How To Build A Blog Website Using Ruby

How to Build a Website

CC0/ Mediamodifier/Pixbay

Some sites suggest you can make a website in five minutes. Is that really true? It's probably an exaggeration but even if it is, it suggests you won't be toiling away for days to get a user-friendly website up and running. Whether you need the site to showcase your work, attract new customers, advertise for new clients or just to show off your hobbies and interests, you can do it cheaply, quickly and effectively whether you're technically brilliant or brilliantly bad with technology.

WordPress

Today, there are over 200 million active websites. A high percentage of those are owned and operated by everyday people. A little over 34% of those sites were created with WordPress. This web building tool is great for those who want to create a scalable website, and it's free to use. You get the chance to customize your site which will make you stand out from the crowd. The downside is that you need to know how to code. A 2016 Gallup report found that 40 percent of American schools offer coding so it won't be long before the next generation come along and create unique sites with WordPress.

Using a Web Builder

If you want to start selling stuff online, you want to focus your energies on content and strategies and you like an all-in-one package, web builders are the only choice. There's a lot of choice in the market. GoDaddy currently had 78 million domain names under management and 18.5 million customers. Wix has three million paid subscribers and there are 1.2 million Shopify users. Most of these guys use web builders because they're easy to use, affordable and efficient ways of getting online.

Which is Best?

You need to answer the question, "Which is best?" yourself because that really is determined by you. For example, Wix and Weebly are among the most popular thanks to their drag and drop feature, whereas something like Squarespace needs a lot more creative flair to get the best out of it. You could also consider Site123. It?s best for small sites and has a reliable live chat support function, which is ideal if you're going it alone and need some support.

How's it Done?

Building a website through a web builder is a little bit like putting together a PowerPoint presentation. You drag and drop what you want onto the site. Making mistakes is expected so making changes is easy with a web builder but you should take advantage of any trial accounts that allow you to practice. Look for a web builder with good support functions like live chat support so you can ask questions as you go.

What to Look for?

A website should be built with the room to grow as your business develops. Consider that when you decide on a web builder. Do you need a blog section? Will you be selling more products in the future through your site? What about the costs? While WordPress is free to use, you'll need a domain name and web hosting. Web builders like Wix offer free plans too but they have limited bandwidth and storage and you'll have Wix branded ads on your website. Weigh up the initial outlay with the sort of income you're expecting to see what works for your business.