Website development without coding: DIY tips

If you're trying to build your own website, you'll be glad to know you don’t need to be a programmer or graphic designer to build a beautiful, functional website anymore. Thanks to modern no-code tools, and intuitive DIY platforms, website development without coding is even more possible than ever before.

Whether you're starting a personal blog, a portfolio, or even an ecommerce store, you can most probably figure out how to build it alone. No technical background required. No web development company required.

We're going to walk you through each step of building a website without code, from choosing the right platform to pushing the go-live button. Expect a beginner-friendly guide with clear expectations, real tips, and zero gatekeeping.

Why should you build a website with no coding?

Well, there's no specific reason you should. But there's also no reason you shouldn't. Gone are the days when building a website meant hiring a developer or learning HTML and CSS. Now, anyone with a computer and internet access can create a simple website using a drag-and-drop website builder. These tools offer intuitive interfaces, customization options, and features that even hardcore, coded, professional sites.

Whilst some companies with endless budgets and extremely complicated specs might still choose to code a site, for small business owners, freelancers, and creators, no-code options open doors. You can set up an online store, portfolio, or brochure site without a single line of code, in a matter of hours (depending on what you're aiming for).

The benefits of going cold turkey on code

• Ease of use: Today’s website builders are made with beginners in mind, they're incredibly intuitive and extremely easy to use, even if you're not technically minded.

• Speed: You can launch a professional website in hours, not weeks. Just what your business needs when it's against the clock.

• Affordability: Most of the platforms will offer a free option, which is brilliant for business budgets.

• Control: Make edits anytime, without waiting on a developer's SLA.

• AI-powered support: Most platforms will also have AI website builder tools integrated throughout, making your life even easier.

But the best part has to be that there's pretty much no learning curve. If you’ve ever used a social media platform or designed a PowerPoint slide, you’re already halfway there.

Building a website without coding: The steps

Step 1: Choosing the right no-code website builder

Your choice of a no-code website builder will set the tone for the rest of your website creation process (and how much stress it incurs). There are so many options available, so do your research when it comes to picking one. Here are a few factors to bear in mind.

Free plans vs paid website builders

Most platforms offer a free website builder tier, which is great for testing the waters. These plans often include a subdomain (like yoursite.framer.com), some basic customization options, and pre-designed website templates. You can always upgrade later to connect a custom domain name, unlock advanced features, or remove branding.

Whilst freemium options are great for static or simple sites, if your site is for a business website or an e-commerce website, investing in a paid plan early can help you access essential marketing tools and features like payment gateways or inventory tracking.

What to look for when choosing a platform

• Ease of use: Is it beginner-friendly?

• AI website builder support: Can it generate designs or copy for you?

• Mobile optimization: Does your site look good on every mobile device?

• User experience: How intuitive is the dashboard and editing process?

• Customization options: Can you change fonts, layouts, and color schemes easily?

• Marketing tools: Does it have built-in SEO tools, email marketing, or social integrations?

• Templates: Are there modern, responsive website templates that suit your brand?

The top runners

If you're not sure which website builder to choose, here's a quick breakdown of five of the most popular platforms. Each offers strong ease of use, great customization options, and beginner-friendly tools, but there are subtle pros and cons to each.

Squarespace

Squarespace is a sleek, design-focused website builder ideal for creatives, freelancers, and small businesses who want a visually polished site without much fuss.

Pros:

• Beautiful, modern website templates

• Easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor

• Built-in marketing tools and email marketing

• Mobile-optimized designs

Cons:

• Slightly less flexible than others in terms of layout

• Limited advanced integrations unless you upgrade

Shopify

Shopify is the go-to ecommerce website platform for anyone who wants to sell products online. It’s powerful, scalable, and solely focused on online retail.

Pros:

• Excellent ecommerce features out of the box

• Handles payments, inventory, shipping, and taxes

• Huge app store for extending functionality

• Great for both physical and digital products

Cons:

• Not ideal for non-ecommerce sites (limited templates for portfolios, blogs)

• Monthly cost can add up, especially with the third-party apps you might need to make everything run smoothly

Wix

Wix is one of the most versatile, free website builder platforms. It's great for beginners and small business website owners. It offers both structured and unstructured design modes.

Pros:

• Highly flexible with tons of customization options

• AI-powered site creation (Wix ADI)

• App market with extra features like bookings and events

• Generous free website plan

Cons:

• Too much design freedom can lead to cluttered pages

• Switching templates after publishing is difficult

WordPress.com

This is the hosted version of WordPress, different from WordPress.org. It's great for blogs, content-rich websites, and anyone who want a solid content management system without coding.

Pros:

• Strong CMS system for blog posts

• Scalable with lots of plugin options (on paid plans)

• Large community and support resources

Cons:

• Can feel less intuitive for total beginners

• Design flexibility is limited unless you upgrade to higher-tier plans

Framer

Framer is a newer, design-centric website builder that’s especially popular with designers, agencies, and startups who want something sleek, fast, and interactive.

Pros:

• Cutting-edge design capabilities with animations and micro-interactions

• Built-in AI content tools (AI website builder support)

• Great user experience and performance on all devices

Cons:

• Still developing some core features like blogging and ecommerce

• More geared toward design-savvy users, it may feel advanced for some beginners

Step 2: Planning your website

Before you touch a website builder, take a few moments to plan. A well-thought-out strategy will make the design process easier and lead to better results.

