How To Make a Duda Website: A Step-by-Step Guide

We know you’re ready to start creating your business website, but it’s a good practice to take some time to plan everything out first. While you can certainly begin the process without this step, a little preparation goes a long way.

Think about how you want to present your business to the public in terms of appearance and style. With that goal in mind, you’ll find it easier to build something beautiful, functional, and representative of you and your business.

Now that you're prepared and ready, it's time to dive into the nine simple steps to making your business website with Duda:

1. Sign up for Duda
2. Set up the Page Structure
3. Apply Your Business Branding
4. Update the Theme
5. Update the Homepage Header Area
6. Update the Homepage
7. Update Your Other Pages
8. Preview and Test Your Website
9. Publish to Your Domain

Step 1: Sign up for Duda

To get started, you must first sign up for a Duda account. It’s easy and Duda’s 14-day, free trial allows you to test what it can do before you purchase a plan. But, we strongly recommend you upgrade to a paid plan right from the start so you can use all the features this website builder offers.

Simply complete the short form with your business information and click on the “Start Now” button to begin your free trial. You’ll then receive a confirmation link in your email. Clicking on that link will take you to your main Duda dashboard where a pop-up window will ask what type of description fits you and your needs best.

We recommend choosing the “I’m looking to build a website for my business” option. The Duda website builder will then ask you if you also build sites for your clients. We’ll answer “No” because this guide focuses on getting a business website up and running. 

Next, you’ll need to indicate your role. We’ll select “I’m a web designer” for the purposes of this tutorial. Then, click on the “Get Started” button to close the pop-up window and access your main Duda dashboard.

Click on the orange “Create a Site” button to open the templates dashboard.

Select a Template

Along the left side of the templates dashboard, a menu allows you to search for templates designed for different types of businesses. You can even search for a particular category or color to meet the specific needs of your business’s brand.

We recommend choosing the “ColorFull” template because it’s engaging, easy to use, and has a professional look. But, you can always change your template later if you decide this one isn’t for you. The Duda website builder lets you keep a library of templates for exactly this purpose.

Create a Site Name

Next, you’ll see a prompt to create a name for your new website.

This helps keep your main Duda dashboard organized — especially if you plan to build multiple websites with Duda or want to test several templates simultaneously. To avoid any confusion, you may want to give this site the same name as your domain name.

Once you enter a name for your new site, click on the orange “Start Building” button. This will open the Duda website editor.

Upgrade Your Site

Duda’s free trial lets you test out the Duda Team plan. It’s wise to upgrade right away if you want to use features beyond what this plan includes. Even if the Duda Team plan suits your business needs, upgrading now will make it easier to publish your site later on.

For most small business owners, we recommend the Duda Team plan because it comes with significant support, access to the Duda Content Library, and the ability to collaborate with up to four team members.

To upgrade, click on the “Home” icon in the upper-right corner of the Duda website editor. This’ll take you back to the main Duda dashboard.  From there, you can click on the green “Upgrade Now” button to sign up for your desired plan.

To ensure it’s the right fit for your business, review our Duda Pricing and Plans for Small Businesses guide.

Step 2: Set Up the Page Structure

Each Duda template comes with its own set of built-in pages. The key to creating a successful business website is having a solid page structure. Most small, service-based business websites need these four pages:

• Homepage: As the first page visitors see, it should provide an appropriate overview of your business.
• “About” Page: This page should include more detailed information about your business and your team.
• “Services” Page: This page describes the services your business offers.
• “Contact” Page: This page should feature your business’s contact information, such as its phone number, email address, physical address, hours of operation, and a contact form.

In the Duda website editor’s left-hand toolbar, click on the “Pages” icon. This’ll open the “Pages and Popups” menu, which shows your site’s existing page structure.

For the purposes of this tutorial, we just want our demonstration site to include “Home,” “About,” “Services,” and “Contact” pages. That means we need to delete “Tips & Ideas,” “Our Vision,” “Our Team,” and any other built-in pages this template may include.

