Make Your Own Website
A WordPress Tutorial Series
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Are you ready to make your own website? Let’s Get Started!
I want to help you make your own website quickly and easily and minimize the amount difficulty and frustration you can face when building your site.
When I built my first website I ran into so many dead ends and difficulties. It took me moths to figure it all out and get my site up and running. I want to save you from all of that.
Over the past few years I have been testing and reviewing website tools looking for the best way to easily make your own website. This course contains my best advice for building a quality website easily. A website that will grow with you into the future.
In this tutorial I’m going to share with you the best way that I have found to easily get started, and build a website. You don’t need to know how to code, I’ll keep everything as simple and easy as possible!
I’ve created this website Real Website Hints and my YouTube channel to help people just like you figure out the best and easiest ways to get started building a great website.
In this course I recommend products that I have tested and like. All of the opinions are my own. If you find this information useful, you can use the links provided in this tutorial which will cost you nothing extra and provide me with a commission. That helps me to keep testing and creating free content like this!
Build A Website Course Sections:
Part 01: Basics of Webpage Design and Getting Organized
Figure out the main thing that your website is really about.
For your website to be successful you need to get a really good idea about the main purpose of your website. What is your website about and who is it for. Knowing this and keeping this idea as simple as possible will help you to better define your site, and your sites design.
Communicating the purpose of your website.
Once you have a clear idea about what the purpose of your website is and who it’s for the next step is to communicate that with your viewers.
Communicating this idea is something that you need to do as quickly and succinctly as possible on your site.
You can see from the professianlly designed examples in the video that the best ways of doing this are with a short and clear statement that relates to your website, business or organizations main purpose.
To compliment this statement choosing one main hero image that compliments this main idea of your site is a very powerful way of letting your viewers know that they are in the right place.
Choose a color palette for your website.
The next important thing for creating a great looking website is to figure out what colors you are going to use. This part is really fun. You don’t have to be a design genius to figure out a great color scheme. What I have found makes a site look great is using a very limited number of colors. One to four main colors seems to be the best. You also want to use these same colors across all of your websites and all of your materials on social media and printed materials.
A really easy way of creating a great color pallet is to use a color palette tool like paletton.com. If you have an existing logo I suggest using the main color in your logo as the main color in your color palette. Watch the video for the best information on how to use this tool and how to save your color palette so that you can refer to it later.
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Part 02: How To Choose A Hosting Company For Your WordPress Website
Next Steps:
Choose A Hosting Company And We’ll Setup WordPress Together:
Which Hosting Company Should You Use?
The great thing about building a website is that you are in complete control of where you website is located, or where it is hosted. This also means that you can move your website to another host later if you find that you don’t like your current hosting company. Most hosting companies will help you to move your site to their service for free. So you don’t need to worry about making the wrong choice. Pick the one that you think best fits your current needs and keep moving forward! These are all great choices.
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Part 03: How To Setup Hosting & Configure WordPress With Flywheel
Click Here To Get Started With Flywheel Hosting
Why Choose Flywheel hosting?
Flywheel offers a complete hosting solution. Included in the price of hosting are all of the important services and features that you need. It’s also incredibly easy to use. By far the easiest hosting I have tested to use and setup.
At first Flywheel may seem expensive but if you look past the introductory rates of discount hosting and if you include all of the services and features that Flywheel adds as standard to other hosting services you will soon realize what a great value Flywheel is.
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GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW LESSONS AND CONTENT
Get Notified About:
- New Lessons
- New Tips
- New Tools and services
Part 04: How To Install A WordPress Theme: Getting Started With Divi
Is the Divi theme right for you?
I’ve tested dozens of website building tools and themes for WordPress. Divi is my favorite. It’s a great blend of being easy to use and still powerful. It’s great for beginners and will grow with you as you grow your website and learn more about internet marketing and website design. If you would like to know more about the Divi theme before installing it check out my full Divi Theme Review.
