What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Spoiler alert: a lot. A lot could go wrong. And a lot did go wrong.
But also? A lot went right—and most importantly, I did it.
At 49.5 years old, I decided it was finally time to stop waiting for someone else to build the dream for me and start building the dang thing myself. So I bought a domain, installed WordPress, and dove into the wild world of themes, plug-ins, and settings I didn’t understand.
I was officially building a website as a beginner—with equal parts courage and caffeine.
The First Click is the Scariest
I’m not gonna lie—at first, everything felt intimidating. What if I clicked the wrong thing and broke the whole internet? What even is a header block? Why do there need to be so many font choices? Who let me have this kind of power?
But I kept reminding myself: I’ve figured out harder things. I’ve juggled caregiving, business, and parenting. I’ve published books. I can figure this out, too.
One click at a time.
I Googled… A Lot
Building a website as a beginner means becoming besties with Google and YouTube. I googled how to:
- Fix a broken block
- Align a button
- Create menus that didn’t disappear
- Add fonts without crashing the whole vibe
And when something went sideways (because it definitely did), I stepped away, refilled my coffee, and tried again.
Why I Kept Going
Because every little success felt huge.
- Seeing my brand name at the top of the page? Chills.
- Embedding a sign-up form? Actual happy dance.
- Getting colors and fonts to match the vision in my head? Satisfying on a soul level.
It turns out, building a website isn’t just about creating a digital space—it’s about proving to yourself that you can learn something completely new. That you’re still allowed to grow, evolve, and be a total beginner at any age.
If You’re Building a Website as a Beginner…
Start. Messy, confused, and unsure—but start.
You don’t need to know everything. You just need to care enough to figure it out.
Because confidence doesn’t show up before the process—it’s born during it. In the small wins. The “aha” moments. The “oops, fixed it!” recoveries.
And if you’re building your first website at 49.5—or 29, or 69—I’m here cheering you on. You’ve got this.
