WebBuilding

Guides

Website guides

The short answer

Practical guides to building a website in the US: how websites work, what they really cost, how to choose a builder, how to move or leave one, and the laws worth knowing. Start with the basics or jump to the question you have now.

Start here if you’re new

If you’ve never built a site, read these four in order. Each one takes a single question and answers it.

  1. How a website works: domains, hosting and DNS, explained.
  2. Domains and hosting: what to buy, where, and what renewal costs look like.
  3. What a website costs: the real 3-year total, not just the first month.
  4. How to choose a website builder: match the platform to your site.

If you’re deciding how to build

Not sure whether to use a builder, run WordPress or hire someone? Builder vs WordPress vs agency lays out the costs and trade-offs of each path. If you want AI to do the first draft, read AI website builders explained.

If you already have a site

Changing platforms takes planning. Moving your website covers the steps, from backups to redirects. Leaving your website builder explains what you can take with you from each platform and what you’ll have to rebuild.

Domain names

Start with Domains 101, the beginner path from picking a name to protecting it. Then compare domain registrars on renewal price, decide between .com and other extensions, and learn how to transfer a domain when you move.

Buying or selling a site

Where to buy and sell websites compares Flippa, Empire Flippers, Motion Invest, Acquire.com and other marketplaces on fees and fit, and explains how websites are valued.

Rules to know

Website laws in the US covers accessibility, privacy policies and email marketing rules. It is general information, not legal advice.

Tools that go with the guides

Two of our tools pair well with these guides. The cost calculator works out your own 3-year total, and the exit score table shows what each platform lets you take with you.

How our guides are written

Each guide starts with the problem, gives practical steps and uses tables where they help. Facts come from official vendor and government sources and are re-checked every three months.

When a technical term comes up, such as an SSL certificate, it links to a plain definition in our glossary.

Questions people ask

How much does a website cost per year?

It depends on the platform and what you add. Our website cost guide adds up the plan, domain renewal, email, apps and transaction fees over three years.

Where should a beginner start?

Read How a website works, then Domains and hosting, What a website costs and How to choose a website builder, in that order.

Can I move my site to another builder later?

Usually, but how much moves with you depends on the platform. Our guide to leaving your website builder explains what each one lets you export.

All guides

GuideAI website builders in 2026: which kind do you need?There are two kinds of AI website builder. AI inside classic builders such as Wix, Squarespace and Hostinger drafts a normal site you edit by hand, which suits most…GuideBest domain registrars in 2026, compared on what renewal really costsFor a single .com, Spaceship is the cheapest to keep at today's prices: $28.84 over three years ($8.88, then $9.98 a year). Cloudflare ($31.38) and Porkbun ($33.24)…GuideWebsite builder vs WordPress vs web designer: which route fits you?Choose a website builder if you want a site fast and low upkeep, and can live with limited export. Choose self-hosted WordPress if you want to own everything and can…GuideWhere to buy and sell websites: Flippa, Empire Flippers, Motion Invest and moreSmall sites usually sell on Flippa, an open marketplace with a $29 to $599 listing fee plus a success fee. Content sites earning a few hundred dollars a month or more…GuideHow to choose a website builder: a 5-question frameworkDecide what you are building, who will maintain it, what you can spend over three years, whether you will sell, and how much you could lose if you leave. For most…Guide.com, .co, .io, .ai or .us: which domain extension should you pick?For most US small businesses, the best domain extension is .com: it is what customers type by default, and it renews for $9.98 to $18.48 a year at Namecheap, Porkbun,…GuideDomains 101: how to choose, buy, connect and protect a domain namePick a short .com that is easy to say, check it in USPTO Trademark Search, and buy it at a registrar in your own name, comparing the renewal price rather than the…GuideDomain vs hosting: what you need and where to buy itA domain is your site's address, rented yearly from a registrar; hosting is the server that stores and serves the site. Builders bundle hosting into the plan, but you…GuideHow does a website work? The five layers explainedA website is five layers: a domain (the address), hosting (the server), a platform (the software you edit in), a design and your content. When someone visits, DNS…GuideLeaving your website builder: what you can take with youSquarespace exports basic pages and one blog as a WordPress XML file, plus products, orders and contacts, but the design and store pages stay behind. Wix cannot be…GuideHow to migrate a website without losing traffic or emailTo migrate a website, list every current URL, export what the old platform allows, rebuild on the new one, and set 301 redirects for any address that changes. Lower…GuideHow to transfer a domain name (and get it out of Wix, Squarespace, Shopify or GoDaddy)Many people only need to point their domain at a new site by changing DNS, not transfer it. To transfer, copy your DNS records, check the domain is more than 60 days…GuideHow much does a website cost in 2026?If you build it yourself, a simple US small-business website costs from $99 in plan fees (WordPress.com Personal, prepaid for three years) to about $1,250 all-in over…GuideWebsite legal requirements for US small businesses (2026)Most US small business websites should have an accurate privacy policy, an accessible design aimed at WCAG 2.1 Level AA, CAN-SPAM compliant marketing email, clear…

Keep reading

GuideHow much does a website cost in 2026?If you build it yourself, a simple US small-business website costs from $99 in plan fees (WordPress.com Personal, prepaid for three years) to about $1,250 all-in over…GuideHow to choose a website builder: a 5-question frameworkDecide what you are building, who will maintain it, what you can spend over three years, whether you will sell, and how much you could lose if you leave. For most…GuideLeaving your website builder: what you can take with youSquarespace exports basic pages and one blog as a WordPress XML file, plus products, orders and contacts, but the design and store pages stay behind. Wix cannot be…HubWebsite building glossary: 150 terms, A to ZThis website glossary defines 150 terms you meet when building or buying a website, from A records and nameservers to AI credits and vibe coding. Each definition is…HubFree website planning toolsThree free tools to help you choose and budget: a builder finder that suggests a short list from five questions, a calculator for the true 3-year cost of a site, and…

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Rank Summit Agency builds and looks after websites for US businesses. Full disclosure: Rank Summit runs this site.

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