I put off building my own website for a long time. Not because I didn't want one — but because every option I looked at either cost money every month, slapped their branding on my site, or felt like I was renting space instead of owning it.
Then I found a way that costs nothing, gives you full control, and doesn't put anyone else's name on your work.
This is how I built mine, and how you can do the same.
The problem with most website builders
Wix, Squarespace, and similar tools are fine for some people. They're fast to set up, and you don't need to touch any code.
But there are two things that always bugged me:
- They brand your site. Your free plan almost always comes with "Built with Wix" or something similar tucked in the corner. For a business, that looks unprofessional.
- You don't own anything. You're paying monthly to rent a page. Stop paying, and it's gone.
I wanted something I actually owned. So I went a different route.
What I chose instead: GitHub Pages
GitHub Pages is a free hosting service built into GitHub. It's made for exactly this — simple websites, portfolios, landing pages, business sites.
Here's what you get:
- Free hosting, forever
- A clean URL —
yourusername.github.io - No ads, no branding, no "built with" badge
- Full control over your code
- Custom domain support if you want your own name later
And if you do want your own domain — like yourbusiness.com — you can connect it for just a few dollars a year. No monthly hosting fees.
That's the whole reason I went this route. Free if you want free. Cheap if you want your own name.
How I actually built it
1. I picked a name and grabbed a domain
You don't have to do this first, but I did. I wanted jbdigital.dev so my business had a real home. A .dev domain was cheap for the first year.
If you're not ready to pay, skip this step. GitHub's free URL works perfectly.
2. I created a repository on GitHub
I already had a GitHub account, so I skipped that part. But if you don't have one, it's free and takes two minutes to set up.
A "repository" is just a folder GitHub keeps for you. I made one, kept it public, and that became the home for my site files.
3. I wrote the site in one HTML file
This is the part that scares people, but it's genuinely not that bad. My entire website is a single file called index.html. That file contains the layout, the styling, everything.
4. I used AI to help me write it
I'm not going to pretend I hand-typed every line. I used AI to write the HTML and CSS, and I tweaked it until it looked right. There's no shame in that — it's a tool, and it works.
5. I uploaded the files to GitHub
You drag your files into GitHub's website and click "Commit changes." That's it. No FTP, no complicated setup.
That includes your images — logos, screenshots, even videos. You just drop them in the same folder as your HTML file, and the code points to them by name.
6. I turned on GitHub Pages
In the repository settings, there's a "Pages" section. You select your branch, click save, and GitHub publishes your site for you.
7. I connected my domain
I added my custom domain in the Pages settings and updated a couple of DNS records where I bought the domain. GitHub handled the rest, including HTTPS.
8. It was live
Within a couple of minutes, jbdigital.dev was online.
What I'd tell someone starting today
- Start with the free URL. You can always add a custom domain later.
- Don't overthink the design. Simple, clean pages look more professional than busy ones anyway.
- Use AI as a helper, not a crutch. It'll get you 90% of the way there. You just have to know what you want.
- Expect small hiccups. Images might not load right away, links might not scroll right — that's normal. Every problem has a fix.
- Save early, save often. Keep backups of your files, and save a copy before making big changes.
- Update the site when you can. A site that never changes looks abandoned.
Do you actually need to know how to code?
Not really. You need to be willing to copy, paste, and tweak. That's what I did.
But here's the thing — understanding it definitely helps. And honestly? You might learn more by doing this than by trying to study it first.
I can't write code from scratch. But when a build fails on my Android app in Android Studio, most of the time I'm the one who can spot where it went wrong. Not because I'm a coder — but because I've broken things enough times to recognize the patterns.
Building a website works the same way. You'll learn by doing, and by fixing what breaks.
If you want to build something for your business and you'd rather have someone do it for you — well, that's what I do.
Bottom line
You can have a real website. Not a free-trial one, not one with someone else's name on it, and not one that disappears when you stop paying.
GitHub Pages gave me a real site for free. My own domain cost me a few dollars a year. That's it.
If you've been putting it off — this is your sign. Start today. It's more doable than it looks.
— Justin, Founder of JB Digital
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