How to Build a Website on Storyblok

If you're looking for a flexible and powerful way to build a website, Storyblok is an excellent choice. Storyblok is a headless CMS, meaning it decouples content management from presentation. This makes it a perfect solution for modern websites, apps, and other digital products that require customization. In this blog, we will show you how to build a website with Storyblok, from start to finish.

Step 1: Sign Up and Set Up Your Project

The first step in building a website with Storyblok is signing up for an account. Storyblok offers various subscription options, including a free plan for small projects. Once you've signed up, you can create a new project and start setting up your CMS structure.

In summary:

• Create an account on Storyblok.

• Set up a new project (spaces in Storyblok) to establish the foundation of your website.

• Define your project name and select the desired subscription plan.

Step 2: Define Your Content Structure

Storyblok operates with a component-based structure, meaning you can create various reusable blocks that can later be applied to pages. A well-structured content setup is the foundation of your website. Consider the different pages you’ll need, such as a homepage, contact page, and product pages.

You start by creating content types, such as:

• Page structures: For example, "Homepage," "Product Page," or "Blog Post."

• Components: These are building blocks like "Hero Section," "Text Block," "Image Gallery," etc.

Each content type can consist of multiple components, giving you the freedom to dynamically assemble your pages.

In summary:

• Create content types for the different pages your website requires.

• Define components like text blocks, images, buttons, etc.

• Combine components to create flexible and reusable page structures.

Step 3: Connect to Your Frontend

Since Storyblok is headless, it provides maximum flexibility in choosing the frontend technology you want to use. This means you can select a framework like React, Vue.js, Nuxt.js, or Next.js to build the visual side of your website.

Storyblok makes content available via APIs, allowing your frontend to dynamically retrieve and display the content.

How to connect Storyblok to your frontend:

• API Keys: Retrieve the API keys from your Storyblok project. You’ll need these to call the Storyblok API from your frontend.

• Set up an API connection: In your chosen frontend framework (e.g., React or Vue.js), establish a connection to the Storyblok API to fetch content.

• Render the content: Use the retrieved content to render your pages. Each component you created in Storyblok can be displayed as a module in your frontend.

Step 4: Add and Manage Content

Now that the frontend is connected, you can start adding content. Thanks to Storyblok’s visual editor, you can see real-time changes as you edit, making it easy for non-technical users to manage content without requiring a developer.

What you can do in the Storyblok editor:

• Add content: Insert text, images, videos, or other content types into your pages.

• Rearrange components: Easily drag and drop components to reorder or modify them.

• Preview content: View a live preview of your website while making edits.

Step 5: Test and Optimize

Before launching your website, it's crucial to thoroughly test everything. Check if all links work, ensure pages render correctly on different devices and browsers, and verify that your website loads quickly. With Storyblok, you can easily do this using the built-in preview feature.

At this stage, you can also optimize your SEO by adding meta tags and descriptions to your pages, which is easy to configure within Storyblok.

Checklist for testing:

• Check mobile responsiveness (responsive design).

• Test website speed.

• Optimize images and other media for faster loading times.

• Review SEO settings and add schema markup if necessary.

Step 6: Launch Your Website

Once you are satisfied with the design, content, and performance of your website, it’s time to go live. If you’re using a static site generator like Nuxt.js or Next.js, you can easily host your website on platforms like Vercel or Netlify. If your site is dynamic, ensure you have a suitable hosting environment compatible with your chosen technology.

Once your website is live, you can continuously manage it via Storyblok. Updating and modifying content is easy thanks to the visual editor and flexible component structure.

Step 7: Maintenance and Continuous Optimization

The work doesn’t stop after launching your website. Regular updates and optimizations ensure that your website continues to perform well and remains relevant to your audience. With Storyblok, you can easily add new content, update pages, or even redesign entire components without rebuilding your entire website.

Tips for maintenance:

• Continuously monitor website performance.

• Add new content to keep your audience engaged.

• Regularly optimize images and media for the best loading speeds.

• Keep your SEO strategy up to date by adjusting meta information and keywords.

Benefits of Using Storyblok

Storyblok offers several powerful benefits for building modern websites:

• Headless CMS: Content management is separate from the frontend, allowing flexibility for multiple platforms (web, mobile, etc.).

• Component-based structure: Reusable content blocks make it easy to create dynamic pages without technical knowledge.

• Visual Editor: Real-time preview and simple content editing make management accessible for non-technical users.

• Multilingual and multichannel support: Easily manage content for different languages and platforms without duplication.

• Modern integrations: Storyblok works well with technologies like React and Vue.js and integrates easily with other systems.

• Speed and SEO optimization: Optimized loading times and built-in SEO tools improve performance and search rankings.

• Scalability: Suitable for both small and large-scale projects, with room for growth without rebuilding.

Want to Build a Website with Storyblok?

We understand that every website is unique and requires specific functionalities and design. Our expertise in Storyblok allows us to build custom websites tailored to your needs. From strategy and design to technical development and continuous optimization, we are here to help at every step.

Conclusion

Building a website with Storyblok offers flexibility and power, especially if you need a solution that is easy to manage while being technically advanced. By leveraging Storyblok’s headless CMS, you have the freedom to choose the best frontend technology while providing a user-friendly content management experience for your team.

Whether you’re building a simple blog, an e-commerce site, or a complex corporate website, Storyblok enables you to manage content dynamically and at scale. It’s the perfect choice for businesses looking to future-proof their websites while maintaining full control over both content and presentation.