Disclosure: some links in this guide are affiliate links. If you buy through them, Floux may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we believe are a good fit for beginners.
Want your own professional website but don't know where to start? This guide shows the easiest way to build a website with Divi: design it calmly on your own computer, then move it to real hosting in one go with a free backup plugin. No code, no stress, and nobody sees the site until it is ready.
Key takeaways
- The easiest route is: build on your laptop with Local, design with Divi Quick Sites, then move the finished site live with WPvivid.
- Our picks for beginners: Divi by Elegant Themes to design, WPvivid to move the site, and Hostinger to host it.
- You only pay for hosting when the site is ready to launch, and you can practise as much as you like before that.
Table of contents
Why this is the easiest way to build a website with Divi
Most beginners buy hosting first and then build a half-finished site in public. There is a calmer way. You build a website with Divi on your own computer, where it is fast, private and free to experiment. When everything looks right, a plugin copies the whole site (pages, images, menus and settings) to your hosting in a few minutes.
You need four things:
- **Local:** a free app for Windows and Mac that runs WordPress on your computer.
- **Divi:** the theme and visual builder from Elegant Themes. One licence covers unlimited websites.
- **WPvivid Backup:** a free plugin that backs up and moves WordPress sites.
- **Hosting and a domain:** the place your site lives online, such as yourbusiness.com.
Part 1: Build a website with Divi on your computer
Step 1: Install Local and create a WordPress site
Download Local from its official website and install it like any other app. Click the plus button to create a new site, give it a name, keep the "Preferred" environment and choose a WordPress username and a strong password. Write them down, because they will also be your login on the live site later. Local downloads WordPress for you; WordPress itself is free software from WordPress.org. Click "WP Admin" and you are inside your new dashboard.
Step 2: Install Divi and add your licence
Get a Divi membership from Elegant Themes, then download the Divi theme from the Members Area as a ZIP file. In WordPress, go to Appearance, Themes, Add New Theme, Upload Theme, choose the ZIP and click Activate. Finally open Divi, Theme Options, Updates and paste your Elegant Themes username and API key (you find the key in your Members Area under Account). This keeps Divi updated automatically.
Step 3: Generate your site with Divi Quick Sites
This is the step that makes Divi so beginner-friendly. Go to Divi, Dashboard and open **Divi Quick Sites**, then click **Generate A New Site**. You can describe your business and let Divi AI draft the site, or choose **Use Pre-Made Starter Site** and pick a hand-crafted design that fits your field. Choose your brand colours and fonts, then click **Generate & Publish My Website**. In a couple of minutes you get the main pages, a menu, a header and footer from the Theme Builder, and global colours and presets ready to edit.
Step 4: Make it yours
Open each page with the visual builder and click on any text to type your own words. Replace demo photos with your real ones, keep buttons short and clear ("Book a call", "Chat on WhatsApp") and fill in your contact details. Change colours in the global palette, not module by module, so the whole site stays consistent. Before moving on, switch the preview to phone view and fix anything too big or too small. Our Divi for beginners guide explains sections, rows and modules if you want more detail.
Part 2: Prepare your hosting
Step 5: Get hosting and install a fresh WordPress
Once you build a website with Divi on your laptop, it is time to rent your space online. Hostinger is a beginner-friendly option: many plans include a free domain for the first year, free SSL and a one-click WordPress installer. Choose a plan, connect your domain, and use the installer to create an empty WordPress site. Don't design anything there; it is only a container your Local site will move into. If you want to compare hosts first, read our guide on how to choose WordPress hosting.
Part 3: Move it live with WPvivid
Step 6: Install WPvivid on both sites
On your Local site and on the new live site, go to Plugins, Add New, search for "WPvivid Backup", then install and activate it (you can read about its features on the WPvivid website). A "WPvivid Backup" item appears in the left menu of both dashboards. Before moving anything, take one manual backup on your Local site from the Backup & Restore tab, so you always have a copy of your work.
Step 7: Generate a key, transfer and restore
- **Step 1:** On the **live** site, open WPvivid Backup, then the **Key** tab. Choose how long the key should stay valid, click **Generate** and copy it.
- **Step 2:** On your **Local** site, open the **Auto-Migration** tab, paste the key and save it.
- **Step 3:** Choose **Database + Files (Entire website)** and click **Clone then Transfer**. Keep the window open while the progress bar runs.
- **Step 4:** Back on the live site, open **Backup & Restore**. The transferred backup appears in the list. Click **Restore** and confirm.
When it finishes, WordPress logs you out. Log in again with the username and password from your Local site, because the live site is now an exact copy of it. WPvivid also replaces the old local address with your real domain during the restore.
Plan B if the transfer stops
If your internet connection drops or the host blocks the transfer, use the manual way: on Local, create a backup in Backup & Restore and download it; on the live site, use the Upload option in the same tab, then click Restore. Same result, one extra step.
Step 8: Your go-live checklist
- **HTTPS:** activate the free SSL in your hosting panel and make sure every page shows the padlock.
- **Permalinks:** go to Settings, Permalinks and click Save once to refresh your links.
- **Divi cache:** in Divi, Theme Options, click **Clear CSS Cache** so every layout loads its latest styles.
- **Licence:** check that Divi, Theme Options, Updates still shows your username and API key.
- **Search engines:** in Settings, Reading, make sure "Discourage search engines" is not ticked.
- **Forms:** send yourself a test message from every form and confirm it arrives.
- **Backups:** schedule automatic WPvivid backups to Google Drive or Dropbox. Our WordPress backup and migration guide shows how.
That's it: you managed to build a website with Divi and put it online without touching code.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know code to build a website with Divi?
No. Everything in this guide happens in Local, the Divi visual builder and the WordPress dashboard. A little CSS helps with fine details later, but it is optional.
Is WPvivid free for moving a site?
Yes. The free version includes backups, restores and Auto-Migration with a key. A paid Pro version adds extra features, so check their website for the current details.
Can I use one Divi licence for my Local site and my live site?
Yes. A Divi membership covers unlimited websites, so the same licence works on your computer and on your hosting.
What if I don't want to do it myself?
That's completely fine. Many business owners prefer to focus on their business and let a team handle the design, hosting and launch.
Let Floux do it all for you
Building it yourself is a great way to learn, but you don't have to. Floux can plan, design and build your Divi website professionally, move it to hosting, connect your domain and email, and set up backups and SEO, all at an affordable price, with no hidden fees and a site that's fully yours. See our WordPress website design service, or get a free quote and we'll reply within one business day.
