Build a Website from Scratch with Html, Css, and GitHub for Free

Building a website from scratch can seem daunting, but with the right tools and knowledge, it's completely free and achievable.

HTML is the backbone of any website, and it's free to learn and use.

For beginners, GitHub offers a free account that allows you to create and store your website's code, giving you the ability to collaborate with others and track changes to your project.

With HTML, CSS, and GitHub, you can build a website without spending a dime.

To start coding a website for free, you'll need to choose your coding language(s). I recommend starting with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as they're the most common ways to code a website.

You can use free code editors to code your site, and when you're finished, you can find free hosting for HTML websites, such as Cloudflare Pages. The only thing you might need to pay for is a domain name, which costs around $10 per year.

It's worth noting that coding a website can take varying amounts of time, from a few hours for a basic homepage to weeks or more for a complex ecommerce site.

Creating a website can seem daunting, but it's actually quite accessible. You can code your own website for free, using free code editors and free hosting options like Cloudflare Pages. The only thing you might need to pay for is a domain name, which costs around $10 per year.

Learning to code a website is a valuable skill that will be useful on the web. Understanding how HTML, CSS, and JavaScript work will help you build robust websites with marketing functionality and content management systems. For example, HubSpot's free website builder offers all that functionality and more.

There are different types of websites you can create, ranging from simple to interactive. A simple website displays information, while an interactive website allows users to take actions, like signing up for guitar lessons. To create an interactive website, you'll need to use JavaScript, but don't worry, you can start with a pre-written program to get you started.

The time it takes to code a website varies greatly, depending on its complexity. A basic homepage might take a few hours, while an ecommerce site could take weeks or more. Remember, a website can evolve over time, so starting simple is perfectly fine.

Here are some practice projects to help you build fluency in HTML and CSS:

Learning Git is like learning to save your game in the coding world, it lets you keep track of changes and experiment without fear of losing your work.

Git is a powerful tool that helps you manage your code and collaborate with others. It's like a social network for your code, where you can store it safely.

Remember to practice regularly, because in less than three years, I went from fumbling through my first lines of HTML to guiding others on their coding journey. Stay curious and keep experimenting.

Getting started with a new skill can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. With the right resources, you can learn at your own pace and achieve your goals.

There are many free courses available to help you get started with CSS. For example, the "Checker Dense" course is a beginner-friendly option that covers the basics of adding CSS to HTML in just 6 hours.

You can also learn about the box model, which is a crucial concept in CSS that helps you fine-tune the display and positioning of HTML elements. This course is also beginner-friendly and can be completed in just 2 hours.

If you're looking for a more advanced course, the "Checker Dense" course on implementing elegant transitions and creating new layouts is a great option. This course is intermediate-level and takes around 10 hours to complete.

Here are some related courses to consider:

Start by figuring out what goal or purpose your website should serve. This will help you determine the types of pages you'll want to publish.

You should consider what you want to achieve with your website. Do you want to sell products or services? Maybe you want to show off your portfolio or build your own website purely for branding purposes.

The answer to this question will help you determine the types of content you'll want to feature on your pages. This could include an image gallery, articles, or videos.

You'll also need to consider the technical capabilities you'll want, such as integration with an email marketing platform or a live chat solution.

To clarify, here are some examples of the types of pages you might want to publish based on your goal:

Creating a sitemap will help you outline the hierarchy and relationships between your website's pages. This will make it easier to move on to the next step of the website creation process.

To create a website, you'll need to start with HTML basics. HTML is a language that provides structure to website content, and it's the foundation of any website.

You can create an HTML document from scratch, but I recommend brushing up on your HTML skills first. To do this, you can start with the basic structure of an HTML document, which includes the doctype declaration, html tag, head tag, and body tag.

The standard approach to coding a website is to use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. HTML provides the structure, CSS adds style, and JavaScript adds interactivity. If you're new to coding, it's best to start with the standard approach.

Here are some common coding languages used for frontend and/or backend web development:

These languages can be used to create a website, but for beginners, it's best to start with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

To create a website, you'll need to choose the coding language(s) you want to use.

HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are commonly used languages for coding a website.

I recommend starting with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript because they're the most common ways to code a website.