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Part 05: How To Build A Page With The Divi Theme
If you haven’t already Click Here To Get The Divi Theme
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Part 06: How To Install Page Templates Into The Divi Theme
Get Some Free Page Templates For Divi!
Click Here To Get The Divi Theme
Getting An Easy Head Start With Divi
One of my favorite things about the Divi theme is the ability to download and install individual page templates or even individual page sections to your site.
Installing page templates that have been created by other people can be a great way to get an easy headstart on building your website.
In the coming sections of this course I’ll be walking you thru the process of building some divi page templates that I’ve created. You’ll have the option to follow along and build them with me, or you can simply use the steps in the video above and install them and modify them on your own site.
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Part 07: How To Make A One Page Website Or Landing Page
Create a one page WordPress website or a landing page with Divi.
In this tutorial I’ll show you how to make a one page wordpress website. This is also a great techniqe for creating a nice looking landing page with links to different sections on the page.
If you want to follow along with the entiere tutorial just to get some practice you can use the link above to download the media files so that you can follow along.
If you just want to skip ahead to specific techniques that I talk about in the video jump to these times in the video.
4:04 How to make a full height section
8:28 Setting a custom color palette in Divi
9:19 Adding the first parallax section
11:20 Using the Divi wireframe view
12:38 Using the blurb module to create a bullet list
15:38 How the parallax effect works on this website
17:08 Using a specialty section
17:16 Placing two buttons side by side
22:29 Placing images side by side
25:33 Creating a gradient background in the Divi theme
29:09 Customizing a section of your webpage for mobile devices
32:00 Creating a one page website
32:14 Adding dot navigation to your website
32:51 Setting creating links with in a webpage
35:05 Making your menu link to different places on the same page
35:54 Making a menu for a one page website.
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Have A Question?
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Hi, Wanna need some help for my website, Just bought the domain from wix.com and upgrade for online ordering. My business just started and I let my friend do the editing seems he was busy from work. I want to re-format my web but don’t know how to do it. Just wanna ask how much you will charge to edit my website or minimum I can donate? I already a have a merchant account but not set up yet. I only cook one product and waiting for my box with logo to take a picture and put in order pay section and gallery.
here’s my web http://www.yummybellyla.com I will deliver the food to my customer, basically, I will cook a whole roasted pork belly. and deliver to my customer and they will pay online 5 days in advance. Thank you.
Hi Nick,
I’ll send you an email about this.
Hi Wanna,
Can you recommend a Divi 3.0 Layout for an hotel please? I need one like yesterday. Thanks
Michael
Check out the templates on the Templates page. https://www.realwebsitehints.com/divi-theme-free-page-template-kits-all-in-one-place/
Thanks so much for all your work. Really looking forward to the Page Walk thru! Moving into wordpress from Squarespace and Wix and others, and your videos have been a great help in the process. Thanks again!
Glad to help!
Hi Tim, Can you tell me if I need VPS to support the Divi template you recommend? Elegant Themes (and WordPress.org) recommend hosts that support PHP version 7 or greater, MySQL 5.6 or greater and
HTTPS support. I’ve watched many of your videos, including one on how to chose a web host and they are very well done, but there was no discussion of this aspect. Thanks so much for your help. Gil
No you do not need a VPS. Especially if you are just starting out. As you get more traffic on your site you may want to upgrade to managed WordPress hosting. Which is a WordPress specific VPS. Each company offers their own brand name. For example dreamhost calls theirs Dreampress. But to get started building a site you do not need a VPS.
I should add that two hosts I’ve spoken to say I would need their VPS service to support PHP of 7 or greater.
WordPress recommends PHP 7 but it will work with PHP vs 5.2.4 and higher. So for just getting started with a new website I wouldn’t worry about this too much. If it’s in your budget to get better hosting then there is no harm in that. If not you can always move your website to better hosting later.
