How to Make a Website without a Website Builder

Website builders have become increasingly popular over the last few years. You’ve probably seen ads for companies like Wix, Shopify, and Squarespace that offer a simple platform for getting a website up and running in no time. However, for many small businesses, using a website builder may not be the right fit.

Creating a website without a website builder may take a few more steps (and cost a little more money) but the extra effort can definitely be worth it.

Let’s take a look at why you might want to go this route, and what your options are moving forward.

A free website builder takes out all the guesswork of putting together a website—it does the coding for you, and usually offers hosting. Sounds great, right? Why even venture out into the unknown of building your own website from scratch?

Depending on the company, website builders come with a number of complications and limitations.

By creating your own website without a website builder you benefit from being in total control of the outcome.

For many small businesses (especially those with an online store) the choice is clear—creating a website without a website builder offers much more flexibility and customization. But once you’ve decided to proceed on your own, what are your next steps?

The first thing you’ll need to do is select a name for your website. Make it unique to your brand, easy to remember and spell, and not too lengthy. You will have to pay for the ownership of your website’s name, but most domains only cost around $10–$20 per year to maintain. Shop around for a registrar that sounds good to you. BlueHost, GoDaddy, and HostGator are all highly rated.

If you’re not familiar with coding, and don’t have the time and resources to learn, building a website through an open source content management system (CMS) might be the more sensible option. Unlike a website builder, an open source CMS allows you to totally customize your website.

Open source software CMS

The most common open source CMS used for building a website is WordPress. In fact, over 40% of all websites are run by WordPress.¹ You can either access this software through your web host, or by downloading and installing it on your personal computer. The CMS itself is very robust, so you may want to dedicate some time to a WordPress tutorial—especially if this is your first time using the software.

Another popular CMS is Webflow. Like WordPress, Webflow is an open source software that allows for total customization. Webflow is also known for having better web design customization, rather than relying on pre-made templates.

Templates and themes

Once you’ve become familiar with WordPress, you’ll need to choose a theme. The theme of your website is the overall look and feel, so it’s important to be selective and choose one that resonates with your brand.

You can create and upload your own template to WordPress, or choose from millions of templates available online. If you choose a WordPress theme, you will be able to totally customize the appearance—colors, fonts, photos, logos, etc.

If customizing your web design (even in an easy-to-use template) sounds a little daunting, you might want to hire a freelance web designer to create a custom template for your website.

Hiring a developer

If all of this still sounds overwhelming, but you still don’t want to use a website builder, you always have the option of hiring a professional freelance web developer to build a website for you. Freelancers may charge an hourly rate or fixed rate, and costs can run anywhere from $500 to $3,000. If you have the means, this route may be worth it in the long run since you’ll be saving time, and receiving a high-quality product.

If learning how to make a website without a website builder is important to you, there are dozens of resources at your disposal. Whether you want to learn to code, or use a robust CMS, creating a website without a site builder can be a huge asset for your company.

Want to learn more about building a website for small businesses? Take a look at our Best Website Builders for Small Businesses guide.

Disclaimer

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don't guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.