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Build & Launch Your Professional Website for ≈$20

The Complete AI-Powered, Zero-Experience-Required Playbook

This guide provides exact, click-by-click instructions for building and launching a professional website. Every step includes detailed explanations and assumes zero prior experience.

Pre-Flight Checklist

Before you start, gather these items to ensure a smooth process. Missing any of these will slow you down later.

Required Information Checklist:

  • Business/Personal Name (exactly as you want it displayed - write it down now)
  • Your Professional Email (the one you check regularly - for domain registration)
  • A List of 2-3 Main Services You Offer (be specific: "Social Media Management for Restaurants" not just "Marketing")
  • Target Audience Description (one sentence: "couples in Chicago planning weddings")
  • Professional Headshot (high-resolution, well-lit photo of yourself)
  • Pen and paper for writing down login credentials (this is critical!)

Step 1: Create Accounts & Buy Domain (20 minutes)

A. Create Your Accounts (15 minutes)

B. Buy Your Domain (5 minutes)

Go to a registrar like Namecheap or GoDaddy and purchase your domain. Uncheck all add-ons except for free WhoisGuard privacy protection.

Step 2: Set Up Your Digital Workspace (10 minutes)

Create a main folder named My_Website_Project on your desktop. Inside, create two subfolders: Images and Content. In the Content folder, create a text file named website_info.txt and fill it out with your business details, services, content, and account usernames.

Step 3: Design Your Logo in Canva (20 minutes)

Use Canva to create a simple, professional logo. Search for "logo" templates, customize with your brand name and colors, and download it as a PNG with a transparent background. Save it as logo.png in your Images folder. [Help: Designing a Logo in Canva]

Step 4: Write Your Content & Collect Images (15 minutes)

Complete your website_info.txt file. Save your headshot as headshot.jpg in the Images folder. Compress any large images using TinyPNG.

Step 5: Generate Your Contact Form Code (10 min)

In JotForm, create a new "Classic Form" with Name, Email, and Message fields. Test it using the preview, then go to Publish → Embed and copy the full embed code. [Help: How to Embed Your Form]

Step 6: Build Your Website with AI (60+ minutes)

Provide Gemini with your prepared content, logo, images, and JotForm embed code using a detailed prompt. Iterate on the design until you are happy with the preview.

Step 7: Test Everything Locally (15 minutes)

Save the final code as index.html in a new folder called my-final-website, along with all your images. Open the file in your browser to test all links, buttons, and the contact form. Check for responsiveness by resizing your browser window.

Step 8: Upload to GitHub & Go Live (20 minutes)

Create a new public repository on GitHub named yourusername.github.io. Upload all files from your my-final-website folder. Enable GitHub Pages from the repository's settings, deploying from the main branch. Your site will be live at https://yourusername.github.io. [Help: Creating a GitHub Pages site]

Step 9: Connect Your Custom Domain (25 minutes)

In your domain registrar's DNS settings, add a CNAME record for www pointing to yourusername.github.io and a URL Redirect for the root domain (@) to https://www.yourdomain.com. In GitHub Pages settings, add your custom domain and enforce HTTPS.

Step 10: Final Quality Check

Verify all functionality on the live site, including form submissions and mobile responsiveness.

Step 11: Cost Recap

I paid ~23USD for the website, 20 dollars to access Gemini Pro. The Github repository is free to host a simple website like this. All in I spent less than $50 bucks.