If you want to create a website in Kenya, the process is now easier than ever before.
There are a variety of tools and resources available to help you build a professional-looking website in just a few hours, even without any coding skills or experience.
In this article, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of creating a website in Kenya.
How to create a website in Kenya in 2024?
You start by buying a domain and hosting, designing your website by coding or using a CMS, publishing it online, and submitting it to Google.
Alternatively, you can start by building the website in a localhost environment, buying the domain and hosting, publishing it online, and submitting it to Google.
Table of Contents
Steps on how to create a website in Kenya in 2024
1. Choose a domain name.
Your domain name is the address of your website on the internet.
In most cases, it’s also the name of your website.
A domain name is what people will type into their web browser to visit your website.
When choosing a domain name, it is important to choose one that is relevant to your website’s content and easy to remember.
Here’s a list of factors to consider when buying a domain name in Kenya.
You can register a domain name through a domain name registrar in Kenya, such as Sasahost, Truehost, Hospinnacle, Itexperts, or KenyaWebExperts.
Once you have registered, it will be yours to use for as long as you pay the annual registration fee.
2. Choose a reliable web hosting provider
In most cases, for beginners, I strongly advise that your domain name and hosting be provided by one company to avoid technical issues with DNS.
However, for security reasons, you can have your domain and hosting provided by two different companies.
A web hosting provider is a company that stores your website’s files and makes them accessible to visitors.
Factors to consider when choosing a web hosting provider
1. Price:
Web hosting companies in Kenya offer a variety of pricing plans, so it is important to choose one that fits your budget.
Remember that sometimes, the lower the price, the lower the quality.
2. Futures:
Web hosting providers offer a variety of features, such as disk space, bandwidth, databases, SSL, and email accounts.
Choose a web hosting provider that offers the features that you need.
3. Customer support:
This is the most important factor since you may run into errors or have downtime.
Customer support should respond quickly and offer good, reliable solutions to any problems encountered.
The best web hosting companies in Kenya include :
KenyanWebExperts
Sasahost
TrueHost
HostFiti
Lenasi
Itexperts
Shujaahost
Sky Host
OraWebHost
Here’s a detailed review of the best web hosting companies in Kenya in 2024.
3. Decide whether to code the website or use a no-code website builder CMS
There are many ways on how to create a website in Kenya.
You can either code it or use no-code visual website builders like WordPress, Wix, and Shopify, among many others.
If you decide to code it, you can use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the front-end user interface.
For advanced server options and dynamic websites, you can use PHP, MySQL, NodeJS, and Python, among others, for the backend.
Studying all these programming languages is not easy and takes time; hence, for a beginner, it’s better to use a no-code website builder.
4. Install a content management system (CMS)
A content management system (CMS) is a software application that makes it easy to create and manage a website.
Popular CMS platforms include WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.
These CMS can be installed using the Softaculous app installer located on your Cpanel account.
From my personal experience, I recommend using WordPress because it’s easy to use and powers over 30% of all websites on the internet.
Most web hosting providers in Kenya offer a one-click installation process for popular CMS platforms.
This makes it easy to get started with your website.
Pros and cons of WordPress
5. Design your website
Once you have installed a CMS, in our case, WordPress, you can start designing your website.
This includes choosing a theme, adding content, and installing plugins.
WordPress platforms offer a variety of themes and plugins that you can use to customize your website.
Most themes and plugins are free and offer everything you need to get started, but if you need professional features, you can buy a theme from ThemeForest.
Here’s a full beginner’s guide on how to build a website using WordPress in Kenya in 2024.
7. Publish your website
Once you are happy with the design of your website, you can publish it online.
If you’re using WordPress on a live domain and hosting, then any changes are published immediately with a click of a button.
However, if you were using a localhost environment, you’d need to move the website to a live server.
8. Promote your website
Once your website is published, it is important to market it so that people can find it.
How to promote a website in Kenya in 2024:
1. Search engine optimization (SEO):
SEO is the process of optimizing your website’s content so that it ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) like Google and Bing.
This is free and a good choice for beginners, but it’s very technical and takes time.
2. Social media marketing:
You can use paid social media ads like Facebook and LinkedIn or pay influencers to market your website.
3. Paid Traffic:
You can set up paid Google ads so that your website can be ranked on Google for various search queries.
This gives you the initial boost and traffic to start making sales online.
Conclusion
How to create a website in kenya in 2024 – step by step
Choose a relevant domain name
Your domain name should be relevant to your website’s content and be easy to remember
Choose a good web hosting provider
Choose a web hosting provider that offers good customer support and the features that you need
Install WordPress
WordPress will make it easy to create and manage your website.
Design your website carefully
Choose a theme and customize your website to match your brand identity.
Publish your website
Once you are happy with the design of your website, publish it online.
Promote your website
Promote your website using SEO, social media marketing, and paid advertising.