How to build your website in Webflow in 5 simple steps

Step 1: Determine the scope and goals of the website.

When creating a new website in Webflow, good preparation is critical. Naturally, the first step in creating a website is defining the scope and goals of your site.

The goals you want to achieve with your website are the determining factor for your website's content, design and layout, and navigation structure. Take a moment to brainstorm and answer the three questions below to help you complete the rest of the roadmap of your website.

? Why do you want to set up a website? (the goal)

? Who are you trying to reach? (target audience)

? What information should your website contain? (the message)

Step 2: Create valuable content for your website.

Once you have a clearly defined scope and purpose for your website, it is time to think about content. Content is the basis for a successful website. It is the means to attract visitors to your website and, most importantly, keep them there and make them undertake action (make a purchase, fill out a form, sign up for a newsletter, etc.). Finally, good website content will help your website rank better in search engines (like Google).

Content creation is an often underestimated part of creating a website. It is a pretty intensive and time-consuming process. The first step in creating valuable website content is to do your research and develop a proper content strategy. Next, you should decide on the appropriate format for your content. Determine where you want to use text, images, video, blog posts, infographics, etc.

When it comes to adding and managing the content on your website, Webflow's CMS (Content Management System) is an absolute breath of fresh air. Unlike WordPress, for example, the CMS can be tailored entirely to your website, making it very easy for a content editor to add, modify or delete content. You can preview any changes you make or publish them on your website at the click of a button.

Webflow distinguishes between static content (pages), dynamic content (articles or collections), and forms. Static pages only appear on your website once (home, about us, contact, terms and conditions, privacy statement, etc.). On the other hand, dynamic content consists of your web page components that change, such as news items, blog articles, projects, team members, etc. Dynamic content is connected to 'Collections', a type of database where your content is stored and can be referenced throughout your website. The third tab contains the submissions to any forms you may have put up on your website. Webflow's CMS allows you to export all responses to Excel easily.

Step 3: Create a good website structure (your SEO foundation).

The process of content creation and setting up your website structure often go hand in hand. Website structure refers to how the different pages on your site are connected and presented for an optimized user experience (homepage, subpages, footer...).

How you structure your website is very important as it ensures visitors can seamlessly navigate your website and find relevant information on it. An easily navigatable site will also rank better in search engines (SEO).

You can start with a simple sketch of your navigation structure: how visitors will flow from one page on your website to another. More detailed website structures often also enlist the content for each page. This way, you have a complete overview of what information will go where before you start building.

Of course, how much of this you want to plan in advance is entirely up to you.

Step 4: Design a website that stands out in Webflow.

Webflow grants users complete control of their website's design, responsiveness, and interactions. The platform uses an intuitive drag-and-drop editor that allows you to design your website from within your browser without any coding. You can make sitewide changes in a matter of clicks and preview them instantly.

Depending on your skill level, budget, and available time, you can design your website from scratch or pick out a Webflow template and start from there.

? Design a website from scratch - Webflow allows you to build your website entirely from scratch and fully tailor it to your needs using their drag-and-drop editor. This option is considerably time-consuming and not recommended if you are a first-time or inexperienced Webflow user.

? Use template or a preset – Webflow provides more than 100 responsive templates in a range of different styles that are entirely customizable. Webflow templates vary from simple one-page sites to more complicated designs that consist of multiple pages. Depending on your requirements and budget, you can choose one of their free templates or pick out a premium paid template.

Step 5: Hire a Webflow expert on Codemap.

With Webflow's designer, the possibilities are truly endless. It is currently the most powerful web builder out there, but keep in mind that it will take quite a bit of time to get the hang of it if you are a beginner.

Suppose you're a beginner looking to build a (complex) website using Webflow and want to take full advantage of all it has to offer and end up with a professional-looking site. It is then advised to?hire a vetted Webflow expert?through Codemap.

Codemap is a platform that matches you with experienced no-code freelancers and agencies who know Webflow inside and out and can help make your vision a reality at record speed.

All you have to do is describe your project on Codemap using our smart brief. Once you've uploaded your project to the platform, you will then get access to our network of experienced Webflow developers from all over the world. Our Webflow experts will be notified, and you can start receiving proposals within minutes. Clients can also browse through the profiles and request proposals themselves.

Can't decide on the perfect fit for your project? Our Talent Curators are available to help you every step of the way!