This content was created by Girlboss, in partnership with Hostinger.
I have a confession to make: I’ve been putting off working on my website for the past six years.
My half-complete online portfolio is sitting in the drafts of another website-building platform (that shall not be named 🤫) after I spent $286 on a custom template (with installation)—plus annual hosting and domain fees. I can feel my wallet crying for help.
You may be thinking, “Why has it taken you so damn long to build a silly little personal website? It’s just an About Me page and some article links, right?” Well, first off, I anticipated that it would take me days—no weeks—to make the perfect website exactly how I imagined it in my Pinterest-fuelled fantasies. And I just couldn’t find the time to prioritize it.
If only I had known that it would take me one afternoon with Hostinger (get 10% off with code GIRLBOSS), an all-in-one website builder.
It helps busy professionals like me and aspiring entrepreneurs/side hustlers quickly launch a website, store, or portfolio without needing a coder or UX/UI designer. It’s super user-friendly and budget-friendly, too (plans start as low as $12/month). No wonder it’s trusted by 4+ million website owners worldwide! Myself included.
Before I got started, I chatted with Patrick Burke, Hostinger’s US Manager of Growth, about the importance of owning your platform (versus only using social media to promote your work):
“Building on social media is building on rented land. Your reach, your audience, and your income can disappear overnight if an algorithm changes or attention shifts to the next different platform. Your website is the one place you fully control your brand, your customer relationships, and your data. Social is incredible for discovery, but if you’re serious about building a brand, or launching anything with longevity, you need a home base you own.”
If you’re feeling overwhelmed at the thought of building a website from scratch, Burke explains that there’s only one thing a “starter” site actually needs: a clear homepage that explains what you do and a contact form or next step, like booking a call or joining an email list. That’s it! The first three steps are easy: get a domain and hosting platform, create your first page, and refine it to your liking.
And that’s exactly what I did. Here, I outline all of the steps I took to bring my dream website to life—from domain to launch—in just a few hours.
I really have Hostinger’s AI Web Builder to thank. I started off by filling out two simple questions: my brand name and a description of what I’m looking for. I wrote: “I want to create a journalism portfolio/personal website to promote my articles. I am the Executive Editor at Girlboss. I am also a journalist, writer, editor, and podcast producer. I want a website that feels modern, fresh, and colorful.”
In just a few seconds, it created the website for me—yes, really. The layout was all there (and what I used in my final design): a section for my resume, article examples, About Me, an intake form, and a header and footer.
As for my domain, I went with a free one for now, but you can purchase a brand-new one through the platform (it’s free for the first year!) or connect a previously existing one.
Now, the fun part: customization!
I had my professional headshots and custom fonts lined up and ready to be uploaded, and for the subtle pops of color, I used the dropper tool to pick up a color from the shirts I was wearing in the photoshoot (see the emerald green and raspberry accents?).
Another thing I love is how you can add a new section at the click of a button, and it offers you a menu of template options to choose from, like Testimonials, Gallery, Subscription Form, Blog, and FAQ.
You can also use the slider to adjust the section height and easily place text boxes, buttons, and images, thanks to Hostinger’s handy drag-and-drop smart grid designed to automatically adapt to different screen sizes. Now I don’t have to worry about my spacing being off! The Type A girlies would notice. 😉
Hostinger has AI tools for all of your website needs: an AI writer (you can even choose between different tone of voices like funny or casual), an AI logo maker, an AI image generator, and my personal favorite, AI SEO tools. It generates an SEO-optimized Meta title, Meta description, and focus keywords for each of your website’s pages automatically. This saved me so much time!
There are plenty of other super-cool features that you can take advantage of:
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eCommerce: Sell physical products, digital products, or appointments with 0% transaction fees (unlike Shopify/Etsy). Plus, you can generate product descriptions just by chatting with Kodee, Hostinger’s AI assistant.
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Marketing: Integrate your site with Google Ads and Facebook Pixel, or use Hostinger Reach, an AI-powered email marketing tool.
- Monetization: Hostinger has its own micro-site builder for your “link in bio.” It enables creators and brands to monetize their social presence, showcase affiliate links, and easily scale into a full website when needed. You can also create a blog and turn on AdSense ads or incorporate affiliate links to earn money. Hostinger integrates with Printful, too, so you can run a POD store and sell custom items with your own designs.
I’ll leave you with one more nugget of website wisdom, courtesy of Burke. “The biggest mistake I see beginners make is overbuilding before validating,” he says. “People spend weeks polishing fonts, logos, and extra pages for offers that are not even proven yet. Your first site is not your forever brand; it’s a testing ground. Get something live fast, be crystal clear about your offer and your audience, and let real feedback guide what you build next."
To say I’m relieved that I have a living, breathing online portfolio after all these years would be an understatement. A task I’d been carrying around for far too long is finally off my to-do list.
On to the next…
Ready to stop procrastinating on building your dream website or online business? Get 10% off with code GIRLBOSS.
