Web Hosting - WordPress Hosting - Blog Hosting
When you are starting a blog and are looking for a web hosting plan, there are many things that can confuse you.
Yes, there are tons of options out there, and most of them help. However, if you are just starting out, you can go for the basics and send less. As and when your blog grows, you can add more frills!
Here are some of the options you should choose if you are starting a WordPress blog.
Linux vs Windows Hosting
Linux vs Windows Hosting
This question is as old as internet itself!
Well, both Linux and Windows have their advantages and disadvantages. There are people who are strong believers in one of these , and advocate it for your hosting needs.
However, when it comes to hosting a WordPress blog, just select Linux. That’s what you need.
Interesting Note: With may web hosting provides, Linux hosting plans are cheaper than Windows hosting plans. So, you might end up saving some money as well!
Shared Hosting vs Virtual Private Server (VPS)
Shared Hosting Account vs Virtual Private Server (VPS)
Yes, a VPS give you a lot of power and freedom. You can configure it the way you want, and it can handle all the traffic that your blog is going to draw some day.
The question is, do you need all the power from day 1? There is no doubt that your blog would be successful, but can you not start at a lower level and change the setup when the need arises?
Yes, you can! So start with a shared hosting plan. It has some advantages:
- It would also cost you a lot less than a VPS
- You would not need to worry about server setup and maintenance – you can focus on building your blog
When your blog becomes successful and you need more power, any good host like HostGator would let you switch from a shared hosting plan to a VPS plan without any downtime and without any technical issues.
Dedicated IP or Not
A dedicated IP comes with some advantages (for example, your blog won’t be blacklisted by search engines like Google due to blackhat actions by another site or blog hosted on the same IP). However, these advantages aren’t crucial for the success of your blog.
So when you are just starting out, you can reduce your expenses by choosing to host your blog on a shared IP.
Control Panel – cPanel
Control Panel for Your Hosting Account
For managing your blog’s files, email IDs, databases, etc, you need a control panel. This is an absolute must especially if you do not have much technical inclination.
Opt for cPanel – the best and the most widely used control panel for web hosting. Yes, go for it even if it costs you a little extra – it is that important!
cPanel makes managing the backend of your blog really easy. It also have a very good knowledge base available at its site. Also, since it is very popular, you can find tons of cPanel tutorials at YouTube and other video sites!
Conclusion
When you are new to blogging, it is easy to get distracted by too many options. Often, this results in you not acting at all!
Here, I have tried to help you with choosing your hosting options so that you can start your WordPress blog easily and at a low cost.
If you are wondering about which hosting company to choose as your web host, I would recommend HostGator – as you can see below, I have been happily using it for all my blogs.
My blogs are hosted reliably at HostGator | |
| I run 20+ blogs, and each of these is hosted at HostGator. I have been using their service for a long time, and have never experienced any downtime. They also have a very responsive customer service team. HostGator provides the most reliable and fully featured WordPress hosting service. Their plans start as low as $3.96 per month for unlimited hosting - try out HostGator now! | |
Speak Your Mind