In Part 1, I showed you how to look for and get a domain name for your blog. In this section, I’m going to discuss looking at and buying a web host account. Remember, your domain name does not make a blog; it’s just a name. Think of your domain name as a house address. You purchased the address first; now, you need to buy a “vacant lot” (web hosting), and start “building your house” (in a database). You will need to think about purchasing web hosting space from a Web Host. You can purchase either Shared Hosting or Dedicated Hosting. Shared Hosting is the most common and least expensive of the two; it is the hosting plan of choice for almost all bloggers.
(Note: If you are unsure about any of the blog lingo terms here, be sure to check out my Glossary of Blogging Terms for definitions.)
There are multitudes of web hosting companies. ANYBODY can start up a web host service. Many of the reputable and larger web hosts offer “reseller” accounts, where you can buy huge swaths of server space off their servers, and resell that space as a merchant. So any Joe Brown with enough money can start up a web hosting company. Buyer beware– you will be putting a lot of time and effort into your blog, so be sure to avoid the shady companies.
- Things to look for with a web host:
- Reputation. Do a web search for the company. Do they have a clean website? Is there a telephone number and the company physical address displayed? Do you see any reviews of satisfied customers? Of course, there will always be disgruntled customers no matter what a company does; but overall, what are others saying about them? Do they offer tech support, and is it restricted (such as, do they only handle support issues through email, or can you call them or chat online with technicians)?
- Price. This is a tough one. Most web hosts charge within the area of $4 a month for the most basic hosting, to $15 a month for a more beefy account. You need to weigh your needs. If you have just one simple little blog, you won’t need to spend $15 a month for an unlimited account. However, if you expect to have a few blogs, and maybe your husband and kids want some, too, then a larger plan is needed, perhaps something with unlimited space and bandwidth.
- Money-back guarantee. Not all companies have them, but I think that the best ones do. Again, this is where a little search engine homework comes in handy. Do a little snooping into what other people are saying about them.
- Modern, updated technology. I look for web hosts that offer a cPanel. It is the easiest and simplest way to manage your blog’s files and your web hosting account. I have an account with a web host (got a great deal on the price!), but they have no cPanel. The interface is complicated to use, and honestly– I just don’t have the time to figure it all out, not when I have another account with a cPanel.
I have tried quite a few web hosts in my time, big and small businesses. I will leave a link to each one with a small review. Be sure to check all the plans available. You can get quite a few bargains if you compare the plans and don’t mind paying for a year in advance. Also, one thing to note– I have tried all these web hosts and am an affiliate for them. That means that I get a small commission if you click on the link and place an order. It costs you nothing– actually, you may even get a discounted % off on some of them– and it means the world to me.
Here’s a short list of the web host companies I am familiar with:
- Hostgator is one of the “biggie” web host companies. They have excellent tech support, and (in my opinion) superior hosting uptime. My blogs rarely experience any downtime. I think Hostgator manges their server space well, not crowding and cramming as many accounts as they can on one server. This helps to reduce downtime from heavy traffic that someone else’s websites on the same server as you may have. I recommend Hostgator as first choice. The company is based in Texas.
- Bluehost is the second most well-known host, I think. I was with them for a year. Their tech support is superb– someone was always available to help me, and I was newbie to cPanel when I started out. However, I had a problem with downtime with Bluehost. My blog posts were often Stumbled, which sharply raised the traffic. It seemed the Bluehost server couldn’t keep up (not the one I was on, anyway). I have heard others say they love Bluehost. I guess it just depends. Bluehost is a reputable company, based in Utah. They also run Hostmonster.
- LunarPages is a company I am not intimately familiar with, but I have heard good things about them and know of several blogs with the company. Their prices are outstanding, and they do have a cPanel. If I was to start up an account with a new web host, I’d probably get one with LunarPages, to see what they are like. They look good.
- Dreamhost is a very nice company. I currently have an account with them, but none of my domains are hosted by them. Dreamhost has no cPanel; they instead use a complicated Web Panel, which I dislike very much. There is TOO MUCH information to absorb to get started there. I know of many bloggers who are with Dreamhost and love them, but I don’t think they are for me. I like to get the job done fast and easy. Dreamhost has great pricing plans, and they are reliable. They are based in California.
- WizzerdWerks is a smaller company based in Florida. My first non-Blogger blog, NewYorkTraveler.net, was hosted with Whip An Orbit, which was bought out by WizzerdWerks. I like WizzerdWerks. For a smaller company, they have great service and I like supporting a small business. I had the very very basic plan, the cheapest of all, two years ago. My two blogs experienced severe downtime whenever a post was Stumbled (which seemed to be a lot back then). WizzerdWerks was outstanding in service when that happened– they never suspended my account, even though it made their servers crash. (Bluehost ALWAYS suspended my account when my blogs had heavy traffic). But paying WizzerdWerks for extra bandwidth was expensive. Also, I wanted to host more domains, and had a limited WizzerdWerks account. I could have upped my plan at WizzerdWerks, but I went to a larger company instead. I really like the prices at WizzerdWerks; I may buy an account there for my kids’ blogs if I ever split our accounts. Note: I do maintain a few of my domain names with WizzerdWerks, and am still very impressed with their superior customer service.
My biggest accounts are currently on Hostgator. I love Hostgator; it’s my favorite host and I think they are a superb company.
I’m going to be a little preachy here. If you really want to have your own blog, you need to learn how to run it. Think of when you bought a car: you didn’t just hop in the front seat and expect the car to start driving you places, no! You had to learn how to drive! You had to learn the traffic laws, too; you also had to learn how the car works to a certain degree, like putting gas in it or changing the tire. It’s the same way with a blog. You must learn how to run it, OR you will need to be willing to pay someone to run it for you. A blog, like all technology, requires informed users to operate it. So learn about how to FTP files; learn about how to install updates or plugins; learn how the cPanel works; learn the coding lingo; know the difference between a post, a page, a sidebar, a widget, PHP, CSS, an embedded video, and etc. This is important if you want you and your readers to have a pleasant experience. It may be quite foreign to you at first, but it won’t take long for you to absorb the language and techniques.
There are many excellent tutorials and tips available on the Internet. Here are a few that you may find especially useful:
So, thus far, you have a domain name and know the basics about web hosting. Once you have decided on a web host, you will be ready to create an account and install WordPress on your web host server. More on that in a future post.
In Summary:
- Determine whether you need Shared Hosting or Dedicated Hosting. Most bloggers choose Shared Hosting for its affordability and ease of use.
- Shop around for a Web Host. Buyer beware. Check reviews, guarantees, prices, and plans. If a cPanel is important to you, make sure he Web Host offers one.
- Know that I get a commission for Hostgator, Bluehost, LunarPages, Dreamhost, and WizzeredWerks if you buy your web hosting plan when you click the links in this post or in my sidebar. Doing so costs you nothing, but it blesses me greatly.
- Start learning about blogging and web hosting. Check out my Glossary of Blogging Terms. Search the Internet for tutorials, or start out with some of the links I have provided.
<<< Click here to return to Part 1: How Do I get a Blog? Choosing a Domain Name.
Click here to go to Part 3: What is a cPanel? >>>
Tue, Jan 5, 2010
Blogging How-To