This YouTube tutorial by Mey Aroyo demonstrates how to build an online portfolio using Hostinger’s website builder. The video highlights the platform’s AI features for generating website content, including text and images, making it user-friendly for individuals without technical skills.
Aroyo walks viewers through the entire process of creating a portfolio, including designing the layout, adding content, and customizing elements such as color schemes and fonts. The tutorial uses a photography portfolio as a practical example and covers essential pages like a homepage, gallery, services, and contact section.
Additionally, the video mentions Hostinger’s Black Friday sale and a special discount for viewers. The creator also mentions the importance of setting up SEO and other website settings.
Introduction to Hostinger Website Builder
The Hostinger website builder is an in-house development by the hosting company Hostinger, designed to make building portfolios straightforward, even without technical skills. It allows users to create professional, mobile-friendly portfolios easily.
Hostinger is a hosting and domain company where users can acquire domains, email, and hosting packages. While it supports WordPress and custom code, its website builder stands out with AI features for creating text, images, and complete websites.
A key advantage of Hostinger’s website builder is its AI capabilities. These include AI-driven text creation, image generation, and even complete website design. This is particularly useful for those who need a professional online presence but lack technical expertise.
Creating a Portfolio with AI
To start creating a portfolio with Hostinger’s website builder, navigate to the website section in your Hostinger dashboard and click “add a website”. You can then use the AI to create the website.
The AI can be used to generate a website for various professions, such as graphic designers, content creators, and photographers. For example, for a photographer’s portfolio, you can input details like the photographer’s name (e.g., Maya Royo) and a description of their work.
When describing the website, include details about the photographer’s specialty, such as wild nature photography, and what the website will offer, like photos for sale as digital files or physical prints. The AI can also suggest features, such as adding an online store.
The AI uses this information to create a matching website.
Personalization and Design Options
Hostinger’s AI website builder provides personalization settings to choose your preferred color palette. You can either let the AI surprise you with color combinations or select your own palette with three colors.
The AI can generate a preview of the website, which you can explore in desktop or mobile views. This allows you to see how the website will look on different devices before making any changes.
Once the website is generated, you can further customize it by editing text, images, and the layout. The builder offers a grid system to help align elements and ensure a professional look.
If you’re not satisfied with the initial AI-generated design, you can go back and adjust the settings or choose a pre-made template. This flexibility ensures that you can create a website that aligns with your vision.
Customizing Website Elements
The Hostinger website builder allows you to customize various elements on your website. This includes editing text, changing colors, and adding or removing sections.
You can modify buttons by changing their text, style, and color. For example, you can create buttons that link to your online stores for stock photos or prints.
The background of your website can also be customized with videos or images. You can choose from a library of free videos and images or upload your own.
The builder also allows you to adjust the opacity of images and videos to ensure that text is readable. Additionally, you can change the shape and style of images to fit your design preferences.
Creating Pages and Navigation
The Hostinger website builder simplifies the process of creating and managing multiple pages. You can easily add new pages, such as an “About” page, a “Services” page, or a “Contact” page.
The navigation menu can be customized to include or exclude specific pages. This allows you to control which pages are directly accessible from the main menu.
You can add various sections to each page, including headers, galleries, and contact forms. The builder offers a variety of pre-designed sections to choose from, making it easy to create visually appealing layouts.
Internal links can be created to connect different pages within your website. This is useful for creating a seamless navigation experience for your visitors.
Adding a Blog to Your Portfolio
The Hostinger website builder allows you to add a blog to your portfolio. This can be a great way to share your thoughts, tips, and experiences with your audience.
The blog page is automatically created with sample posts, which you can then customize. You can change the header, add a featured image, and write a description for your blog.
You can also control the layout of your blog posts, such as the number of columns and the amount of posts displayed per page. Additionally, you can choose to show or hide the date and reading time for each post.
The blog can be further customized by adding sections like a “shop my store” area. This allows you to integrate your online store with your blog, making it easy for visitors to purchase your products or services.
Essential Website Settings
The Hostinger website builder provides several essential website settings to optimize your portfolio. These include setting a favicon, which is the icon that appears in the browser tab.
You can also add a link preview image, which is the image that appears when you share your website on social media platforms like Facebook. This helps to create a visually appealing and engaging post.
The builder also allows you to enable a cookie banner, which informs visitors that your website uses cookies. This is important for complying with privacy regulations.
Additionally, you can configure SEO settings to improve your website’s visibility in search engine results. This includes adding meta descriptions and keywords to your pages.
Integrating with Other Services
The Hostinger website builder allows you to integrate your website with various other services. This can help you to streamline your workflow and enhance your website’s functionality.
You can connect your website to Google Analytics to track your website’s traffic and user behavior. This can provide valuable insights into how people are using your website.
You can also integrate with social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. This allows you to display your social media feeds on your website and make it easy for visitors to follow you.
The builder also supports integrations with email marketing services like MailerLite and ConvertKit. This allows you to collect email addresses from your visitors and send them newsletters and other updates.
Black Friday and Discounts
Hostinger often offers discounts and promotions, particularly during Black Friday. These deals can significantly reduce the cost of hosting and domain packages.
These promotions allow new users to start their professional portfolio for a lower price.
In addition to the Black Friday deals, there may be special discounts available to viewers of certain channels. These discounts can provide an additional percentage off the already discounted prices.
To take advantage of these discounts, be sure to use the provided links and coupon codes during checkout. This can help you to save even more money on your hosting and domain packages.
Final Touches and Considerations
Before launching your portfolio, it’s important to review and edit your website’s footer and header. The footer typically includes information like your social media links, contact information, and a newsletter subscription form.
The header usually contains your logo, navigation menu, and other important links. Make sure that your header and footer are consistent with your brand and easy to navigate.
It’s also a good idea to check how your website looks on mobile devices. The Hostinger website builder allows you to preview your website on different screen sizes and make adjustments as needed.
Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment with different features and settings. The Hostinger website builder is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, so take the time to explore all of its capabilities.