Learn How to Manage a Website Free Online for Beginners

Managing a website can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. You can learn how to manage a website free online, and I'm here to guide you through the process.

To start, you'll need to choose a website builder that offers a free plan. Some popular options include WordPress, Wix, and Weebly, all of which have free versions that you can use to get started.

With a free website builder, you can create a website in just a few minutes. You can choose from a variety of templates and customize your site to fit your needs.

To manage a website effectively, you need to determine your requirements first. This involves figuring out what needs to be updated regularly, such as software, and whether your hosting company is doing backups automatically.

You'll also need to consider how to manage website content, including editing and publishing written material, and how it affects your online marketing tactics. A content management system (CMS) or content manager website can help simplify website maintenance services.

To create a free e-portfolio, you can use Google Sites, which offers zero code and easy access to Google Drive. This allows you to upload and link project documents without hassle.

Here are some key website management functionalities to consider:

These functionalities can help you design and manage your website, including creating content, collaborating with others, and tracking website performance.

Managing a website can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. You can start by figuring out what your requirements are, such as updating software or tracking website success.

Having a website manager is crucial, but many small business owners hire consultants to manage various aspects of online marketing, leaving no monitoring in place to ensure reliable website content.

To make necessary changes, you need to be adaptable and able to make fast adjustments based on data. Schedule a regular time to review data and come up with business changes, such as quarterly reviews.

Knowing what's going on with your website is key to effective management. You can use free tools like Google Analytics to track user interactions and identify areas for improvement.

You can create a stunning website without coding skills using tools like Strikingly or Google Sites. These platforms offer drag-and-drop editors and pre-built themes to make website creation a simpler job.

Here are some popular website builders to consider:

By understanding your requirements, being adaptable, and using the right tools, you can simplify website management and focus on growing your business.

HubSpot's Builder is a fantastic tool for creating a website without any coding skills. You can build a website from scratch using their drag-and-drop website builder.

One of the best things about HubSpot's Builder is that it comes with pre-built themes and templates, making it easy to get started. You can choose from a variety of options to create a website that suits your needs.

HubSpot's Builder also includes built-in marketing tools and features, which can help you promote your website and attract more visitors. This can be a huge advantage for small businesses or solo entrepreneurs who want to establish an online presence.

Here are some key features of HubSpot's Builder:

Overall, HubSpot's Builder is a great option for anyone looking to create a professional-looking website without breaking the bank.

Having a community that supports you is crucial when managing a website. WordPress, for example, has a massive 43% of the internet built using it, making it a great platform to tap into a large community of users.

You can find help troubleshooting problems and get access to an extensive library of plugins that make extending your site really easy without needing to know how to code. This is especially helpful for beginners who are new to website management.

WordPress has a large community of users, including seasoned veterans who can offer valuable insights and advice. This community is also great for finding free plugins and themes that can help you customize your site.

Here are some key features of WordPress's community support:

With a community like WordPress's, you can rest assured that you'll have the support you need to manage your website effectively.

You should be backing up your website regularly. This is especially important if you're making changes to your site frequently. Daily backups are a good idea if you're tweaking your website's design or settings.

Weekly backups are a good starting point, but if you're making changes regularly, you should be doing daily backups to ensure you can restore your website quickly in case something goes wrong.

Having a good website management agency can be a lifesaver in these situations. They can restore your website to a previous version in no time, saving you hours of frustration and work.

If you're not using a website management agency, you should at least be backing up your website regularly. This way, you can restore your site to a previous version if something goes wrong.

Browser testing is crucial for ensuring your website looks great on all devices. Google doesn't even know how many web browsers there are to choose from.

New devices are constantly being released, and browsers regularly updated, which can make your website look like garbage on any one of them. This is a real issue that can happen to anyone.

You might follow up with a visitor who tells you they're using Firefox, and Google Analytics might show you that 5% of your website visitors are Firefox users. This is a tiny percentage, but it's still worth considering.

You'll need to decide what browsers are most important to your visitors and prioritize accordingly. This might mean switching to a different Gallery plugin that prioritizes development for Firefox.

It's not worth switching if it's not a priority for your visitors, but it's worth considering if you want to provide a great user experience for everyone.

Fluid UI is a free online tool that's ideal for prototyping and building UIs quickly.

It offers flexible pricing plans, including a free option and three paid tiers: Solo ($99/year), Pro ($229/year), and Team ($499/year).

With Fluid UI, you can build prototypes in just a few minutes, making it a great time-saver for web designers and developers.

You can access Fluid UI from anywhere, whether you're using a desktop app or accessing it via a browser.

Fluid UI also allows you to share prototypes via email and share links, making it easy to collaborate with others and get feedback on your designs.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a crucial aspect of website management. It's essential to keep your website healthy for Google.

To manage your website's SEO, you'll need to focus on four key areas: loading speed, keyword optimization, algorithm updates, and link building. These are the things that will keep your website visible and attractive to Google's bots.

Keyword optimization is still important, even if it's not as critical as it once was. It helps Google understand the intent behind your website's content.

To get started with keyword optimization, you can use Google's Search Console or an SEO tool like Ahrefs or SEMrush. If you're on a budget, Google's Search Console is a great place to begin.

A good SEO title can make all the difference in your website's performance. If your Click Through Rate (CTR) is low, it may be time to tweak your SEO title. A more enticing title can dramatically improve your CTR.

Here are some things to keep in mind when optimizing your website's SEO:

Managing a website can be a daunting task, but with the right knowledge, you can keep your site secure and running smoothly. A great web host will invest in server security to protect your site from attacks, whereas a bad web host may leave your site vulnerable to attack.

