Users interested in starting a blog have many options for their website builder. They can register with WordPress.com, WordPress.org, SquareSpace, Google+, Tumblr, Blogger.com, and much more. Many people new to blogging end up registering for a free-blog hosting site such as WordPress.com to post articles to a mass community of bloggers. After a year or so they convert to WordPress.org to expand their website and monetize on their content. It takes close to a year to build a large audience and for the online community to appreciate your blog. Millions of bloggers use WordPress.org because it does not require any coding knowledge and considered the best place to blog. Users are in control of their own data allowing them to use custom analytics and tracking. After installing its free software, web hosting is required for your blog to function on WordPress.org. Below is a video on how to migrate WordPress.com to WordPress.org and recommendations for the best web hosts for WordPress.org.
HostGator: Starts at $3.96/month for a single domain. The baby plan is for $6.36/month with unlimited domains, and $10.36/month offers unlimited domains, private IP, and free toll free number. The price per month is competitive compared to other web hosting companies. The ones on HostGator like the free website transfer service, guarantees 99% uptime with unlimited disk, space, and database. HostGator might be too popular for its own good because hackers are known to steal information from random websites. Sharing your host with 9 million+ people will also negatively affect your sites performance. HostGator is known to have slow customer support taking hours to answer questions. Review Rating: 3.6 out of 4. www.hostgator.com
BlueHost: The starter package is $3.95/month but most go for the $6.95/month option because of the unlimited website space and email storage. The price is affordable with unlimited everything for your website. BlueHost is known for great customer service and 30 days money back guarantee. It has a reputation of being well established with easy cPanel navigation. However, reseller accounts are slow, pricy charge for migration, frequent downtime, and outdated servers. Review Rating: 3.5 out of 4. www.bluehost.com
SiteGround: Has the best reviews for host websites that starts at $3.95/month. The need for tech support and additional 10 GB more of web space will cost $7.95/month. The price/month is competitive for SiteGround and its known to use innovative technology to protect your website from hackers. There are few complaints about downtime if any unlike BlueHost. SiteGround however has limited features for their basic starter package, website transfer service is slow, and no free trial to determine if the website builder is right for you. Review Rating: 4.6 out of 5. www.siteground.com
WPEngine: Offers free 60 day trial, expert WordPress support staff, updates automatically installed, and no charge for hacked sites. The personal plan includes 1 WordPress install with 10 GB of local storage for $29/month. The price is too high for most people and the website builder does not work for Non-WordPress platforms. Review Rating: 4 out of 5. www.wpengine.com
WebHosting Hub: Includes unlimited space and unlimited bandwidth for $3.99/month. WebHosting Hub has a free website builder, unlimited storage, unlimited domains, help to set up your account, and cPanel interface. Users that want to build a business website will require too many upgrades that will greatly increase the amount paid per month. Review Rating: 4.5 out of 5. www.webshotinghub.com
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