Hello,
I found your youtube video helpful about DIVI but couldn’t find more info about the child themes. I purchased Divi but would love to find a child theme that has the life coach, fitness, outdoorsy, zen feel. Where can I find examples of the child themes so I can get this website started?
With Divi and most page builder themes you don’t need to create child themes. I have a video about why: Do you need a child theme? What you are really looking for are page templates. I have a blog post that links to a bunch of free page templates. Free Divi Templates Divi is easy to design pages with also. So you should be able to find a website you like and get fairly close to the design by doing it yourself. I think the key to getting the look you want is choosing the right images. You might want to check out one of these posts images for your website How to create banners and graphics for your website and social media. If you find that you really do want a child theme for Divi a good place to start is Elegant Marketplace Hope that helps!
Hi Tim
I’ve started building my wordpress photography website but, I’ve now decided that my business operations need to be split into two trading names to suit the different market places they supply. Consequently, I need to build two different websites to market to these different areas. There is no requirement for either of the market places to know that the two websites are linked or connected in any way.
What is the best and easiest way to do this?
Thanks
Graham.
Simply build two different websites. With Divi you can build unlimited number of websites so no problem there. For hosting you can either go with the Siteground Ground Go Big Plan or you can use the Dreamhost base plan In your situation I would probably go for Siteground because they have server locations in London.
Tim, without your Divi YouTube “Real Website Hints” videos I would be totally lost. I probably would have asked for a refund from Divi.
Your videos have helped me apply the basics, however, when I have a problem, Divi Support hasn’t been helpful.
It would be great if you offered “live” help on some type of a support agreement.
I’m caught up on your current videos. I look forward to watching your “Coming Soon” videos.
Sorry you haven’t found the Divi support team helpful! I’ve always had good luck with them. It does usually take 24 hours to get a response. I’ll think about offering live help in the future, but as it’s just me I don’t know if that’s really practical right now 🙂
When you are logged into elegant themes they also offer some training videos for Divi so you might check those out also!
I’ll get working on those new how to build pages with Divi videos!
Tim, I am learning about WordPress and it was recommended that I use Avada. I have watched 4 different online tutorials including yours a couple of times. 2 of the tutorials build the web site from scratch…the other 2 say import a demo, then clean it out, then build on top of the demo? I can see using a demo for a one time deal, but if I want to build more sites for clients, isn’t it better to build from scratch like on your video? and is Avada the best theme? I reviewed their videos and they are terrible. Your thoughts?
When using Avada I think that it’s best to use the demos to learn how they made the pages, but actually build sites from scratch. Right now my top pick for a WordPress theme is Divi. I think that developers behind Divi are working really hard and making awesome improvements. Avada might get back on top but right now I can see the hunger that the Divi team has to innovate and make the best and easiest theme to use. There is also a very active community of professional designers building websites for clients with Divi. You can check them out at the Divi users and Elegant Themes marketplace facebook group.
Also check out my Divi Review!
Hello Tim,
first of all you should know that English is not my native language. I say the just in case that typing errors appear.
How ever, I have a question to Elegant Themes in general, do they allow the PayPal option to perch for the licenses are offered on the Website. I ask this because in Germany where I life in 90 % of us all do NOT use credit cards, in fact we do not even have the need for them because we always can pay with cash money inside of our nation. that is why we IF we pay international use the PayPal method to pay directly over our Bank-Accounts.
I was looking on the Q&A page of Elegant Themes, but there explanation of Gateway Payment fare to general to know if it is including PayPal or not. Furthermore I always like to know about the ways I can pay before I have something in my shopping cart to later realize that my Payment option is either not supported at all or it is setup in that way, that I am forced to have credit card registered on my PayPal.
I am sorry that I bother you with this but for some reasons no one ever covert this topic in any way and no matter who I was asking, I never got an answer.
Yes when you check out on the elegant themes website there is one tab on the check out page for credit card and one tab for PayPal. I’m always happy to answer questions! So no problem!
