How to Create a Website from Scratch: A Step-by-Step Guide (No Coding Required)

Building a website from scratch used to be the kind of project you either outsourced to a developer or abandoned halfway through a frustrating weekend of YouTube tutorials. The cost of hiring someone felt prohibitive, and the DIY route assumed you had time to learn tools that seemed designed to confuse rather than help you.

That dynamic has shifted. AI website builders like Readdy now generate complete, professional-looking sites from a few sentences of description, handling the layout decisions and structural thinking that used to require either genuine expertise or hours of template-tweaking. The gap between "I have an idea for a website" and "my website is live" has compressed from weeks into hours, sometimes minutes.

This guide walks through how to make a website from scratch using modern tools, covering both the traditional approach and the faster AI-assisted route. We'll look at what you need before you start, how to choose between your options, and the step-by-step process for each method. By the end, you'll have a clear path forward regardless of your technical background.

TL;DR: How to Create a Website (No Coding Required)

Using an AI website builder like Readdy, the process works like this:

1. Describe what you're building — Type a few sentences about your business or choose a template. Readdy generates your entire site: layout, pages, copy, and images.
2. Edit with natural language — Tell Readdy what to change ("make the headline shorter" or "add a testimonials section") and it updates in real time. Or use the drag-and-drop editor for manual adjustments.
3. Structure your pages — Add, remove, or reorder sections. The AI can generate additional pages as you need them.
4. Connect your domain — Buy one through the platform or link an existing domain. SSL and hosting are handled automatically.
5. Publish and set up SEO — One click to go live. Manage page titles, descriptions, and URLs from a single dashboard.

What You Need to Create a Website

Most guides overcomplicate this. You need four things, and several of them often come bundled together depending on which platform you choose.

Domain name

First, and most importantly, your web address. The thing people type into their browser or click in search results. A .com or .co.uk typically costs $10-20 per year to register, though short, memorable names in competitive spaces can run much higher if someone already owns them.

We've seen people spend weeks agonising over domain names when "good enough" would have served them fine. Unless you're building a brand that will exist for decades, don't let this decision stall your progress. A clear, relevant domain beats a clever one that nobody can spell.

Web hosting

Server space where your website's files live. Standalone hosting runs $3-25 monthly, but many modern website builders include this in their subscription. If you're using Wix, Squarespace, Readdy, or similar platforms, hosting is already part of the package.

A building platform

The software you use to create and manage your pages. This is your main decision point:

• AI builders generate your site from a description
• Traditional builders give you templates to customise visually
• CMS platforms like WordPress offer more flexibility but steeper learning curves

Content

Text, images, video. The substance of what visitors come to see. This is where most people underestimate the time involved. Writing clear, compelling copy for even a simple five-page site can take days if you're doing it properly. AI can help draft initial versions, but you'll still need to review and refine so it sounds like you rather than generic marketing speak.

What you don't need is coding knowledge. Understanding HTML gives you more control for tweaks later, but it's entirely optional for getting a professional site live.

Different Ways to Build a Website (Beginner-Friendly Comparison)

When you’re starting out, you’ll generally encounter three main approaches:

Approach	Time to Launch	Skill Required	Design Flexibility	Typical Cost
AI Website Builders	Minutes to hours	None	Moderate	Free – $20/mo
Traditional Builders	Hours to days	Minimal	Moderate to high	Free – $35/mo
Custom Development	Weeks to months	High	Complete	$2,000+

AI Website Builders (e.g. Readdy)

Rather than starting with a template and adjusting every element yourself, AI builders generate a complete site from your description. You tell it what you're building, the AI produces layouts, copy, images, and structure, and you refine from there.

Readdy is one of the most popular platforms for this approach. You can start from a text prompt describing your business, upload a screenshot or design mockup you want it to match, or paste a URL as a reference. The platform generates your site, then you edit using a visual drag-and-drop interface. The ability to start from a reference URL is particularly useful if you've seen a competitor's site or an example in another industry that captures the feel you want.

For beginners, this removes a lot of the early decisions that can feel confusing or technical. Tools like Readdy offer guided workflows that can get you from idea to published site faster than traditional builders. 

Traditional Website Builders

Squarespace, Webflow. You pick a template, then customize it by dragging elements around, adjusting colours and typography, writing all your copy from scratch, and sourcing your own images.

These platforms have been around for years and work fine for people who enjoy the design process or have very specific visual requirements they want to control pixel by pixel. The trade-off is time. What an AI builder generates in minutes takes hours or days when you're making every decision manually, choosing from template libraries, and writing every headline yourself.

