BuildingBuilding My First Independent Website, Online Store from Scratch: A Beginner’s Guide to Creating a Website on a Tight Budget

Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of questions from fans and customers about how I managed to create my website, dressart3d.com. After receiving so many inquiries, I decided it was time to share my year-long journey of building my first independent website, an online store, and portfolio site, while keeping costs as low as possible. In this guide, I’ll share the most important tips and tricks that helped me along the way, focusing on just a hosting service, a domain name, and one plugin subscription.

When I first decided to build my own website, I was absolutely terrified. I had no experience with web design, no idea where to start, and a very limited budget. It was a daunting task, but in the end, it was completely worth it. And now, I want to share my personal experience and tips with you—especially if you’re just starting out and feeling as overwhelmed as I did.

building my first independent website – Blog at Dressart3d.com

Deciding Between Established Platforms and Building Your Own Independent Website

The Pros and Cons of Using Established Services (Shopify, Wix, Etsy, etc.)

When I first started thinking about building my first independent website, my initial thought was to go with an established platform like Shopify or Wix. They have everything set up for you, which sounds like a dream if you’re not particularly tech-savvy. They handle all the technical stuff, like hosting and security, so you can focus on designing your store and adding products.

But then I started looking into the costs. For someone on a tight budget, these platforms can get pretty expensive, especially when you factor in monthly fees and transaction costs. Most importantly, I realized that using one of these services meant I’d be subject to their rules and policies. I didn’t like the idea that if I accidentally violated a policy, I could lose my entire site—and all the work I’d put into it—overnight. That’s what ultimately pushed me to take the leap and build my own independent website.

The Benefits of Building My First Independent Website

Creating a website yourself can seem like a huge challenge, especially if you’re like me and have zero experience with web design. But here’s the thing: if you take it step by step, it’s totally doable. Plus, building your own independent website gives you complete control. You’re not at the mercy of someone else’s rules, and you can customize everything to suit your needs.

One of the biggest benefits for me was the cost. By choosing the right web hosting service and using free or affordable tools, I was able to keep my costs low. I paid only for web hosting, my domain name, a plugin, and a theme. Over time, these costs might even decrease as you learn more and find better deals. And the best part? I didn’t have to worry about being banned or losing my site because of a random policy change.

building my first independent website – Blog at Dressart3d.com

Choosing the Right Web Hosting Service for Your Independent Website

The Importance of Web Hosting in Building My First Independent Website

Web hosting might not be the most exciting part of building your first independent website, but it’s one of the most important. Your web host is where your site “lives” online, so it affects everything from how fast your site loads to how reliable it is for visitors. If you’re planning to build an online store, like I did, you’ll also need plenty of storage space for all your product images and files.

Why I Chose Hostinger, for Building My First Independent Website

When I was looking for a web hosting service, I had a few key criteria in mind. First, it had to be affordable—I didn’t want to spend a fortune on hosting. Second, it needed to offer plenty of storage because I knew my portfolio was going to be huge. And third, I wanted good customer support because I knew I’d need a lot of help along the way.

After a lot of research, I settled on Hostinger https://hostinger.com?REFERRALCODE=1RONIN074HO18. They offered 200 GB of NVMe storage at a very reasonable price, which was perfect for my needs. Plus, they had a great 4-year initial offer, giving me plenty of time to get my site up and running and see if my business would take off. And let me tell you, their customer service was a lifesaver. Anytime I hit a roadblock, I knew I could count on them to help me out quickly.

If you’re thinking about building your first independent website, I highly recommend checking out Hostinger. And if you use [this referral link](https://hostinger.com?REFERRALCODE=1RONIN074HO18), you’ll get 20% off, which is a nice bonus when you’re working with a tight budget.

Selecting a Website Builder for Your First Independent Website

The Criteria for Choosing a Website Builder

Once you’ve got your web hosting sorted, the next step is choosing a website builder. I wanted something that was free, easy to learn, and had plenty of features. It was also important that it integrated easily with a reliable e-commerce platform since I was also building an online store.

Why I Chose WordPress for Building My First Independent Website

After weighing my options, I chose WordPress. It’s free and open-source, which means you don’t have to worry about recurring fees. WordPress also has a massive community, so there are tons of resources and tutorials available to help you learn the ropes. Such a massive community also ensures that there are lots of independent developers who continually produce lots of plugins to tailor all your needs. This also ensures the longevity of WordPress as a system for future use and updates.

For the e-commerce side of things, I went with WooCommerce, which integrates seamlessly with WordPress. WooCommerce is also free and has a wide range of plugins that let you customize your store to your heart’s content. Whether you need advanced shipping options, inventory management, or payment gateways, there’s probably a plugin for that.

Selecting the Right WordPress Theme for Building My First Independent Website

The Role of a Good Theme in Building Your First Independent Website

Your WordPress theme is basically the foundation of your site’s design. A good theme makes it easy to customize your site and create the look and feel you want. But as I quickly learned, finding the right theme can be tricky—especially if you’re trying to avoid annual subscription fees.

Why I Chose the Divi Theme for My First Independent Website

After hours of research, I discovered Divi by Elegant Themes. Divi isn’t free, but it is one of the very few professional themes that offers a one-time payment option, which was perfect for my goal of avoiding recurring costs. While the upfront cost is higher, you end up saving money in the long run because you don’t have to pay annual fees.

What really sold me on Divi, though, was their customer support. As someone who was brand new to web design, I ran into a lot of issues. But Divi’s support team was always there to help, sometimes even remotely logging into my site to fix problems for me. They also offer a bunch of extra features, like team-building options, cloud services, and AI tools for image, text, coding, and even webpage building, that you can explore if you need them through free trials.

If you’re considering Divi, keep an eye out for their annual sales—they often offer discounts that can make the lifetime subscription even more affordable.

Overcoming the Fear of Building Your First Independent Website

Taking the First Step

I won’t lie—purchasing my web hosting subscription was terrifying. I felt like I was diving into the deep end with no idea how to swim. But once I took that first step, things got a little easier. I broke the process down into smaller tasks and tackled them one at a time. It was still challenging, but it wasn’t as overwhelming as I’d feared.

Asking for Help

One of the most important things I learned was not to be afraid to ask for help. Whether it was reaching out to Hostinger’s support team or searching for answers in WordPress forums, I found that there was always someone willing to lend a hand. Learning to build a website is a process, and it’s okay to be a beginner.

building my first independent website – Blog at Dressart3d.com

Conclusion: You Can Build Your First Independent Website!

Looking back, I’m incredibly proud of what I accomplished. Building my first independent website and online store from scratch was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, but it was also one of the most rewarding. If I can do it, you can too. Take it one step at a time, don’t be afraid to ask for help, and remember that you have options that let you control costs and retain full ownership of your site.

If you ever feel stuck or need more information, feel free to check out dressart3d.com or reach out to other professionals who can help guide you on your journey. And if you’re ready to get started, I highly recommend Hostinger https://hostinger.com?REFERRALCODE=1RONIN074HO18 for your web hosting needs—don’t forget to use the referral link for a sweet discount!

Good luck, and happy website building!

Thanks with a Gift!

Thanks for sticking with this long read.  If you managed to arrive to this point I sincerely think that you found this reading an interesting one and I really appreciate it.  As a small token for your interest, may I remind you that if you simply create an account with our online show you will be instantly given a one time, no expiry 10% Discount Coupon.  You will be able to find it in the coupon section of the My Account Section in the links section above.

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