Which Web Hosting Is Best?….
Deciding on which web hosting service to go for, can feel like a confusing and daunting task when you’ve never done it before…
So, I will make it simple for you to figure out which web hosting is best, by narrowing it down to a few decent options.
When you’re first starting out, I doubt you will want to be spending a fortune on web hosting, so the probability is, you’ll be looking for something that’s good value, right?
It’s worth noting too, that it’s common for hosting services to also have web building service options, which makes building your site to be very simple and no technological knowledge required.
Update 2019* having had more experience now with hosting, I personally recommend Siteground and have a step-by-step tutorial here.
I will update this post shortly, to include them!
Here Are Three Possibilities….
>> HOST GATOR
Host Gator is probably the most well known hosting company on the web today and is showing no sign of slowing down!
You can get some very cheap packages, starting at around $3 for a single domain, but you can purchase unlimited domains for just $5,98 a month. (prices vary slightly now and again).
Some other key features are…
- A 24/7 support centre.
- 4,500 free website templates.
- 45 day money back guarantee.
- Easy to use control panel.
- 1-click script installs.
Some people may be tempted to join Host Gator who are just starting out — although, there are downsides to going with a cheaper hosting company.
Host Gator has some increasingly negative reviews – some of which you can find here.
Many of these complaints involve people experiencing terrible customer service.
>> GO DADDY
While I don’t go for Go Daddy when it comes to purchasing a domain name, (see my domain name post) they do have some reasonable web hosting packages – $3.99 a month for 1 website with extras, or for a little more – $4.49 a month for unlimited websites. Other features include…
- Industry leading loading times.
- 24/7 support.
- WordPress auto-install option.
- 45 day money back guarantee.
However, they haven’t escaped some negative feedback, including complaints regarding poor customer service. But, on the whole, have better feedback than Host Gator right now.
>> BLUEHOST
Bluehost is another very popular option, slightly more expensive than the cheapest ones available.
While hosting starts from $3.49 for one domain, you’ll need to pay $13.95 to host unlimited domains with Bluehost.
I will add that, while plenty of people love Bluehost – I found their support to be incredibly frustrating. It seems a customer service can be an issue in every case though.
Long waiting times – the live chat may say “10 minutes,” but don’t be surprised if you’re waiting an hour!
Also included…
- One-click wordpress install.
- free site builders.
- 24/7 support.
- Google integration option – good for those working with gmail and google apps.
While they are a bit more expensive, Bluehost – they’re the official wordpress.org recommended host, (despite a number of growing negative reviews).
They have decent security options and also contain many applications that you can integrate.
They’re also simple to use, set-up is smooth.
I host most of my sites at Wealthy Affiliate.
They’ve also recently introduced the option to purchase domain names on site.
Wealthy Affiliate is not just a hosting site though, it’s an entire training platform.
You can host unlimited sites, you have great 24 hour website support, a very active forum, live chat and a massive number of training opportunities, which teach you how to monetize your website or blog.
Some of the benefits of a FREE membership include…
- Two free siterubix websites with hosting – easy set up.
- 10-part training course, to get you started learning how to monetize your website.
- 30 free searches with their keyword research tool.
- Live support for the first 7 days.
With the paid premium membership, you get a whole host more – including…
- Hosting for unlimited websites,
- Hundreds of hours of training,
- An active forum,
- 27/7 support.
- Weekly live training.
- Website security.
- Website back up.
- Keyword research tool.
- Live chat/private messaging/blog
- FREE SSL certificate included
You can check out the difference between the free starter membership and premium below.
I’ve had various problems occur with my sites, often caused by plugins that I’ve uploaded causing all kinds of havoc.
Site support have always gotten back to me within a couple of hours.
In every single case, they have had my website up and running extremely quickly – any issue I’ve had has usually been resolved within a couple of hours.
I’ve been using the Wealthy Affiliate hosting for three years now and it’s worked smoothly for me so far.
So, those are some hosting ideas for you to check out… See what’s right for you and go and start your website!
All the best…
I’m currently using bluehost…it’s great with awesome uptime and server speed.
Ok Robert, thanks for the feedback!
Hello, Web hosting should not be only affordable but it should also include 24×7 technical support, good bandwidth, storage space etc. As I am already using MilesWeb services, I would suggest you to opt for MilesWeb, it’s a Indian based web hosting company with servers in India, UK, US and Romania. My experience in web hosting services says that MilesWeb is the best hosting provider in Asia, you can try them as they offer anytime money back guarantee. (coupon link removed)
thank you for the suggestion.