A free SSL certificate is a fundamental website security feature that should be included with any web hosting service. Any web host that doesn't offer one is likely neglecting other necessary security steps. I've seen this firsthand with a client who didn't have an SSL certificate attached to their site, leaving it exposed to potential attacks.

Keeping your plugins up to date is crucial, as they are a bigger target for hackers than CMS or server software. Plugins release updates frequently, and failing to install them can leave your site open to security breaches. Even popular plugins like Elementor can be vulnerable to attacks, so it's essential to stay on top of updates.

A great web host will invest the proper resources to secure your server from attacks from spam, DDoS, bots, and hackers. This is crucial for protecting your website and its users.

Not all web hosts are created equal, and some may take the cheap way out, leaving your site vulnerable to attack. My client's experience with a web host that didn't even have an SSL certificate attached to their site is a stark reminder of this.

Any web host that doesn't offer a free SSL certificate in this day and age is simply out of touch. This lack of foresight can lead to a lack of security measures in other areas as well.

Host your website with a company that clearly takes the little things seriously. If they are righteous in little things, they will be righteous in much.

Plugins release updates much more frequently than CMS or server software, making them a bigger target for hackers. Most of the time, these updates are done for new features, upgrades, and bug fixes.

Hackers find it easier to exploit vulnerabilities in plugins than in the CMS itself, which has thousands of available plugins to choose from.

A popular plugin used by millions of people, Elementor, was recently victim to a malicious attack, highlighting that no company is 100% safe from attack.

Keeping your plugins up to date is the best practice to prevent security breaches, as seen when a couple of my clients' websites were hacked by spam bots after not updating Elementor in time.

Email is still the most popular form of communication for businesses, but it's not the only security risk to be aware of.

Plugin updates can be a double-edged sword, introducing new features while also increasing the risk of security breaches, especially if you're not careful which plugins you use.

Even popular plugins like Elementor can fall victim to attacks, so it's essential to stay on top of updates and be mindful of the plugins you install on your website.

Choosing a platform for your website can be a daunting task, especially if you're new to web design. Consider choosing an all-in-one website builder like Wix, WordPress, or HubSpot Content Hub, which can help you both design and publish a website.

When selecting a platform, think about your technical knowledge level. If you're not comfortable with coding, a tool like Wix can be a great option. On the other hand, if you want more control over your website's code, consider a tool like Framer.

To make your decision even easier, consider the integrations you need. For example, you might want to use Galileo AI to generate interface design ideas and then export them to Figma for tweaking. Make sure the software integrates with the other tools you rely on in your web design workflows.

Here's a comparison of some popular content management systems (CMS) to consider:

Ultimately, the best platform for you will depend on your specific needs and goals. Take the time to research and compare different options, and don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it.

Choosing a platform for your website can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. To start, consider what your requirements are. Will your website need regular updates, or will it be a static site? Are you regularly publishing written material that needs to be edited?

You'll also want to think about your online marketing tactics and how they affect or communicate with your website. A content management system (CMS) can help you design a website, handle its basic features, and develop a content plan that boosts productivity.

Some popular CMS options include Content Hub and WordPress. Content Hub is a comprehensive all-in-one design software that's great for beginners, with features like a visual drag-and-drop editor, a robust collection of templates, and an SSL certificate. WordPress is an open-source CMS that's free to use, with thousands of free plugins available to customize and extend its functionality.

When choosing a platform, consider your technical knowledge level. If you never want to look at code, something like Wix or Content Hub might be a good choice. If you want more code access, tools like WordPress or HubSpot Content Hub might be a better fit.

Here are some key factors to consider when choosing a platform:

By considering these factors, you can choose the best platform for your specific situation and create a website that meets your needs.

Creating an ecommerce with Google is possible, but it has its limitations. A proper CMS (Content Management System) is lacking, making it impractical for managing a large ecommerce site on Google Sites.

You can still use templates that utilize Pay Now buttons and simple storefronts. These templates can help you get started, but they might not be enough for a fully-fledged ecommerce site.

A Google Workspace account can provide greater security, stability, backup, and live support options. This is especially important if you plan to have a large ecommerce site.

We recommend transferring your design to a Google Workspace account, which will give you ownership and control over your site.

Google Sites is a great tool for creating a website, but it's essential to understand its limitations. It's not a traditional content management system (CMS) like Wix or GoDaddy, but rather a simple website builder.

You can create a website with Google Sites, but it might not be the best option for a large ecommerce site due to the lack of a proper CMS. However, you can still use templates with Pay Now buttons and simple storefronts.

Google Sites offers a generous amount of storage space, with 10GB available under Google Apps and 100MB per site on a free Google account, which is often sufficient for small websites.

Google Sites is a great tool for creating a simple website, but it's not a full-fledged content management system (CMS) like some of its competitors.

It's worth noting that Google Sites doesn't offer the same level of complexity as other CMS options, such as Wix, GoDaddy, Wordpress, and Squarespace, which are all compared in a handy table.

Google Sites is not ideal for large ecommerce sites due to its limitations, but it can still be used to create a simple storefront with Pay Now buttons.

Creating a Google Workspace account can provide greater security, stability, backup, and live support options for your Google Site, making it a good idea to have one.

This Workspace domain can also be transferred to your ownership, giving you full control over your website.

You can use HTML5 and CSS3 directly on the page content.

Google Sites allows you to use custom gadgets to host code, which can include languages like JavaScript and jQuery.

Only HTML and CSS can be used on the actual page content.

Google Apps Script can also be used through custom gadgets, giving you more coding options.