Pick a domain name

Your domain name is your web address, what people type to find you. Think short, memorable, and relevant to your brand. Many platforms offer a free domain for the first year with a paid plan, or you can register one separately via a domain registrar (like GoDaddy).

Tips:

• Avoid hyphens or hard-to-spell words.

• Check that your domain name is available on social media too.

• If budget is tight, start with a free website subdomain and upgrade later.

Map out your content

Decide on your site’s core pages. For a business website, you’ll likely need:

• Home

• About

• Service or product pages

• Contact

• Legal pages (like a privacy policy and terms and conditions page)

Think about what each page will say. Keep it clear and value-driven.

Decide your style

Don’t worry if you’re not a designer. Most website templates come with built-in aesthetics. Just choose a color scheme and fonts that align with your brand or personality. Stick to 2–3 core colors for consistency, and make sure your fonts are clear and easy to read.

Step 3: Customizing without code

Now for the fun part: design. With your builder selected and content mapped, it’s time to use your no-code website builder.

Using website templates

Start by choosing a template that closely matches your business area and goals. Want a professional-looking portfolio? You'll find a template for that. Setting up a bakery? There will be a template for that too. Depending on whether you're on a free plan or a paid one, you'll have access to different styles and numbers of templates.

Remember to also have a bit of imagination, even if the template isn't exactly what you asked for, they're customizable templates, so, customize them!

Customization options to bear in mind

Here’s what you can usually tweak, using the drag and drop editors:

• Layout and sections: Add, remove, or rearrange blocks.

• Fonts and colors: Match your color scheme and typography.

• Images and backgrounds: Upload your own or see if they have access to stock galleries.

• Navigation: Make sure you create menus that guide your visitors logically.

• Branding: Add logos, taglines, and custom graphics.

A good website builder will let you see every change in real-time. With AI website builder tools, you can usually generate copy and layouts in just a few prompts.

Step 4: Checking you have all the key features

Try not to get too distracted with pretty layouts, and make sure you include all the key features your website needs to actually function properly.

1. Contact forms

Almost every website builder will have built-in form builders. Just pick the fields that you need and create your form, ready to start collecting leads.

2. Mobile optimization

Most people browse on a mobile device, so responsive design is very important. Make sure your site looks great on mobiles and tablets, use the preview modes and auto-optimization settings that are usually built into the builder.

3. Email marketing and lead capture

Want to collect emails? Add a sign-up form and connect it to tools like Mailchimp or built-in email marketing features. This is especially useful for small business owners and content creators.

4. Social media links

Add social icons to your header, footer, or “About” page. Most builders support this with just a few clicks.

5. Ecommerce features

Selling online? Builders like Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace offer powerful ecommerce features, product pages, payment processors, and inventory management, all integrated with no need to code the website from scratch.

6. Marketing tools and SEO

Want to be found on Google? Look for website builders that have integrated SEO tools and that partner with plugins like Yoast or Rank Math for even better visibility. You want to make sure you can create bespoke SEO titles and descriptions, add alt text to images, create blogs, and sync systems like Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel for tracking leads.

Step 4: Launching and growing your website

Once you've done all this, you're nearly there. Time to make your site live and keep on growing it.

Going live

When you're ready, hit publish. If you're on a free website plan, your site will go live with a builder-branded domain (like goodgrub.wixsite.com). If you want to seem a bit more professional, you'll need to upgrade and connect your domain name.

Keeping on top of things

Good web design is never finished. Keeping your site updated is important for your customers; they need to know about seasonal promotions, company updates, new products, and so on. But it's also good for SEO, too. Google wants to know that you're looking after your site and offering customers a good experience by ensuring all data is up to date.

Building an audience

Use email marketing to stay in touch with visitors and offer updates or discounts. Promote your business website on social media. And consider adding testimonials, case studies, or customer reviews as social proof and trust building.

Common mistakes to avoid when building a website

Ever heard the saying 'You can't out-train a bad diet'? Well, even the best website builder can't save you from a bad strategy.

Picking the wrong platform

If you have absolutely zero coding experience, don't pick the most difficult builder. On the other hand, if you know you 100% need ecommerce, don't pick a builder that doesn't support this. When choosing, try to think about what you need now, and what you might need in the future.

Ignoring mobile devices

A site that looks great on desktop but breaks on a phone will frustrate users. Always check mobile previews.

Overdoing the design

Stick to a clean, lean layout. Too many animations, fonts, or clashing colors can hurt the user experience.

Forgetting the fundamentals

• Choose a strong domain name.

• Plan content in advance.

• Prioritize user experience and marketing tools over flashy gimmicks.

Go forth and... build a website without coding

Can you build a website without coding? Totally doable, and honestly, a pretty smart move. With the right tools, some minor technical skills, and a bit of patience, anyone can create something that looks great and actually works.

Whether you're a freelancer, a creative, a blogger, or running a small business, there's no need to wait around. Free website builders make it easy to dive in, experiment with templates, and tweak things until it feels like you. And as your needs grow, your site can grow too.

You don’t need to mess with code to get the look or features you want. Intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, AI-powered tools, and ready-made templates make it simple to build something you're proud of.