Thank you for your quick answer. Unforgettably there was no way for me to implement my PayPal during the Registration, it seams that is not possible for Germany or ever German speaking Nations. ore the have deleted this option completely from the registration. That means I am done at least with Elegant Themes, maybe even with my idea of making a Website. It kind of sad because was playing with the thought buy there lifetime license because I was looking for something like that sense I my self just have HTML 5 and CSS 3 knowledge.
How ever, I thank you again for your quick answer an wish you a good day.
I dont know how to address you..but thats not important. i just wish to say i like your honesty it feels very genuine. i wont be making a donation because i am not financially solvent at present. thank you for sharing what you have learnt. hopefully i will be able to make use of it. i am not pc literate but have to now create a site to generate an income. i am in a part of the world where there is not much employment so getting work is extremely difficult. anyway the greatest blessings are presented in difficult situations or circumstances. just downloaded flywheel and now about to follow your tutorial on creating a site via word..
Stay well and safe. peace
It’s my aim to help you get your website up and running and I’m glad that you find the tutorial helpful. I can totally understand about needing to conserve your money. I have been where you are. When I first started out I was really careful. You comment is very welcome. Here’s to your success with your new website!
Great video series! I love them but in many of them you mentioned that you had a video con how to optimize images for wordpress but I couldn’t find it. COuld you post the URL for it?
Here is the link. In the latest version of photoshop you can actually adjust the same settings using just the export function instead of the save for web function. https://www.realwebsitehints.com/optimize-images-website/
Hi, I have followed the your video on the coming soon page, but it is not working for me. All my pages that I have saved to draft are showing up but not the coming soon page that I have published.
Hi! Did you set the coming soon page to your static front page? The setting is on the WordPress dashboard, the back end of your website, under Settings > Reading then under front page display set it to a static page. Then set your front page to thre coming soon page you created.
Hi Tim, Realy enjoying your well presented Divi tutorials.
Tell me what do you see as the benefits of a single page website that you scroll through, as opposed to menu driven pages?
I think that it really depends on aesthetics and how much content you have. If you don’t have a lot of content and it’s all focused around one topic having a one page website can be good. If you website has a lot of content on different topics you would want to have a site with multiple pages. For example I would say that a restaurant website would do well as a one page website. All of the information is about the restaurant and is fairly simple. Where is it what’s on the menu and perhaps a little bit about their philosophy or their history. Really all one topic the restaurant.
If you are talking about a business that offers different types of services. I would suggest a multiple page website. With each page focusing on one service. The home page linking to and connecting all of the pages and talking about the over all industry or type of service.
Hi Tim!
I am new to this website stuff. Could you tell me where to get the Divi them? And the best wp hosting and domain provider? Thanks.
PS: I want to save some money on these things as I am just starting out
Thanks.
You can get the divi theme here: https://www.realwebsitehints.com/get/divi-theme/ There are a few options for hosting, these are the ones that I recommend. https://www.realwebsitehints.com/what-is-the-best-web-hosting-and-the-best-wordpress-hosting/
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Tim,
I have been spending a LOT of time watching your videos and have chosen to dump Visual Composer/WPBakery, which was used by my now fired web designers. We have elected to go with DIVI and Elegant Themes. Our site has been basically rebuilt and I am trying to educate myself with this new content manager. Do you ever do any consulting or evaluations of existing site? I have been doing business for 40 years and 20 years with my current site. I could write a book on the drama, wasted money, out of business web designers etc.! Or do you work with other consultants that may help?
Send me an email and let me know more precisely what you are looking for help with. [email protected]
My Subscription and Domain expires 2/28/2018 via Weebly. After watching how Divi Works it seems so much easier. Will I have to get a New Domain name, host and everything through wordpress? I guess my question is.. How do I start all over and build an awesome website via Divi?
Just follow the instructions step by step on this page. The one thing that you will need to do differently is to transfer your domain from Weebly to the hosting company that you choose. Here are the instructions from Weebly on how to get the domain transfer process started. https://hc.weebly.com/hc/en-us/articles/216733938-Unlock-Your-Domain-and-Get-the-EPP-Code
Hi Tim,
I need help with my website:)
Could you please let me know if your able to help?
