There are three common ways to put a site online as a beginner. You can use WordPress, you can use a site builder, or you can use a simple storefront. All three work. None of them is the secret.
This lesson explains what each one is, what you give up with each, and how to pick one in an afternoon. By the end, you'll have a choice made and a reason for it.
If you haven't read Your first website yet, start there. It covers domains, hosting and the basic pages. This lesson picks up right after that.
The short version
- A site builder is the easiest start, WordPress gives you the most control, and a storefront is the fastest way to sell one or two products.
- Every option trades ease for control. There's no choice that gives you all of both.
- Pick based on what you need in the next few months, not what you might need in five years.
Option 1: WordPress
WordPress is free software for building websites. You install it on hosting you rent, and then you run it yourself. That's what people mean by self-hosted.
Many hosting companies offer a "one-click install" that sets it up for you. After that, you pick a theme, which is a ready-made design, and add plugins, which are add-ons that give your site extra features like contact forms or a shop.
What it's good at
- You can build almost any kind of site with it.
- You own your files and can move to a different host if you want.
- There's a huge pile of free help and tutorials online, because so many people use it.
What it costs you
- You're responsible for updates. WordPress, your theme and your plugins all need updating, and skipped updates are a common way sites get hacked.
- You're responsible for backups.
- There's more to learn. The first week can feel like assembling furniture with half the instructions in another language.
WordPress fits you if you like tinkering, you want room to grow, and you're willing to spend a little time each month on upkeep.
Option 2: A site builder
A site builder is a service that does everything in one place. Hosting, design, security certificates and updates are all handled for you. You pick a template, drag blocks around, type your words and hit publish.
What it's good at
- It's the fastest way to get a good-looking site live.
- You don't have to think about software updates. The company does that.
- Help and support usually come from one place, so you're not chasing five different companies.
What it costs you
- You're renting space inside someone else's system. You can only do what their tools allow.
- Moving away later can be a chore. Your design often doesn't come with you, and sometimes your content needs to be copied over by hand.
- Some features you might want later can be locked behind higher plans.
A site builder fits you if you want a clean site soon and would rather spend your time on content than on maintenance.
Option 3: A simple storefront
A storefront here means a service built mainly to sell things, especially digital products like PDFs, templates or courses. You upload your product, write a description, connect a way to get paid, and the service gives you a page with a buy button.
What it's good at
- It's the shortest path from "I made a thing" to "someone can buy it."
- Checkout, file delivery and receipts are usually handled for you.
- You don't need a full website to start.
What it costs you
- It's not really a website. You get product pages, not a home for your whole brand.
- Your design choices are usually limited.
- Many of these services take a cut of each sale or charge a monthly fee. Read their current pricing page, since it changes.
A storefront fits you if you have one product ready and want to test whether anyone will buy it. Lots of people start here and add a real website later. That's a sensible order.
The trade-off that matters most
Every option sits somewhere on a line between ease and control.
- More ease means less to learn and less to maintain, but less freedom.
- More control means more freedom, but more to learn and more to maintain.
There's no choice that is both the easiest and the most flexible. Pick which one you need more right now.
There's a second trade-off people forget: lock-in. That's how hard it is to leave. Before you commit, ask each service one question: "If I want to leave, what can I take with me?" Look for words like export in their help pages. If the answer is "not much," you're not doomed, but you should know it going in.
How to pick in an afternoon
Grab a piece of paper and answer these honestly.
- What's the one job this site needs to do in the next three months? Collect emails? Sell one product? Explain a service? Write it down in one sentence.
- How do you feel about upkeep? If the idea of monthly updates makes you tired, lean toward a site builder or storefront.
- Do you already have something to sell? If yes, and it's just one or two things, a storefront might be all you need for now.
- Do you enjoy tinkering? If you like figuring out how things work, WordPress will reward that.
- What's your patience level this month? Be honest. A tool you'll quit in a week is the wrong tool, no matter how powerful it is.
Here's a rough guide based on your answers:
- Want it simple and live soon: site builder.
- Have one product and want to test sales: storefront.
- Want full control and don't mind learning: WordPress.
How to test before you commit
Most services let you try before you're locked in. Use that.
- Pick two options that seem like a fit.
- Sign up for a free trial or free plan of each, if they offer one.
- Build the same tiny thing in both: a home page with a headline, a paragraph and a button.
- Notice which one felt less frustrating. That's real information.
- Check each one's export options and current pricing page before you pay.
Give yourself a deadline. A week is plenty. Comparing tools forever is a comfortable way to avoid building anything.
What not to worry about yet
Beginners lose a lot of time on questions that don't matter at the start.
- "Which one is best for search engines?" All three can be found by search engines. Your words matter far more than your platform.
- "What if I outgrow it?" If you outgrow it, that means it worked. You can move later.
Do this next
The best platform is the one you're still using next month.
Veteran. Gen Xer. Thirty-plus years building things on the web. I write these so you can skip some of the expensive mistakes.