Build Your First Website

A complete step-by-step guide to creating a modern website using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Introduction

Building a website involves three key layers: structure (HTML), style (CSS), and interactivity (JavaScript). You don’t need prior coding experience—just patience and a text editor.

Step-by-Step Website Building Process

Install a code editor like Visual Studio Code or Sublime Text. Create a new project folder (e.g., mywebsite) with three files: index.html, style.css, and script.js.

HTML defines the page layout and content. Start with a <!DOCTYPE html> declaration, then add sections like header, main, and footer. Example:

<header>My Website</header>
<main>Welcome to my first website.</main>
<footer>© 2025 MySite</footer>

CSS controls colors, fonts, spacing, and layout. Create style.css and link it to your HTML using <link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css">. Example:

body {
  font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
  background-color: #f4f4f4;
  color: #333;
}

JavaScript adds interactivity like animations or form validation. Example in script.js:

document.querySelector('button').addEventListener('click', () => {
  alert('Button clicked!');
});

Keep images in an img/ folder, styles in css/, and scripts in js/. Proper structure makes your site scalable and easy to maintain.

Use CSS Flexbox or Grid and media queries to make your website adapt to different screen sizes.

Open index.html in a browser. Check on mobile and desktop. Validate code using the W3C HTML and CSS validators.

Register a domain and choose hosting. Popular free options include GitHub Pages, Netlify, and Vercel. Upload your files and test your live site.

Regularly update your content and fix broken links. Use version control (Git) to manage changes safely.

Recommended Tools & Resources

  • Code Editors: Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text
  • Graphics: Figma, Canva, GIMP
  • Hosting: GitHub Pages, Netlify, Vercel
  • Learning: MDN Web Docs, W3Schools, freeCodeCamp