To delete the “Tips & Ideas” page:

1. Click on the “Settings” icon to the right of the “Tips & Ideas” page listed on the “Pages and Popups” menu. 

2. A drop-down menu will then appear with the option to “Delete” the page at the bottom in red lettering. Click on the “Delete” option.
3. A pop-up window will then ask you if you are sure you want to delete the “Tips & Ideas” page. Click on the “Yes” button to officially remove the page.

Repeat this process for the other pages you want to remove.

To reorder the pages:

1. In the “Pages and Popups” menu, click on the page you’d like to reorder. The pages are listed top to bottom in the “Pages and Popups” menu, this order reflects how they appear in the homepage navigation, reading from left to right. 
2. In the “Pages and Popups” menu, click on the page you wish to rearrange, drag it to your preferred location, and then drop it there. This’ll automatically restructure the order of your website’s page list in the homepage navigation as well.

Step 3: Apply Your Business Branding

After you create your Duda account, choose a template, and add or reorder the specific pages you’ll need, it’s time to customize your site to match your business’s brand. This means adding your business name and logo.

Add Your Business Name

Adding your business name to the “Site Title” field will help get your site displayed by search engines. Your site title is one of the most important tags for your site, it tells visitors and search engines alike who you are. This will appear in the title bar of the web browser and in search engine results.

To add your business name:

1. Click on the “Settings” icon at the bottom of the Duda website editor’s left-hand toolbar to open the “Site Settings” menu.
2. Click on the “SEO” option to open the “SEO (Search Engine Optimization)” window. 

3. Enter your business name in the “Site Title” section.

The Duda website builder will automatically save all your work. When a white checkmark appears on the Duda website editor’s top toolbar, that’s a visual confirmation Duda just saved your latest edits. 

Add Your Business Logo

Next, you’ll need to upload your logo to your website.

Need a professional logo for your business? Use our free logo generator to create one.

To add your business logo:

1. Hover over the word “ColorFull” in the upper-left corner of the Duda website editor. This should cause an orange “Header” button and a blue “Row” button to appear. 

2. Click on the word “ColorFull” to open the “Image Content” menu.
3. Click on the “Replace” button to open the “Image Picker - Quick View” menu. 

4. Click on the gray “Upload” button to add your logo. Your logo will now appear in your website’s navigation bar.

Step 4: Update the Theme

As a best practice, your new website also should feature the official color palette of your business’s brand. Don’t have existing brand colors? No problem. You can always use our How to Choose a Great Website Color Palette article to find what you need to create a consistent and successful color scheme.

Pick a Color Scheme

The Duda website builder makes it very simple to change just about anything on your site, including its color scheme. 

To change the color scheme:

1. Click on the area you want to adjust to open the “Row Design” menu.
2. Click on the “Style” tab. Under the “Background” section, select the “Color” option to reveal several tools for adjusting the background color. 

3. To the right of “Background Color,” click on the circle containing the current background color. A “Choose another color” window will then appear from which you can pick any color you’d like for your site’s background.

Step 5: Update the Homepage Header Area

Your homepage header is crucial because visitors will make snap judgements about your business based on what they see when they arrive on your website. They’ll see your homepage header area first, so make sure it has everything you need to engage them.

The main elements of the header area include:

• A large image that covers the top of your site’s homepage
• A headline (and subhead if your template allows)
• A call-to-action (CTA) button

Keep reading to learn how to tailor each of these to fit your business.

Change the Header Image

Appearing at the top of your website’s homepage, the header image is the most important image on your site. It should give customers a clear picture of your business and what it offers.

Good ideas for header images include:

• An external view of your business
• A picture of your business in action
• Happy people using your product(s) or service(s)
• A picture of your product(s) or service(s)

Pick a Header Image

If you have your own, high-quality photos of your business, use one of them for your header image. 

If you don’t have your own photos to use — something many new business owners lack — don’t worry. The Duda website editor comes stocked with professional photos that’ll suit almost any business. There’s no need to worry about royalties, just choose one that best fits your brand. 

Replace the Existing Header Image

Your chosen template likely will include a placeholder image currently occupying this space. Follow these steps to replace it with your own image.

