Build your first website, one clear step at a time.

Start with a clear homepage.

Add an About section, contact details, a logo and useful photographs. These four items establish identity, trust and a way for customers to act.

• Use a business name customers will recognize.
• Keep the site in Draft while you experiment.
• Preview frequently instead of waiting until the end.

Compare complete templates using your own content.

A template is a starting structure, not a permanent commitment. Preview several layouts and select the one that makes your most important message and action easiest to find.

• Judge readability before decoration.
• Check that the mobile layout feels natural.
• Keep the brand palette to two or three main colours.

Edit the words directly on the page.

Explain who you help, what you offer and the next step. In the art-studio example, the headline describes the work and the View Gallery button invites visitors to explore it.

Create the pages before filling every detail.

Use Add Page, then choose New page, enter a Page Title and decide whether to Show in Navigation. The repair-shop example shows these controls before a page is created.

• Use short page names that fit comfortably on mobile.
• Keep the most useful customer pages in the main navigation.
• Avoid adding empty pages that do not have a clear purpose.

Search for a section that matches the job.

Select Add Section, search by purpose and compare the complete layouts. Choose a structure for the content you need, then replace the example text and media with your own.

• Use Flexible Layouts to compare complete text-and-image sections.
• Use Contact for enquiries and Image Gallery when photographs carry the message.
• Search by the task you need, then compare the preview layouts.

Add only the sections that help a visitor decide.

Group related services or products into useful choices. Give each option a specific name, a relevant photograph and a clear next step.

• What is this page for?
• Which option matches the visitor?
• What should the visitor do next?
• Does each image support the nearby text?

Give every important image a purpose.

Choose photographs that explain your work. Check the crop, add a useful caption where needed and write alternative text for important images.

• Describe what is visible rather than starting with “image of.”
• Keep captions useful and distinct from alternative text.
• Check that automatic cropping does not hide the subject.
• Use sharp, compressed images instead of oversized originals.

Make the Contact page useful and trustworthy.

Choose a contact layout that combines a short form with the business details customers may need. Explain what visitors should ask about and when they can expect a reply.

• Request only the information needed to answer the question.
• Confirm the form delivers to an inbox you check regularly.
• Publish an address only if customers are welcome to visit it.
• Keep business hours, phone numbers and response times accurate.

Use the blog to answer real customer questions.

Add a Blog page, choose a readable post layout and write one useful article before worrying about a publishing schedule. Prairie Peak Outfitters begins with “What to Pack for a Saskatchewan Day Hike.”

• Use a specific title that promises a useful answer.
• Break the article into short sections with descriptive headings.
• Add a relevant featured image, caption and accessibility description.
• Assign a clear category so related articles are easier to browse.
• Keep the post as a draft until its facts, links and mobile layout are checked.

Preview before you publish.

Review the draft as a customer—not as its creator. Test every button, check phone and tablet layouts, proofread prices and contact details, and confirm that forms reach the correct inbox.

• Use descriptive page titles and one main heading per page.
• Add meaningful alternative text to important images.
• Compress large photos and avoid text baked into images.
• Complete payments, tax, shipping and a test order before launching a store.