Wix has a lot of users, which speaks to how many people built sites before AI tools existed. But the learning curve, while manageable, still requires you to understand how the platform works before you can build effectively. And the more ambitious your site, the steeper that curve becomes.

Custom Development

Building with code means writing HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and whatever backend framework suits your needs. Complete control, but significant time investment and technical skill required.

For most portfolios, small business sites, and personal projects, this is overkill. Custom development makes sense for complex web applications or organisations with development teams already on staff. For a standard website, it's an expensive way to get something you could have launched in an afternoon with modern tools.

A Step-by-Step Way to Create Your First Website

There's no single correct way to build a website, but most beginners end up following one of two paths. The traditional route takes you through each decision sequentially, giving you a clear understanding of all the moving parts. The AI-assisted route compresses several of those steps, getting you to a working site faster but with less granular control over the initial output.

Both approaches work. The right choice depends on how much time you have, how specific your design requirements are, and whether you'd rather learn the process thoroughly or just get something live and iterate from there.

The Traditional Beginner Website Checklist (Step-by-Step)

This is the classic approach most guides describe, and it's worth understanding even if you end up using AI tools instead. Knowing how each piece fits together helps you make better decisions regardless of which method you choose.

Step 1: Define the Purpose of Your Website

Before you touch any tools, get clear on what you're building and why. A portfolio for a photographer has different requirements than a booking site for a consultant or an online shop for handmade goods.

Write down:

• What the site needs to accomplish (generate leads, showcase work, sell products, provide information)
• Who will visit and what they're looking for
• What action you want visitors to take

This clarity shapes every decision that follows, from which platform to choose to how you structure your navigation.

Step 2: Choose and Register a Domain Name

Your domain is your address on the web. Keep it short, easy to spell, and relevant to what you do. Avoid hyphens and numbers if possible, since they're harder to communicate verbally and easier to mistype.

Check availability using any domain registrar (Namecheap, Google Domains, or directly through your website builder). If your first choice is taken, try variations: different extensions (.co, .io, .shop), adding a word that describes what you do, or abbreviating.

Step 3: Select a Website Builder or CMS

Based on the comparison earlier, pick the platform that matches your needs:

• Choose an AI builder if speed matters more than granular control
• Choose a traditional builder if you want to make every design decision yourself
• Choose WordPress if you need maximum flexibility and don't mind a steeper learning curve

Most platforms offer free trials or free tiers, so you can test before committing money.

Step 4: Pick a Layout or Template

With traditional builders, you'll start by selecting a template that matches your general direction. Don't worry about finding something perfect, as you'll likely end up customizing everything anyway. Look for a template with a structure similar to what you need rather than focusing on colours or images, since those are the easiest things to change.

Step 5: Build Your Core Pages

Most websites need at least these:

• Homepage — Your front door. Should immediately communicate who you are, what you offer, and what visitors should do next.
• About page — Your story, credentials, and what makes you different. People want to know who they're dealing with.
• Contact page — How people reach you. Include a form, email, and any other relevant details like a phone number or physical address.
• Services or Products — What you're offering, with enough detail for visitors to understand the value before they enquire.

Additional pages depend on your specific needs: portfolio sections, a blog, FAQs, testimonials, case studies, booking systems.

Step 6: Add Your Content

Write your copy, upload your images, embed any videos. This typically takes longer than the technical setup. A few principles:

• Write for your visitors, not yourself. Address their questions and concerns, not everything you want to say.
• Use headings to break up text. Most people scan before they commit to reading.
• Every page should have a clear purpose and a single primary action you want visitors to take.

Step 7: Configure Basic SEO

So search engines can find you:

• Write unique title tags for each page (under 60 characters)
• Write meta descriptions that summarise what each page offers (under 155 characters)
• Use descriptive URLs (yoursite.com/services rather than yoursite.com/page-1)
• Add alt text to images describing what they show
• Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console

Step 8: Test and Publish

Before you announce anything:

• Check every page on both desktop and mobile
• Click every link and button to make sure they work
• Fill out your own contact form to confirm submissions arrive
• Ask someone unfamiliar with your site to navigate it and watch where they get confused

Then publish. Your site is live, and you can improve it from here.

A Faster Way: AI Website Building for Beginners

For those who want to skip the template-browsing and layout-tweaking, AI website builders compress several of the steps above into a single process. You still need to know what you're building and have content to add, but the structural and design decisions happen automatically.

Using Readdy as an example:

Step 1: Describe What You're Building

Type a few sentences about your business, who it serves, and what you want the website to accomplish. The more specific you are, the better the output.

"A website for my business" gives the AI little to work with.

"A portfolio website for a London-based interior designer specialising in residential projects, targeting homeowners renovating period properties, with a calm, minimal aesthetic and a focus on before-and-after project galleries" gives it direction.