To replace an existing header image:

1. Click on the current image you want to replace to open the “Column Design” menu.
2. In the “Style” section under “Background,” select the “Image” option.
3. Click on the “Replace” button to open the “Image Picker - Quick View“ menu. 

4. From here, you can either upload your own photo or choose from the quality stock photos available via the Duda website builder.

Change the Headline

You want the headline to clearly convey what your business offers site visitors. Be descriptive, but avoid anything that sounds too cute.

To change a headline:

1. Click on the existing, placeholder text to open the headline box in editing mode.
2. Type in your preferred headline text.

Add a Subhead

Effective subheads should further communicate the value of your services to your customers. The “ColorFull” theme comes with a subhead strategically placed below the headline and above the CTA button.

To add a subhead:

1. Click on the existing, placeholder text to open the subhead box in editing mode.
2. Type in your preferred subhead text.

Update the CTA Button

The CTA button that appears in the header area of your website should take your visitors one step closer to becoming customers. Here are several common CTA button examples:

• Call ###-###-####
• Contact Us
• Schedule Now
• Buy Now

To update a CTA button:

1. Double-click on the current button to open the “Button Content” menu. 
2. In the “Text on Button” field, edit the existing text to what you want to appear on your CTA button. 

3. Next, select the linked destination of your button. (The “Button Content” menu will automatically show “Existing Page” as the selected option.)
4. If you want the CTA button to connect to an existing page within your website, click on the “Down” arrow to open a drop-down menu of linkable pages and select your desired location.

5. Alternatively, scroll down the “Button Content” menu to connect your CTA button to an external website URL, a pop-up window, an anchor page, an email address, a phone number, or a downloadable file.
6. Choose the type of item to which you want to link your CTA button, and then update the fields that appear based on your choice.

As always, the Duda website editor will automatically save all your changes.

Step 6: Update the Homepage

The sections that appear on your website’s homepage will differ based on the template you choose. To get your website up and running quickly, we recommend you simply update the text and images within your template to align with your business.

Change the Text 

Changing the existing text on your website’s homepage is simple.

To change the text:

1. Click on the text you want to update to open the text box in editing mode.
2. Edit the text directly, including updating its font and size.

Replace the Images

The pictures on your website provide another opportunity to engage potential customers and highlight your business’s offerings.

If you opt to upload your own photos, make sure no one else holds a copyright for those images. If you instead choose photos from the Duda image library, you can rest easy because it only includes professional, royalty-free images.

Replacing an image follows a similar process to updating a header image. But, in many Duda templates, images are part of a “Photo Gallery” so you must edit the gallery to insert your own image(s). 

To replace an existing image within a photo gallery:

1. Click on any photo within the gallery to open the “Photo Gallery Content” menu.
2. Click on the photo you want to replace within the “Photo Gallery Content” menu. This’ll open the “Image Settings” menu on the right. 

3. To replace this image, click on the “Replace” button. The “Image Picker - Quick View” menu will then appear. 
4. Click on the “Upload” button to choose an image from your own files. 

5. Once you finish uploading your own photo, return to the “Image Settings” menu. Here you also can update the “Title” and “Description” that’ll appear beneath your new image.
6. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the “Image Settings” menu to update the image’s “Alt-text” — a description used by screen readers to assist visually impaired visitors.

When you exit the “Photo Gallery Content” menu, Duda will automatically save all of your edits.

Link To Customer Reviews

The Duda website editor comes equipped with multiple ways to add customer reviews to your homepage. You can either create a sliding image gallery with reviews you enter manually or you can use the “Yelp Reviews” widget to automatically connect positive user reviews to your site.

To connect to external reviews:

1. In the Duda website editor’s left-hand toolbar, click on the “Widgets” icon. The “Widgets” menu will then appear.
2. Scroll down to the “Business” section of the “Widgets” menu and click on the “Yelp Reviews” widget.  

3. Drag the “Yelp Reviews” widget over to your page and drop it in your preferred location.
4. Once you place the “Yelp Reviews” widget on your page, the “Yelp Content” menu will open. 

