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“Follow the plan outlined here and you can create your own website from scratch without writing any code for less than $300.”
We’ve all heard of Kickstarter.
If you want to build a site like Kickstarter, that means creating your own crowdfunding platform.
And I know what you’re thinking…
Is it going to cost a lot?
Is this even something I can do as a non-developer?
I think you might be surprised by some of the information you find here.
It’s possible with WordPress
WordPress is an amazing platform.
The best part about using WordPress is that you get access to thousands of themes and plugins. You can find any design and features you could ever want, including everything you need to build a crowdfunding website.
In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to make your own crowdfunding site without writing a single line of code or hiring expensive developers.
In fact, you can make the whole site for about $100.
Start with a domain
We’ll get to the design soon, but there’s something you need to consider first…
The domain name!
The first step is to purchase a domain people can visit to reach your site. Just so we’re on the same page, here are some examples of domain names:
- Google.com
- Facebook.com
- Wikipedia.org
The .com extension is definitely the most popular, and you should try to get a domain using .com if you can. That said, it can be really hard to find an available domain.
I’ve already covered the best tips and tactics for finding a great domain name in this guide:
How to Find a Great Available Domain Name
Give that tutorial a read and you’ll potentially save thousands by finding a domain for $10-15 instead of paying expensive squatters and brokers for a good name.
Get a web host
Every website needs hosting.
This is the biggest expense when launching a new website because most hosts require an annual payment upfront. There’s not really any way around this, but I have a very affordable recommendation I’ll share in a moment.
Why do you need hosting?
When you pay for hosting, you’re essentially renting space on a server. The server delivers all of your website’s files when someone visits your domain.
In other words, your site won’t load when someone visits unless you have hosting.
Which host should you use?
For a new website, I recommend Nexcess.
Nexcess has hosting plans powered by their partner Nexcess, and the advantage is that this hosting is designed exclusively for WordPress sites.
This means you get lightning-fast hosting and practical services bundled for free. For instance, they’ll auto-update all of your plugins and backup your website every day.
Not to mention, it’s much cheaper than other premium WP hosts offering the same services and level of performance.
Auto-create your site
After you make your Nexcess account, they’ll auto-generate a WP site for you. You can skip the entire installation process.
You’ll get a basic WordPress site at a temporary domain, and your real domain will show a basic coming soon page until you’re ready to launch.
Follow my tutorial on how to make a WordPress site if you want more detailed instructions.
Get a crowdfunding theme
At this point, you’ve got a complete WordPress site online and ready to launch at any moment.
In order to transform your site into a crowdfunding platform, you’ll use an advanced WordPress theme.
Most WordPress themes only have basic customization settings, but the theme I’m going to recommend here comes with all the functionality you need for a crowdfunding site too.
Use the Backnow theme
Here’s a first look at the Backnow WordPress theme.
There are actually a few themes worth considering for your crowdfunding website, but Backnow stands out for a few reasons.
First,
Second, all of the crowdfunding features you need are included in WP Crowdfunding which is the best crowdfunding plugin on the market. WP Crowdfunding is free and is made by
Lastly, you’ll want to use a page builder if you want full control over your site’s layout and design. The
Alternative themes
While Backnow is the best theme to use, in my opinion, there are a few other worthy alternatives.
Check out this collection of the best crowdfunding WordPress themes for more templates.
Launch your site
Once you get the WordPress theme installed and activated on your site, things will really start coming together.
If you’ve never used WordPress before, you can follow along with our WordPress customization guide to learn how to set up a new WP site.
To summarize the steps:
Preparing the site for launch will take some time, but you only need to build your site once. Moving forward, you can simply maintain the site and devote more time to marketing.
If you have any questions about how to make a crowdfunding website, post a comment below.
