Hosting Solutions and Specifications to Look for with Your Own Site

With so many hosting companies available, it’s easy to assume that all hosting companies are equal. But they’re not. If you want a site with very little down time, then doing a little bit of research about which hosting specifications you’ll need for your website is absolutely essential.

First, always check out the reliability of the hosting company because it won’t do you any good to have a website if it frequently goes down. An easy way to research a company is to go to Google and type in the Company Name + Complaints. If you see multiple complaints about the company’s reliability, then look for another company.

If the reliability of the company passes the test, then check out additional features. There are three major things you should look for. The first one is the Cpanel you’ll be working with.

You want an easy to use control panel since you’ll most likely be using your hosting company for years. The second thing you’re looking for is a mail host. Some companies will allow you to have as many mail accounts as you want, but they limit your storage to one gigabyte. Others will allow you to have a certain number of mail accounts, but they won’t limit storage. Be sure to read about any restrictions on the mail accounts.

The third thing you’re looking for is Fantastico. This system will allow you to install various software scripts to your website without having to pay a designer. Follow three easy steps and you can install WordPress blogs, forums and more.

Once you’re satisfied that your hosting company has these features, then it’s time to look at their customer service track record. A few minutes spent searching the web will show you if they routinely ignore support tickets or if their staff is unprofessional or rude.

Now it’s time to compare prices. You should expect to pay between five and ten dollars a month for hosting one or more websites, but not more than that. If a hosting company insists you’ll need to pay more than ten dollars, then shop around for a new one.

Hostgator is one of the best hosting options out there. It has excellent customer service and a long history of reliability. They allow you to host as many websites as you like for ten dollars a month and include unlimited data storage.

You’ll want to choose hosting based on where you’re going in the future with your business, not where you are now. You may only have one site to start with, but when you grow more, you’ll want the right hosting already in place.

Setting Up a Blog Using WordPress

Setting up a blog using WordPress doesn’t have to be challenging even if you don’t know the first thing about blogging. With just a few simple steps to follow you’ll be blogging away in no time.

The best and fastest way to install WordPress software is to use Fantastico. Fantastico is software included with most hosting companies that allows you to install applications like WordPress on your site easily. If you’re not sure if your hosting company supports Fantastico (most do), then contact their customer support.

If you see a Fantastico icon when you log into your hosting account, click on it. You’ll be taken to a page with many options. Look on the left side and you’ll see WordPress. Click the link and you’ll be brought to page with a few options.

These are easy options to fill out. Choose the correct domain name that you want to install WordPress on. Don’t worry about installing in a directory. Leave that blank and it’ll post the blog on the home page of your site. If you’d prefer, put the word blog there and it will install on yourdomain.com/blog instead.

Come up with an administrator name. Don’t use something like ‘admin.’ It makes your site easy prey to hackers. Choose your password. Write down your administrator name and your password in a secure place.

Enter your admin nickname. This will be your display name and can be changed later if you don’t like it. You can use your name, your company name, or your initials. Enter the admin email.

This should be a working email address you have access to. Be sure to double-check it to prevent errors. Next, choose your site name. Your site name can also be changed later in the administration settings.

Enter the description of your website. This is your tagline or slogan. Once you’ve done that, click ‘install WordPress.’ A page will come up prompting you to review your choices. If they’re correct, click ‘finish.’ If not, hit the back button and correct any errors.

Once you install WordPress, it will take a few seconds to a few hours depending on your site and system before the site is set up and you can begin customizing it. You can log into your WordPress website when it’s complete by going to www.yoursite.com/wp-login.php. Enter the administrator username and password you chose earlier.

On the left side, look for a box that says ‘Settings.’ In that box, there will be multiple settings you can tweak including your site name, slogan, your local time, your email address and more.

If you have questions about these settings, consult with your customer support or read the WordPress Codex which contains a WordPress for Beginners section that answers the most common questions from new users.