5. Use this menu to connect your business’s Yelp page to your website so your site regularly displays positive customer reviews.

To add reviews manually:

1. In the Duda website editor’s left-hand toolbar, click on the “Widgets” icon. The “Widgets” menu will then appear.
2. Scroll down to the “Media” section of the “Widgets” menu and click on the “Image Slider” widget.
3. Drag the “Image Slider” widget over to your page and drop it in your preferred location. The “Image Slider Content” menu will then appear.
4. Your new image slider will come stocked with placeholder images. Either click on the “X” in the upper-right corner of each image to delete it from your image slider gallery or click on the images you’d like to replace to open the “Image Settings” menu. 

5. You can now select from any of Duda’s available images or upload your own here. Keep it simple because you want your review text to easily stand out on top of the image(s).
6. Next, scroll down to the “Slider Title” section of the “Image Settings” menu and type in the customer review you want to showcase.
7. Leave the “Slider Caption” field blank.
8. In the “Button” field, enter the name of the person who gave you this amazing review. 

9. Repeat this process for up to four images. (Any more than that can look a bit overwhelming and busy.)

Set Up the “Subscribe” Section

Most Duda templates include a section that’ll allow your website to collect visitors’ email addresses so they can receive your business newsletter or other marketing emails. If your template doesn’t include such a section, it’s easy to add one to your homepage.

To add a “Subscribe” section:

1. In the Duda website editor’s left-hand toolbar, click on the “Widgets” icon. The “Widgets” menu will then appear.
2. Scroll down to the “Business” section of the “Widgets” menu and click on the “Contact Form” widget. 

3. Drag the “Contact Form” widget over to your page and drop it in your preferred location.
4. Once you place the “Contact Form” widget on your page, the “Contact Form Content” menu will open.  

5. Edit and rearrange the “Form Items” by simply clicking on any item you want to alter. This’ll open a window in which you can adjust that particular field.
6. Under the “Form Items” tab within the “Contact Form Content” menu, you also can update the “Submit Button” content and the “Form Title” field. 
7. To enter a destination for your completed form submissions, click on the “Submission” tab within the “Contact Form Content” menu and choose the “Submission recipients” option. 

8. Use the “Submission actions” option to provide a thank you message that’ll automatically appear to any visitor who subscribes to your email list.
9. To connect submission data to a third-party system like Google Sheets or Mailchimp, click on the “Integration” tab within the “Contact Form Content” menu and follow the prompts.
10. To adjust the “Subscribe” section’s layout, click on the “Design” tab in the upper-left corner of the “Contact Form Content” menu. The “Contact Form Design” menu will then appear. 

11. From here, you can alter the layout, form alignment, and styles of its fields and buttons.

Update the Footer

The footer represents one of the most important — yet often overlooked — parts of a website.

Visitors to your site expect to find certain information in the footer, including:

• A copyright date
• Links to your “Privacy Policy” and “Terms of Service” pages
• Your business’s contact information
• Social media icons that link to your business’s social media accounts

It’s easy to update your site’s footer with the Duda website builder. Moreover, any changes you make to the homepage footer will automatically appear on the footer of every other page in your site.

To update the footer:

1. Scroll down to the bottom of your homepage and hover your mouse over any area of the footer you want to edit. An orange bar with the word “Footer” highlighted should then appear.
2. Click on any of the fields you wish to update and type in the information you want your site’s footer to display, such as your “Business Name,” “Address,” and/or “Phone Number.”
3. Most Duda templates include some social media icons already placed within the footer. Simply click on these to open the “Social Icons Content” menu. 

4. Add any desired social media icons and connect your information by completing the corresponding fields within the “Social Icons Content” menu.

Make sure your homepage has everything it needs to shine. Refer to our How to Design a Homepage guide for more.

Step 7: Update Your Other Pages

Now that you have a completed homepage, it’s time to finish your site’s “About,” “Services,” and “Contact” pages.

You already learned how to edit text and replace pictures on your site’s homepage, so follow those same steps on these three pages to update the existing content to match your business.

