absolutely can too.
Your journey might look different, but the first step is always the same: just start. Don’t worry about it being perfect. Worry about it being real.
I’d love to hear about your journey. What’s the biggest thing stopping you from building your site? Let me know in the comments below… oh wait, I don’t have comments set up yet! See? We’re all learning. You can message me on my Contact Page instead.
Cheers,
HITESH
