Start Here
So you want to build a website. But where on earth do you begin?
If you’ve landed here feeling slightly overwhelmed, you’re in exactly the right place.
Maybe you’ve already spent an embarrassing amount of time down a Google rabbit hole trying to figure out whether you need WordPress or Squarespace, Bluehost or SiteGround, Shopify or WooCommerce – and you’ve come up for air more confused than when you started.
Or maybe you’re right at the beginning, you just know you need a website, and the sheer number of options is making you want to close the laptop and make a cup of tea instead.
Either way – I’ve been there. And that’s exactly why this site exists.
A bit about me and why I built this
A few years ago, I decided to build my first website. I had an idea, I had enthusiasm, and I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.
What followed was weeks of decision paralysis. Which platform? Which host? What’s the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org? Do I need hosting if I use Squarespace? What even is hosting?
I’d read one article recommending Bluehost, then another saying SiteGround was better, then a third saying both were terrible, and I should use Kinsta. Half the advice contradicted the other half, and most of it seemed to be written by people trying to sell me something rather than actually help me.
I got there in the end, and I’ve now built several websites from scratch, each one teaching me something the last one didn’t. But it took far longer than it should have, and it was far more stressful than it needed to be.
Start Your Website exists so your experience is shorter, simpler, and a lot less painful than mine.
What this site is – and what it isn’t
This is not a site that tells you that one platform is the best and that everyone else should use it, too.
The truth is, there isn’t a best platform. There’s the best platform for you, based on what you’re trying to build, how technical you are, what your budget is, and what you actually want your website to do. Those things are different for everyone.
What you’ll find here is honest, independent advice written by someone who has genuinely used these tools, made these mistakes, and figured out what works. We cover the big platforms, WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, and the hosting options behind them, with no agenda other than pointing you in the right direction.
Yes, some of our links are affiliate links. If you sign up for something we recommend, we sometimes earn a small commission at no cost to you. But that’s never going to change what we tell you. We’d rather give you an honest recommendation that sends you somewhere brilliant than a biased one that earns us a click.
The best place to start
If you’re not sure what kind of website you need or which platform is right for you, start with the quiz.
It takes about two minutes, asks you seven straightforward questions about what you want to build, your budget, and your tech confidence, and at the end it gives you a personalised recommendation with the platforms, hosts, and tools that fit your situation.
No jargon. No overwhelm. Just a clear starting point.
Not sure where to
start your website?
Take our two-minute quiz and we’ll tell you exactly which platform, host, and tools you need — based on what you actually want to do.
Already know what you need?
If you’ve already got a direction in mind, jump straight into the content that’s most useful to you:
Choosing a platform: Not sure whether to use WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, or something else? Start with our platform guides and comparisons, including the honest pros and cons of each one. Browse platform guides →
Understanding hosting: Confused about what web hosting actually is and whether you need it? Our hosting guides explain it in plain English, and our reviews and comparisons help you pick the right one. Browse hosting guides →
Tools and resources: Domains, email marketing, plugins, page builders, and everything else you need to get your site set up and running properly. Browse tools and resources →
A note before you go
Building a website is one of those things that feels harder than it is, right up until the moment it isn’t.
The decisions that feel enormous right now (which platform, which host, which theme) will feel completely manageable once you’ve made them and got going. The most important thing you can do is pick a direction and start, because a finished site that’s not quite perfect is infinitely more valuable than a perfect site that never gets built.
You’ve got this. And we’re here to help.