You can also start from:

• A screenshot or mockup of a design you like
• A URL of an existing site you want to use as a reference
• An image that captures the visual style you're going for

Step 2: Review and Refine

The AI generates a complete site with multiple pages, placeholder copy, images, and a coherent visual style. From here, you edit using a drag-and-drop interface, much like traditional builders but with a more complete starting point.

Replace placeholder text with your own content. Swap out images for your actual work or photos. Adjust colours if needed. The structure is already there, so you're refining rather than building from scratch.

Step 3: Connect Your Domain

Either purchase a domain through the platform or connect one you already own. Readdy handles the hosting and SSL certificates automatically, so you don't need to configure anything technical.

Step 4: Publish

Once you're satisfied with your pages, publish. The whole process can take under an hour if you have your content prepared, or a few hours if you're writing copy as you go.

The trade-off is you're working with what the AI generated rather than building from a blank canvas. For people with very particular design visions, the traditional route offers more control. For everyone who just wants a professional result without the hours of setup, the AI route is significantly faster.

Common Mistakes Beginners Make (And How to Avoid Them)

Waiting for perfection before launching

Your first version doesn't need to be flawless. A live site you can improve beats a perfect site that never ships. We've watched people spend months refining a homepage that nobody has seen while their competitors launched rough versions, gathered feedback, and iterated into something far better than the theoretically perfect site would have been.

Most successful websites look nothing like their original versions because the people behind them kept iterating based on what they learned after launching.

Cramming too much onto each page

New website builders tend to treat every page like it needs to say everything at once. Every service, every credential, every possible objection addressed. The result is overwhelming walls of text and competing calls to action that paralyse visitors rather than guiding them.

People don't read websites like books. They scan, looking for the specific thing they came for. Give them breathing room. A page with three clear points beats a page with twelve important things fighting for attention.

Trying to learn everything before starting

You don't need to understand every feature of your chosen platform before you begin. Learn enough to complete the next step, then figure out the rest as you go. The people who finish websites aren't the ones who read every tutorial first. They're the ones who started building and looked things up when they got stuck.

The documentation will still be there when you need it. Your motivation to finish might not be if you spend weeks in preparation mode.

Ignoring mobile from the start

More than half of web traffic now comes from phones. If you're designing primarily on a desktop and only checking mobile as an afterthought, you're building for the minority of your visitors. Most modern builders handle responsive design automatically, but you still need to preview and adjust how things stack, how text wraps, and whether buttons are large enough to tap.

Skipping the basics of SEO

A beautiful website that nobody can find through search is a tree falling in an empty forest. You don't need to become an SEO expert, but spending thirty minutes on titles, descriptions, and proper heading structure makes a meaningful difference in whether people discover your site over the following months and years.

Conclusion

Building a website used to sit firmly in the category of things you hired someone else to do, alongside fixing your boiler or filing a complex tax return. The tools were technical, the learning curve was real, and the cost of getting it wrong meant starting over.

That calculus has changed. AI builders like Readdy have compressed what used to take weeks of decisions and revisions into something you can reasonably finish in an afternoon. The gap between having an idea and having a live site has narrowed to the point where the main bottleneck is usually just deciding what you want to say.

We've covered a lot of ground here, from the basics of domains and hosting through to the specific steps for both traditional and AI approaches. If there's one thing worth taking away, it's that the "right time" to build your website is whenever you're ready to start. The tools will meet you where you are.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need technical or coding skills to create a website?

No. AI website builders like Readdy handle all the technical work, so you can focus entirely on your content and how you want your site to look. The interfaces are designed for people with no prior experience, and you can build a professional site without ever touching code.

How long does it take to create a website for the first time?

With an AI builder, you can have a working site generated in minutes and refined within a few hours. The content preparation usually takes longer than the building itself, so having a rough idea of what you want to say beforehand helps speed things up considerably.

Do I need to buy a domain before building my website?

You can start building straight away and connect a domain later. Most platforms let you work on a temporary URL while you decide on a name. If you already know what domain you want, it's worth securing it early so it doesn't get taken.

What pages should a beginner website include?

A homepage, about page, and contact page cover the essentials for most sites. From there, you can add service pages, a portfolio section, testimonials, or a blog depending on what your visitors need. Starting simple and expanding based on real feedback is usually more effective than trying to build everything at once.

Are AI website builders safe and reliable for beginners?

Yes. Readdy uses secure hosting infrastructure with SSL certificates handled automatically, so your site is protected from day one. The platform is built to be stable and maintained over time, and your site runs exactly like any other professional website on the internet.