Other languages like PHP, Python, Ruby, and C# can also be used, but it's best to start with the basics first.

JavaScript is added to the core website for interactivity, but you can start with just HTML and CSS for now.

As you start to see your website come to life, it's time to take your CSS skills to the next level. You can transform your basic web pages into something truly unique and visually appealing.

Now, let's talk about how to link your HTML and CSS files together. This is where your website starts to get its unique personality. Remember, for any specific styles you want to apply using classes or IDs in your CSS, you'll need to add those classes or IDs to the corresponding elements in your HTML.

Your web page will start to reflect the styles you defined in your CSS file, kind of like a black-and-white drawing being filled with color. This step was the most influential for me, and it's where I saw a huge difference in my website's appearance.

Adding interactivity to your website is a game-changer. It's like unlocking a new achievement in web design, as it allows your website to respond to user actions.

You can start incorporating JavaScript to add life to your site, just like turning a static painting into a movie. It's what adds interaction to your website, making it more engaging.

JavaScript opens up a world of possibilities, from adding simple animations to building entire web apps. Don't be intimidated by its power; instead, embrace it and see what you can create.

It varies greatly based on complexity. For a basic homepage, it might take a few hours, while an ecommerce site could take weeks or more.

A simple website can be coded in a few hours, but an interactive website requires more time and effort. This is because interactive websites allow users to take actions, which adds complexity to the code.

Here's a rough estimate of the time it takes to code different types of websites:

Now that you've made it this far, congratulations are in order - you've gone from never coding before to having a responsive and interactive website foundation.

You've covered a lot of ground between different concepts in HTML and CSS, and even touched on programming, which is a huge accomplishment.

Take a moment to review what you've learned so far, and think about what you want to do next with your website.

You can start by exploring advanced CSS topics, which we've mentioned briefly in the article.

Learning about CSS selectors, box model, and positioning will help you create a visually appealing and user-friendly website.

Optimizing your website for search engines is crucial to get traffic. Use a clear sitemap to help search engines understand your website structure.

Using alt text and proper file names when optimizing images is a must. This helps search engines understand the content of your images.

Keep your URLs concise and clear, and try to incorporate the primary keyword whenever possible. This enhances search engine optimization.

Make sure the pages you want to rank are not blocked from being indexed or crawled. If they're marked as "no-index", they won't appear on search engine result pages.

Use high-quality images that are formatted in WebP to avoid affecting page loading time. Also, use alt text and proper file names that are relevant to each image and use keywords wisely.

Incorporate links within your content to external websites and other pages on your site. This enhances user experience by providing valuable resources.

Over 62.9% of all websites on the internet are built on a website framework, so developers don't have to know how to build a website from scratch anymore. Most developers now use open-source WordPress and other CMS platforms to speed up website building.

You can build a website with website builders or no-code solutions in 95% of cases, and it will be just as good as writing code from scratch. This is because website builders like WordPress and SeedProd make it easy to create and edit a website effortlessly.

It's easy to use website builders, even for beginners, and you don't need to invest time and money in learning web development. This saves you time, which you can then spend on growing your business.

However, there are some drawbacks to using a website builder. Your website could have unnecessary features that could slow it down, and you may not need CMS capabilities for a project but will still have to maintain software updates and backups.

Here are some key differences between coding and building a website:

Ultimately, building a website with a website builder can be a faster and more efficient way to get online, especially if you don't have the time or expertise to code a website from scratch.

Optimizing for Search Engines is crucial to get your website listed on search engines like Google and start getting traffic.

Using a clear sitemap can help search engines understand your website structure.

A concise and clear URL is essential, incorporating the primary keyword whenever feasible to enhance search engine optimization.

Make sure to use alt text and proper file names when optimizing images for SEO, so they are relevant to each image and use keywords wisely.

Using high-quality images enhances the overall website experience, but ensure they are formatted in WebP to avoid affecting page loading time.

Incorporate links within your content to external websites and other pages on your site to enhance user experience and provide valuable resources.

Getting other authoritative websites to link to your site is a good sign for search engines, so consider writing guest blog posts that can be featured on other websites with a good reputation and traffic.

Remember to ensure that the pages you want to rank are not blocked from being indexed or crawled, and if they are marked as “no-index,” they will not appear on search engine result pages.