Build your own website with Webflow, Udesly, GitHub, and Netlify

There are powerful tools available that make it easier than ever to design, build, and launch a professional website. As a web designer, I use a combination of Webflow, Udesly, GitHub, and Netlify to create stunning websites that are not only beautiful but also fast and secure. If you’re curious about how this works and want to learn more about the process, this guide is for you. And, of course, if you’d like my help to make sure everything goes smoothly, I’m more than happy to assist.

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1. Create a Webflow freelance account

Webflow is a powerful tool that lets you design and build websites visually, without needing to write code. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to create a custom website but doesn’t have the technical skills to code everything by hand. Webflow offers the ability to create beautiful, responsive websites that look great on any device. Whether you're a small business owner, an artist, or an entrepreneur, Webflow can help you turn your vision into reality.

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Webflow is quite easy to use, as there are no coding knowledge required. You can design your site using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface and it allows for customization as well. It has built-in tools for responsiveness, which automatically creates mobile-friendly versions of your website, so it looks good on phones and tablets. Another great feature is the CMS system, where you can add dynamic content, like blogs or portfolios, without complex backend setups.

And if you need more flexibility, and more technologically advanced features added to your project, you can easily insert custom codesto your projects, such as Javascript, CSS and HTML.

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However, all these features can easily get quite expensive as Webflow charges their fair amount of prices - extras for hosting, extras for CMS features, etc. and this is why I suggest this hack to avoid paying too much for it. The freelance account costs about 190€ annually, but it gives you the power to export the whole code once you have designed your page. It also gives you all the CMS features of Webflow.

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2. Use Udesly to transform your code into Jamstack (or Wordpress)

Once you have your page designed, and are ready to export it, you can transform your code with Udesly to Jamstack.

Udesly s a tool that allows you to export your Webflow project and convert it into a format suitable for static website generators. This is great if you want a faster, more secure website with dynamic features like blogs or portfolios.

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The benefits are:

• More Flexibility. It gives your website the ability to grow with more complex functionality without worrying about server-side setups.
• Faster Performance. Static websites (sites that don’t require server-side processing) tend to load faster, which improves user experience and SEO.
• Security. Static websites are generally more secure because they don’t rely on a database to display content.

Udesly takes the design you’ve created in Webflow and prepares it for export, allowing for a smoother process when you upload it to platforms like Github.

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3. Create a repository on Github

Once your site is designed and exported, it needs to be stored somewhere so it can be accessed by visitors. This is where Github comes in. GitHub is a platform that allows you to store your website’s files, track changes, and manage versions.

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Once your website’s code is uploaded to GitHub, it’s ready for deployment to a live server, where visitors can see your work.

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4. Create an account on Netlify, and sign in using your Github account

Once your files are safely on GitHub, Netlify takes care of the deployment process. Netlify connects directly to GitHub and automatically deploys your site whenever you make changes. This means your website is always up-to-date, with no additional effort needed.

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The benefits of using Netlify

• Fast Deployments. With continuous deployment, any changes you make in GitHub will automatically be reflected on your live site on Netlify.
• Custom Domains. Netlify allows you to easily connect your own domain (e.g., www.yourwebsite.com) to your site.
• Fee SSL. Netlify automatically provides SSL certificates, ensuring your site is secure and trusted by search engines and users.
• Scalable. Whether you’re just starting out or your website grows to millions of visitors, Netlify can scale with your needs.

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If you have your own domain name, you can add your nameservers on Netlify, and in seconds your site is live. Netlify CMS will take over the Webflow CMS, once you enable it in your Netlify settings.

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Do you need additional help, or do you want me to design your website, and create the project for you?

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Please see more information here