Warm regards,
Trisha.
If you have a question feel free to ask it here, or send me an email. [email protected]
hey Tim.
Greetings from cold old Germany.
First off, I’m an ‘Idiot’ with computers(!).
BUT, I need a website,..
looking for ‘what-I-was-looking-for’,
I came across Divi.
Divi Extra, to be exact.
My friends all tell me,…”Nö chance.’
After reading/watching your tutorials,..
I think I can.
I’m going to try.
Before I get going,…
I thought I’d say, “Thanks!”
,…I’ll let you know,,.,
what happens!
Thanks,…Danke,
Dennis
Go for it! I’m sure you can do it!
Such a great, informative post. Thank you. But, I do have a bone to pick with you…
You obviously research a lot, so you must know that there is one of your web host suggested providers that has Vey Poor uptime stats. Why didn’t you share this fact with your audience?
I’ve tested and have test sites on all of the services I recommend with out issue. I haven’t experienced the issues that you are talking about. When I do see complaints about hosting companies I have found that not in all cases but in many cases it’s user error rather then the fault of the hosting company. I know when I first got started building websites I had my site go down and was quick blame the hosting company only to realize that it was actually my own fault. I’ll continue to keep an eye on the quality of service for the companies that I recommend.
Thank you!! I’ve been struggling with building my website for over a week! I’ve learned more from you’re website and first video than I’ve learned from a highly recommended book that I bought. I’ve already purchased DIVI and am using Bluehost so I can’t use the links for your commission but, if you recommend any other tools, I’ll be sure to use your links.
Can one still use visual editor with most premium child themes?
Some vendors have a disclaimer that the custom elements may not be supported or play well with visual editor, and visual editor is the entire reason to use Divi
Also, would the custom coding in the layout packs impact the visual editors capability?
Cheers
As far as I know and have tested you should have no problem using the visual editor with most premium child themes.
Some of the custom elements that child theme developers have created won’t show up in the visual editor, so to add them you need to use the backend editor. The visual editor still functions normally you just can’t use or edit the elements that are provided by the child theme creator in the visual editor. You would need to switch to the backend editor to add or modify settings for those elements. You could then switch back to the front end editor con continue working on your design.
Custom coding should not impact the visual editor. Usually the custom code that is added is just css to change the look of elements on your site and will not effect the functionality of the visual builder.
Hi! I’m new to your site.
Question re: Part 05: How to build a page with the Divi Theme:
It looks like there’s no feedback when you move sections, elements around. Like when you moved the “divider” how do you know in fact that you moved it?
I’m using Elementor and it shows a line across the page where you can successfully drop the element you’re moving. I’m researching DIVI as a possible replacement for Elementor.
Eliminator behaves differently form Divi so you will get different functionality.
Hi. Thank you for providing these VDO’s on DIVI.
Question: Re: Using DIVI Page Templates.
Once you import the “All.jason” files > Create a “Coming Soon” page > Load files from Library > Save Draft > Can’t you “Use Visual Builder” instead to see all the Coming Soon layouts and just delete all but the one you want?
In the VDO you went to “View Page” scrolled to see which one you liked, choosing the last one, then went back to > edit page where you removed all the extra sections.
When I was making the video it wasn’t always working the way that you stated. Now the them has been updated and is working as you described. So the way you are doing it works fine!
Hi! In your first tutorial you are using apple digital colour meter but those people who are using a window which tool they use to check colour.
can you tell me from which website that tool is freely available means without any cost?
I haven’t found a great tool for windows…. I’d recommend using an online tool like this https://html-color-codes.info/colors-from-image/ You can upload your image and then use it to find the color that you would like inside your image.
Really great tips related to web designing and development projects. These all factors matters a lot. Thanks for sharing