How I built my own website using minimal budget

Building a personal website today is easy. Building it properly — with tracking, CRM, and future scalability — is a different story. When I started working on my website, I wanted it to look professional but also function like a real marketing asset behind the scenes. I didn't want to overspend, and I definitely didn't want to depend on expensive website builders. So I decided to build everything strategically and keep the costs low.

If you want to see the final result, you can check it here: https://www.zeeshanabbas.in

Choosing Hosting and Domain

The first step was hosting and domain purchase. I took a 1-year hosting subscription from Hostinger during one of their sale periods. It turned out to be a really good deal. With that plan, I got my domain free for one year and even received one professional email hosting account included.

Why This Was a Smart Start

Instead of paying separately for domain, email, and hosting, I bundled everything into one affordable plan. That reduced my initial cost significantly. For a personal website, shared hosting is more than enough. It's affordable, easy to manage, and supports WordPress installation with just one click.

This kept my setup simple and cost-effective from day one.

Building the Website Using WordPress and Elementor

After setting up hosting, I installed WordPress. I chose WordPress because it gives full control and flexibility. Unlike many website builders, I actually own the hosting and files.

To design the pages without coding, I used Elementor. It allowed me to create layouts visually and make the site responsive without writing custom CSS for everything.

Pages I Created

• Homepage
• Projects section
• Contact page

I focused on clean structure, readable typography, and clear messaging rather than flashy effects. My goal was to create a site that feels professional and straightforward.

Setting Up Proper Tracking with Google Tag Manager

Most people build websites and forget about tracking. I did the opposite.

Before adding any analytics directly into WordPress, I installed Google Tag Manager (GTM). GTM acts as a central control system for all tracking scripts.

Why I Used GTM First

Instead of pasting multiple tracking codes inside WordPress:

• I installed GTM once
• Then managed everything inside GTM
• Added tags in a structured way
• Reduced the risk of duplicate scripts

This makes scaling much easier in the future.

Implementing Google Analytics 4

Once GTM was installed, I connected Google Analytics 4 through it.

With GA4, I can track:

• Page views
• Scroll depth
• Contact form submissions
• User behavior
• Traffic sources

Even though my website is still growing, I can already see how visitors interact with it. That data will be extremely useful when traffic increases.

Implementing Meta Pixel and Google Ads Tracking (Just to Be Ready 😏)

Even though I am not actively running paid campaigns yet, I implemented Meta Pixel and Google Ads conversion tracking.

Why?

Because when I decide to run ads, I don't want to start from scratch.

What I Configured

• Meta Pixel via GTM
• Google Ads conversion tracking
• Lead event setup
• Structured event naming

So technically, if I decide tomorrow to launch campaigns, the tracking foundation is already ready. Pixels are firing. Events are configured. I just need to turn on the ads.

Better to prepare early than fix tracking after spending ad budget.

Connecting HubSpot CRM for Lead Management

I didn't want contact form submissions to just land in email inboxes. So I connected HubSpot CRM to my website.

Now when someone fills out my contact form:

• The data goes directly into CRM
• I can track contacts
• I can automate follow-ups
• I can build workflows in the future

Even though this is a personal website, it now functions like a small inbound system.

Total Cost Breakdown

Here's the interesting part.

• Hosting (1-year sale deal)
• Free domain for 1 year
• 1 free professional email
• WordPress (free)
• Elementor free version
• Google Analytics (free)
• Google Tag Manager (free)
• HubSpot CRM free plan

Compared to monthly SaaS website builders, this setup is significantly more affordable and much more scalable.

Final Thoughts

Building my website was not just a design project. It was a marketing foundation project. By using WordPress, GTM, GA4, HubSpot, Meta Pixel, and Google Ads tracking, I created a minimal-cost but performance-ready setup.

It's simple. It's scalable. And it's ready whenever I decide to push the accelerator. 😏

If you're planning to build your own website and want help setting up tracking, CRM, or advertising infrastructure properly, feel free to contact me.