Web.com is a simple website builder that is extremely easy to use—even for the absolute beginner. It only takes four steps to build a site with Web.com: creating an account to picking a template, customizing your prebuilt content blocks, and finally publishing your site. Thanks to its block-based editor, you can insert premade elements onto a page to build out your website.
Here’s how to make a Web.com website in four steps:
1. Go to Web.com & Create an Account
Web.com’s homepage
The first step is to head over to Web.com. Create an account by clicking on the “Get Started” button. This will take you to a domain finder where you can either look for a domain or use one you already own. If neither of these options appeals to you, you can always shelve it for later by clicking on “Choose Domain Later.” This will then direct you to a plans and pricing page. Unlike Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, and Weebly, Web.com doesn’t have any free plan or trial.
Web.com has three plans to choose from: Starter, Marketing, and eCommerce. Each comes with Web.com’s easy-to-use website builder. Purchase any of the plans and fill out the fields to finish creating your Web.com account. Then log in to your account via the information sent to your email.
2. Pick a Site Template
A sample Web.com template
After you log in to your new account, you’ll see a dashboard with all of your websites. To create a new one, click Create Site on the top right corner. You’ll then be led to a template selection screen with hundreds of templates divided across different categories. You can click on a template to preview it. Once you’re done, you can click Create This Site on the top right of the preview page to head to the Editor.
3. Customize Your Template
Your WYSIWYG editor
(Source: YouTube)
Web.com’s editing interface is extremely clean and streamlined. It’s a very basic sectional what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) editor, which means that what you see on the Editor is exactly what you’ll see on your website once published.
Everything you need to build your site is on the left menu. You can also click on elements in the Editor itself (e.g., your logo) to open up a small editing menu or to see extra options on the right side of the screen.
Click on the drop-down menu below to discover ways on how you can customize your Web.com website:
Update Your Header
First, personalize your header by adding a logo. Click on the existing logo at the very top of the page (on the header itself). This will open up a menu where you can upload your business’ logo. After you’ve uploaded your logo, you’ll need to click the little check mark on the Editor to approve the change.
To add more elements to your header, click the “+” button on the left and then click on Menu under Blocks. Drag your chosen menu onto your header to see how it looks. Hover over the header and two small icons will appear on the right.
Click on the Layout button and then drag the elements up and down to rearrange your header. You can also create additional elements by clicking on Add Features. Further design the header by clicking on the Design option in this same menu.
Update Your Footer
Scroll down to the very bottom to see your footer. Footers are a great place to add more information about your business. Some popular things to include are your office address, business hours, contact information, and social media buttons.
To add more elements—like social icons—to your footer, use the Build menu on the left and scroll down to Social. Then drag whichever icon you want onto your footer. Again, to rearrange, edit, and design everything, click on the Layout button that appears to the right of the section.
This Layout menu is also where you link your social media accounts by first hovering over the name (e.g., Facebook), and then clicking on Edit.
Add & Edit Pages
Click on Pages on the left menu, then on Add, and then on Page again. This will bring up three options. To add a completely blank page that you can build yourself, click on Blank. To duplicate an existing page, click on Duplicate.
Finally, to add a premade page with its own template, click on Template. Change the theme of these pages by clicking on the Theme icon on the left menu. There, you can customize how the colors, fonts, and even buttons look across your site.
Add Elements & Blocks
To add more elements to a specific page, click on the Build button at the top of the left side menu. You will then get a list of elements, called “Features,” that you can drag onto a section on your page. Web.com also has “Blocks,” or premade sections that you can add to your page. To edit the elements and sections, click on the specific element on the Editor itself.
Unlike other sectional website builders, like GoDaddy, Web.com allows you to create sections from scratch. First, drag a Panel to a part on your page (found under Layouts in the Build menu), then drag the features you want onto the panel. Again, to change a panel’s design, hover over the panel and click on the Edit button that appears.
4. Preview Your Website & Publish
Before publishing your website, see how it looks by clicking on Preview at the top right corner of your screen. A menu will appear at the bottom of the screen, which you can use to see how your website looks on different platforms. Finally, when everything looks right, you can hit the Publish button beside Preview to go live.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Web.com free?
Unlike other names in website building—like Wix, GoDaddy, and Squarespace, to name a few—Web.com has neither a free trial nor a free plan. You will have to purchase a Web.com plan, starting at $1.95 for your first month, to access the site builder. However, you can get a glimpse of the templates Web.com offers by going to the site builder and scrolling down until you see Browse All Templates.
Is Web.com good for SEO?
Web.com is a very basic website builder, and as such, doesn’t have a built-in search engine optimization (SEO) tool, unlike other site builders known for SEO. However, Web.com does have an SEO tool that you can purchase for an additional $29.99 per month. This tool checks your site and provides you with actionable steps to increase your rankings on search engines.
Can I create a logo through Web.com?
Web.com has LogoBuilder, a tool that helps you create a professional logo for your business. To access it, you’ll need to have an active website builder plan. You can find LogoBuilder on your dashboard. Click on Website Packages and then scroll down to the Edit Website section, where you’ll have the option to create a new logo by purchasing LogoBuilder. In case you want a free tool to create a logo, we highly recommend trying out Canva, an online graphic design software.
Bottom Line
Web.com is a known web hosting provider, but it also has a very easy website builder. It may not be the cheapest available, but it’s a decent tool to use if you’re a beginner looking to create a professional small business website in minutes. Creating a Web.com website is simple, and only takes four steps. First, create your account, purchase a plan, and then pick a template. Use Web.com’s clean editor to design your website, and finally, publish your site.