Whether you’re starting a business or just creating a personal website for fun, you don’t have to spend a fortune to do it. You could spend thousands of dollars hiring a web designer to create the perfect website, or you could start off with something simple and do it yourself for a much lower price tag.

The good news is that, if you’re on a budget, there are plenty of free and low-cost tools to help you build a website. Keep reading to learn about some of the best options out there.

1. Choose a Simple Online Platform

Unless you’re trained in web design, you’ll probably need to build your website using some kind of online platform that provides a framework. There are many different options out there, some more beginner-friendly than others. Here is a quick list:

• WordPress – This platform was originally developed for bloggers but with different plugins and themes, you can adapt it to almost any kind of website.
• Wix – This platform is the ultimate “drag and drop” website builder – you don’t need any kind of HTML or coding experience to build the website of your dreams.
• Joomla – This platform is very similar to WordPress in terms of its underlying structure and uses, but most users find it a little trickier to use than WordPress.
• Squarespace – Very similar to Wix, SquareSpace doesn’t require any HTML knowledge and you can customize your website by simply dragging and dropping elements onto the page.

Some of these platforms are better than others for certain types of websites, so take a look at each of them before you make a decision. Most of these sites allow you to start designing your site for free – you only have to pay to launch it, so you can test the waters a bit.

2. Purchase a Domain Name and Web Hosting

Once you’ve chosen your platform, your next step is to purchase a Domain name and a Web Hosting service. Your domain name is simply your web address – something like YourName.com. A web hosting service is a service that connects your website to the internet. You’ll need a web hosting service to store images, content, and other website files online. Depending which service you choose, you might even get your domain name for free.

3. Install Your Website Builder

After setting up your web hosting account and purchasing your domain name, the next step is to install your website builder and to get to work. If you’re using WordPress, you’ll start by choosing a theme – this is simply the framework for your site. You’ll find many different options for every type of site including blogs, online portfolios, even eCommerce sites. If you’re using Joomla, Wix, or Squarespace you’ll find similar options, or you can always create your own theme from scratch.

4. Add Content and Media

With your theme in place, all that is left to do is add the content for your website. Depending what kind of website you’re building, you’ll probably want to create a home page and a contact page.  You may also want to add additional pages for sales, informational content, photos, and more. Take some time to think about what you want to get out of your site before you start adding pages, so you have some idea where you’re going from the start.

5. Launch Your Website

You could probably tweak the finer details of your website forever but, at some point, you need to go live. Once your website is ready to go, you’ll launch it to make it appear in search engine results. You can also access your website by typing in the domain name.

Building a website doesn’t need to be an all-consuming process. It will take time to get it to the way you want it, but there are plenty of free and low-cost options on the web to help you do it. Simply follow the steps provided above to get started!