How To Design a Website for Your Private Practice

Everything you need to make a website that connects and converts

How many times have you Googled “how to design a website?” Maybe you’ve spent weekends glued to your laptop, trying to decode what SEO means or how to purchase a domain name.

With so many options and opinions out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed trying to figure out the “right” way to design your website – which platforms to use, what tools are worth it, and how much you actually need to spend to get something that looks good and works.

I won’t sugarcoat it – designing a website can feel like a lot. That’s exactly why I started Liv’s Creative Studio: to simplify the process for wellness providers like you who want to grow their impact online without the tech headaches.

Here’s exactly what I use when designing websites for my clients:

Hosting

Your hosting platform is where all your website’s files are stored – think of it like renting office space for your online business.

There are plenty of hosting options (Bluehost, GoDaddy, SiteGround, Hostinger, etc.), and truthfully, there’s no “best” one. My go-to for small business owners is Bluehost, because it integrates seamlessly with WordPress and is cost-effective.

Depending on current promotions, the basic plan starts around $3.99/month for the first year and renews at about $9.99/month. You’ll also get your domain name free for the first year – a great deal for getting started without overspending.

Domain Name

Your domain name is your website’s unique address (for example, www.yourbusinessname.com).

While you can purchase your domain from many providers, I recommend keeping things simple and getting it through Bluehost when you set up hosting. It’s free for the first year and keeps everything in one place.

After the first year, expect to renew it for $10–$20/year.

You can purchase your domain through Google Workspace, but that adds another account to manage. Since you can easily connect your Bluehost domain to Google Workspace later, it’s best to keep it all streamlined in one platform.

Website Builder

This is where the magic happens! While WordPress has a small learning curve, it’s the best long-term option for a professional site that can grow with your business. It’s flexible and built for SEO, blogging, and eCommerce.

Next, you’ll want a theme and page builder that allows for drag-and-drop design (no coding required!).

Here are a few options:

• Kadence: My favorite. It’s lightweight, modern, and the free version has everything you need to create a beautiful, strategic website.
• Beaver Builder or Elementor: Both are great for beginners and offer intuitive drag-and-drop features. They work best when paired with a theme like Astra or GeneratePress. Elementor has more free design features and both can slow down large websites slightly.

Kadence tends to be more scalable, while Elementor and Beaver Builder are great stepping stones if you’re new to WordPress.

Backups

Few things are worse than spending hours perfecting your site, only for it to crash or disappear (I’ve been there 🫠) That’s why backups are non-negotiable.

Bluehost offers free weekly backups, but restoring them can be tricky. Instead, I recommend CodeGuard, which is available directly through your Bluehost dashboard.

• Basic Plan: $47.88/year (good for smaller sites under 1GB)
• Professional Plan: $59.88/year (for larger sites)

These backups have saved me more than once. If you remember one thing from this guide: get a backup system

Analytics

I love data – it tells you what’s working and what’s not.

You can track your website’s performance for free using:

• Google Analytics: See how many people visit your site, where they come from, and what they click on.
• Google Search Console: Monitor how your site appears on Google and get indexed faster.

These two tools together give you everything you need to grow strategically instead of guessing what’s working.

Don’t make designing a website more confusing than it needs to be – you just need a clear plan and the right tools. Start with reliable hosting, secure your domain, choose a flexible builder, protect your work with backups, and track your progress with analytics.