HostGator

So I finally found a web host for HeartBeat Children’s Music. It’s HostGator.

If you’ve been following this blog, you may be wondering why I went back to the same host I had given up on earlier.

Well, I did some research, and frankly, HostGator came out ahead. I’m still not happy about the poor way they communicate their prices (for more on that, see my post Watch Me Get a Host for My Site.

But my colleagues and friends gave HostGator high marks. And it came out on top on website reviews.

Originally, I was going for their least expensive plan, Hatchling, advertised at $4.95 a month. It’s actually $8.95 a month if you pay from month to month.

For only a dollar more per month, I can have unlimited domains. That means I can switch two of my other websites there for just $12 a year!

So I chose the Baby plan, which is advertised as $7.95 a month, but costs $9.95 a month if you pay from month to month.

So is my hosting account all set?

Well, not exactly.

Just to get the web hosting working, I need to point the “name servers” to the new host. What does that mean? I’ll tell you in my next post, when I actually do it.

If you buy your domain name from your web host, you don’t need to worry about that. But I have read advice suggesting that you do not buy your domain name from your host.

Why not? Because if you later change hosts, you may end up in an awkward situation. It’s been suggested that the host might make it difficult for you to switch hosts.

This actually happened to me with my first domain name and host. And yes, switching was a pain in the neck. But I don’t remember any real horror stories. So you may want to make your life easier and simply buy the domain name from the host, especially if this technical stuff intimidates you.

What do I need to do after that?

Once I point the name servers to the new host, I still need to design the site, or get it designed.

I have no idea what I’m going to do about that, so it should be fun exploring the many options (which I describe at WB4N).

Meanwhile, I’m happy to have finally chosen HostGator and gotten the important web hosting aspect of this job completed.

Janet

Watch me get a host for my site

Apologies for the delay, I've been on vacation!

It's about time I get a host for this website. When I was researching the hosting page at Website Building 4 Newbies, I decided that HostGator was my first choice for hosting, other than the host I've been using, Banana Hosting.

Well, I've never used Host Gator, and I want to experience using the host I recommend to you. So right now, as I write this, I will get my host for www.heartbeat-childrens-music.com.

Okay, I'm at the website, looking at their $4.95/month option. I clicked on the "Learn More" button. Looks like the plan for me. It has unlimited bandwidth and unlimited disk space. That's all I need for this site. If I were planning to host a forum on the site, offering products and using a shopping cart, or making it uber-popular, then I might want something more. But for my purposes, this is fine.

I click on the order button. There are two options:

o Register New Domain

or

o I will use My Existing Domain and update My Nameservers only.

I've already got my domain. I've heard its best to get your domain and your host in two different places. That way, if you have a problem with the host, you can switch hosts without having to fiddle with the domain name.

This is reminding me that I need to deal with the nameservers. I hate doing that. It's not hard, just confusing. So I'll write about that here, so you can suffer with me, uh, I mean, learn how to do it. ;-)

Okay, I'm entering my domain name and clicking the "next" button.

Hmmm, this is interesting. It's telling me the cost is $8.95 plus $5 setup. What happened to the $4.95 option?

I'll click on live chat and find out what the story is.

Okay, Douglas Be was wonderfully helpful. But I am not going to get hosting with Host Gator today. Here's the scoop:

The cost comes out to $4.95 per month if you pay for three years worth of hosting all at once. The cost is $8.95 per month if you pay from month to month.

I asked Douglas if this was stated anywhere on the site. He said that if you are on the order page and you hover your mouse over the price, it gives you the details.

Well, expecting people to hover their mouses is no way to communicate! I'm not sure I want a host who can't be clear about its pricing. And I told them just that.

The pricing itself is fair enough. I'm not looking for a cheaper host. I'm looking for a more honest host.

So no hosting yet. I will do some more research and write another blog post when I find a good host.

Peace,

Janet