DIY website development use to mean hiring designers, developers, and technical experts to build your website. This process tended to be costly and out of reach for small businesses, startups, freelancers, and entrepreneurs.
Thanks to advanced website builders you can create an inexpensive website that looks and functions like a professional website built by experts.
Elementor is one of the most popular website design solutions for WordPress. It’s powerful, flexible, and easy to use with a visual page builder. Learn how to build a professional website while keeping spending to a minimum and retaining control over your own content and branding.
Why Build a Website Yourself?
Few small business owners have access to large budgets for web development. DIY website development cuts costs while enabling businesses and entrepreneurs to develop a strong online presence.
Building a website yourself also means you have complete control. There’s no need to wait on outside developers to make changes or update content. Make edits to your website, change layouts, and publish new content whenever necessary.
What Is Elementor?
Elementor allows you to create pages using a drag and drop visual page builder for WordPress. There’s no need to edit code. You can build your page visually and preview your changes as you work.
Elementor provides beginners with an opportunity to create professional looking websites. Whether you’re looking to build a business website, portfolio website, or a service-based website you can use Elementor to launch your new website.
Set Your Website Budget
Building a website on a budget is easy when you know where you need to spend money and where you can save.
Keep your initial costs low by focusing on the essential expenses when starting a website.
- Domain name
- Web Hosting
- Premium theme (if needed)
- Elementor Pro (optional)
- Essential plugins
Limiting your spending to only the essentials allows you to create a professional looking website without overspending. Save money for website marketing and growing your business.
Find Low Cost, Reliable Hosting
Your hosting provider acts as the foundation of your website. You need a host that will allow your visitors to access your site quickly and reliably. Your host should also keep your website files safe.
Here’s a breakdown of key components and essentials for building a website with Elementor.
| Component | Purpose | Budget Range | Notes |
| Domain Name | Website Address | $10–$20/year | Choose a relevant domain. |
| Web Hosting | Website Storage | $3–$15/month | Look for WordPress-friendly hosts. |
| Elementor Pro | Advanced Design Tools | $49–$199/year | Optional for extra features. |
| Essential Plugins | Site Functionality | Free–$50/one-time | Security, SEO, and performance. |
With these essentials aligned, let’s dive deeper into optimizing your DIY website experience.
Search for WordPress hosting providers that offer an easy WordPress installation, security features, automatic backups, and excellent support. Budget-friendly hosting plans are available with everything you need to launch a small business website.
Pick a WordPress Theme
Since Elementor will do most of the website design for you, you won’t need a complex theme. You simply need to choose a lightweight theme that is compatible with Elementor.
A minimal theme allows your site to load quickly, makes it easy to customize your website with Elementor, and provides a stable base to work with as you make future changes. Speed is important. Lightweight themes offer faster loading time which creates a better user experience.
Install Elementor and Essential Plugins
With WordPress installed, it’s time to install Elementor along with any supporting plugins you need for your new website. Resist the urge to install 20 different plugins that provide nice features.
Instead, focus on installing only the essential plugins your website needs to operate.
- Security plugin
- Backup plugin
- Contact form plugin
- SEO plugin
- Performance plugin
Your website will require less maintenance the less plugins you use. Reducing bloat also improves longevity and minimizes the chances of conflicts as your website grows.
Plan Your Website Pages
Plan out your website page structure. Mapping out your website can help you design pages more efficiently. It also helps visitors find information they may be looking for quickly.
Most websites include a home page, about page, services page, contact page, and privacy page. Start with these basic pages to ensure visitors can learn more about your business, offerings, and how to contact you.
Design Pages Using Elementor
Building pages with Elementor is easy! You can add sections, containers, text, images, buttons and more by dragging and dropping content directly on to the page.
Elementor’s visual builder allows you to design your page and instantly see how your page will look to visitors. You can move elements around and preview changes in real time. Try different layouts and see your results immediately.
Look Professional With Branding
Your website should look professional. You can create a professional WordPress website on a budget. To appear professional ensure your website follows a consistent branding style.
Use consistent fonts, colors, and spacing. Create a color scheme to work within and stick to two or three fonts. Consistency matters and will make your website appear more professional to new visitors.
Use Good Images and Avoid Costly Pitfalls
Images play a large role in the overall look of your website. You don’t need to buy expensive graphics or photos for each page on your website.
You can find free professional images to enhance your website. Use free image websites to source high-quality images that compliment your website. Ensure images are optimized so they don’t slow down your website.
Ensure Your Website Is Mobile Friendly
Responsive design is critical. Visitors will spend time on your website using their mobile phones. Ensure your website looks good on mobile devices and is easy to use.
Elementor includes mobile editing features that allow you to make adjustments to page elements on mobile views. Use your mobile device to test each page for readability and usability.
Speed up Your Site
Website speed is important. Do you want your visitors to bounce from your website because pages take too long to load? Slow websites equal missed opportunities.
Consider these tips to speed up your website.
- Optimize images
- Delete extra plugins
- Enable caching
- Keep plugins updated
- Use a lightweight theme
Once your website is setup make it a routine to check for ways to speed up your site.
Include Contact and Conversion Elements
Make sure visitors can easily contact you or take action. Include contact forms, inquiry buttons, and calls to action on your website. Guide visitors to the action you want them to take.
Make forms simple. Visitors are less likely to fill out long complex forms. Reduce form fields to make it easy for customers to contact your business.
Update Content on Your Own
Maintaining your website is easy with Elementor. You can add new content, update existing services, change images, and publish updates whenever you need.
The ability to control your website content means you won’t have to rely on someone else to make changes or updates. Save money by managing your website yourself.
Expand With Your Business
Elementor grows with your website. Need a few landing pages? Create them. Want to add a blog or portfolio? You can do that too. Elementor was designed to expand along with your needs.
Launch your website today with Elementor and experience the flexibility of a WordPress page builder that allows you to maintain professional look on a budget.