How Hard Is It to Actually Set Up a Website?

Go on. Google “how to set up a website”, and you will soon get into the rabbit hole of not being any clearer. One blog says you can do it in an hour.
Another says you need a web designer.
Then you get hit with words like domains, hosting, DNS, and CSS...

And suddenly you’re wondering if it’s worth the hassle at all.

So here’s the truth:

Setting up a website is

as simple or

as involved

as you want it to be.

I say this because I’ve done it every way.
I’ve hired designers. I’ve built from scratch. And now? I choose ease.

Let me walk you through what I’ve learned—so you can find the right path for you.

The First Time: I Hired a Designer

When I started taking my business seriously, I thought I had to do it “properly.” So I hired a designer. It looked great, and I appreciated someone else handling it.

Actually, the web designer was just really persuasive.

But I’ll be honest: it cost a lot. And even though the result was polished, I remember thinking, that’s a lot of money for something I’ll probably want to change in a few months. Four-figures and a monthly reoccurring cost.

It taught me something. Not everything needs to be handcrafted from scratch. Especially not when you’re still shaping your business.

The Second Time: I Did It All Myself

So next time, I thought, I’ll just build it myself. I got WordPress, sorted out hosting, chose a free theme… and started tweaking.

And tweaking. And tweaking.

I got caught in the spiral of What font should I use? Does this picture match the vibe? Should this button be green or blue?

It worked. But it took up a lot of mental space. I spent more time adjusting the layout than focusing on the business itself. I built something, but I also built overwhelm alongside it.

What I Do Now

Now? I choose ease.
I either use a template - or get someone to help set it up for me using one.

It’s the middle ground.
No massive price tag.
No endless fiddling.
Just… done.

Sometimes I’ll pick a clean template, change the images and colours, and it’s ready in an afternoon. Other times, if I’m busy, I’ll get someone else to plug it in for me—and I just add the content later. You can do this in 30 minutes. Seriously.

This is the thing I want you to know:

You don’t have to prove anything by doing it the hard way.

There are tools now that make this easy, affordable, and solid.

You don’t have to be technical. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to start (and finish).

The Three Main Routes

Here’s what I have seen people choose from when they build their site:

1. Done-for-you (Custom)

• You want: something polished and completely hands-off

• What to expect: a big bill, a few weeks/months turnaround

What I learned: it’s great, but you pay for the experience. Often before you even know what you really want

2. Do-it-yourself (From Scratch)

• You want: control, low cost, and full creative input

• What to expect: time-consuming, easy to spiral into perfectionism
  

What I learned: it’s empowering—but also overwhelming if you’re short on time or clarity

3. Do-it-yourself (With a Template) ← my current go-to

• You want: a clean, functional site without overthinking

• What to expect: simple setup, editable design, no tech headaches
  

What I’ve found: this is the sweet spot. You get it done and keep your sanity

And if you're not up for doing it yourself?
You can still use a template, and ask someone to install it for you.
That way, it’s fast, clean, and you’re not handing over thousands just to get online.

So… How Hard Is It Really?

It's not hard.
It's just about choosing the right level of support.

A website doesn’t have to be perfect.
It just has to exist.

You can tweak it later. You can evolve it over time. But getting something live - something that’s yours - is the shift.

If you're ready to get started, here’s the simplest path I recommend:
Use Hostinger to get a domain and set up a site (Wordpress or their own). It’s fast, intuitive, and gives you the space to grow. Below is an affiliate link to them:

👉 Click here to get started → [Affiliate link to Hostinger]

You can do this. And if you don’t want to do it all yourself? There are people (including me) who’ve walked this path and can help.