To edit a page, click on that page in the menu at the top of the screen and then replace the text and images.

For detailed directions, check out our How To Use the Duda Website Builder guide.

Step 8: Preview and Test Your Website

After you finish updating your new website with text, images, and other information relevant to your business, it's time to publish and test the site.

Publish to a Subdomain

The Duda website builder enables you to “preview” your site so you can see how it’ll look on a variety of devices. But, it’s always best to double-check that view by publishing your site to a subdomain. This allows you to ensure your site looks exactly how you want it to look — and make any final edits — before it goes live on your real domain.

To publish to a subdomain:

1. Click on the orange “Publish” button in the upper-right corner of the Duda website editor. Duda will then prompt you to choose your website domain. 

2. Use the “Default domain” as your subdomain. 
3. Click on the orange “Save” button.

Test Your Website

After you publish your site to a subdomain, open it on a variety of devices with varying screen sizes like an iPhone, an Android phone, a laptop, and a large desktop computer. Check how it appears on each device and make sure to use different internet browsers as well.

Click on every button to ensure they all work as expected. Read through and test every page on your website to look for any typos and broken links.

If something doesn’t work as planned, return to the Duda website editor to make the necessary changes. Then, publish and check your site again.

Step 9: Publish to Your Domain

Congratulations! You’ve finished creating a website for your business using the Duda website builder. Now you need to publish your website to your permanent domain.

It’s easiest to use a domain from Duda, but you also can connect to a domain from another domain host.

If you need help choosing a domain for your business, check out our Domain Name Generator.

Publish to an Existing Domain on Duda

While the Duda website builder doesn’t host domains, it does allow you to purchase a domain through the platform and connect it to your published website. Duda integrates with the Google Domains™ registrar service and has a partnership with the Hover service. When you purchase your domain through either of these services, the service provider will configure your domain settings to work with your new, responsive Duda website.

To publish to an existing domain on Duda:

1. Click on the orange “Republish” button in the upper-right corner of the Duda website editor. 
2. Next, click on the “Change site address” button.
3. Type in your existing domain name in the “Use a domain you already own” field, and then click on the “Save” button.

Because you already purchased this domain through Google Domains or Hover, it’ll automatically connect to your Duda website.

Purchase a Domain From Duda

If you still need to purchase a domain, the process is quick and easy.

To purchase a domain from Duda:

1. Click on the orange “Republish” button in the upper-right corner of the Duda website editor, and then click on the “Change site address” button to return to the “Choose Your Website Domain” screen.
2. In the “Purchase a new domain for your site” section, click on either the “Google Domains” or “Hover” button and follow the instructions to purchase your domain. 
   • If you purchase your domain through Google Domains, it’ll automatically connect to your Duda website as soon as you complete your order.
   • If you choose to go through Hover, after you’ve purchased your domain you will be prompted to connect your new domain with your Duda site.

Connect to a Domain Purchased Elsewhere

This option can prove a bit trickier because Duda requires you to do a lot of the heavy lifting yourself.

To connect to a domain purchased elsewhere:

1. Click on the orange “Republish” button in the upper-right corner of the Duda website editor, and then click on the “Change site address” button to return to the “Choose Your Website Domain” screen.
2. In the “Use a domain you already own” field, enter the domain to which you want to connect. 

3. You must then set up your domain name system (DNS) settings through your domain host. Make sure you have admin access to the domain you want to use.
4. Log in to your domain host and go to the domain management section to find the DNS editing options. 
5. Create your new canonical name (CNAME) record with the information provided by the Duda website builder. It’s best to copy and paste this information to prevent typos.
6. Next, you must create two “A” records with the information provided by the Duda website builder. Again, make sure you copy and paste these.

It may take some time to fully connect your site because creating CNAME records can take up to 24 hours to fully propagate. If needed, you can always reach out to the Duda Support team for guidance.

Congratulations! You have set up and published your business website with everything it needs to get started. Now that you've successfully built and launched your Duda website, you're ready to focus on growing your small business.