Problem: You want a WordPress website, and you’ve already secured your domain. You’ve been researching different options, but you are not sure of which direction to take. You’re torn between shared, managed, or whatever else is out there. (BTW, this post contains affiliate links )
Solution: I always recommend that before you choose a reliable host or platform for your site, you should first take inventory of what features you need and also take into consideration any budget concerns.
What is Hosting?
A Web host is basically a parking space or storage unit for your domain. It’s a space just for all of your web files, databases, email addresses, etc. In order to get a website active and live on the internet, you need to host a website
Shared
There are many options available for shared hosting. Some choose to search for the cheapest and others choose based on popularity. Some of the popular hosts are Go-Daddy. Hostgator, and SiteGround. One of my go-to providers is Bluehost. I’ve been working with Bluehost for years, and I’ve never had any issues. Shared hosting has a much lower price tag than managed hosting. You could sign up for a basic package with Bluehost for less than $60.00 for 12 months of hosting.
Managed WordPress Hosting
Several web hosting providers have chosen to focus solely on WordPress and offer services and solutions. Managed WordPress hosts handle the technical stuff so that you can focus on running your business.
They would handle security, speed, WordPress updates, daily backups, as well as website uptime. One great part about Managed WordPress hosting is the support. Support teams are filled with WordPress experts who are trained to ensure that your WordPress needs are covered. Managed hosting costs are higher than that of shared hosting.
One of my favorite managed WordPress providers is Flywheel.
I’ve had a few clients switch from their shared host to Flywheel because they needed more support for their WordPress site.
Summary
So which one works best for you? The answer depends on your needs. If you want a low-cost solution to get your site online and handle the techy back-end things on your own, then a shared hosting provider would be a great option for you. If you want a provider that can handle the tech things and offer more support, you should choose a managed WordPress provider.
Action Steps:
Take a look at your budget and website needs.
Evaluate your current provider.
Make a list of your hosting needs.
Not sure of what you need? Or maybe If you need some assistance with choosing a host or deciding if you need to transfer to a host. Contact me to chat about your options.
Problem: Too many social media accounts, not enough time.
So you did the hard work of getting your website where you want it to be. It looks good and does everything that you need it to do. It’s time to focus your attention on marketing. You have your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts set up, and you may have made a post or two. Or you post when you remember to post. The key to good marketing is consistency getting the word out there. So what’s the solution?
Solution:
There are quite a few solutions to the problem. But today I’m going to focus on one solution. This solution is free and only requires a moment of your time. When you post to Instagram, you have the option to share on your Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr accounts. So instead of having to log into each account. One post on 4 different outlets. At some point, it will be useful to have your content planned in advance, but we will dive deeper into that later. My mission is to ensure that I give you simple solutions.
Action Step:
Log in to your Instagram account.
Click on the options button.
Click on linked accounts
Connect your Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr accounts
Try to make a habit of posting at least one time per day.
Stay tuned for the next post where I will show you a tool that you can use to automate your Instagram posts.
Need some help with getting this set-up? Feel free to shoot me an email: onemooresolutions@gmail.com
You’re new to all of this and you have a very limited budget. What are your options? You have many, but today I’m going to show you how to get a website online for under $100.
Lets’ get started.
Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking on the link. Please understand that I have experienced some of these companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.
Ok now that we got that out of the way, Let’s get to the good stuff.
In order to get a website online, you must first have a domain and a reliable host.
I personally host some of my sites through BlueHost. You should start with only what you need at first, then upgrade as your website grows. You only use what you need. Plus you get a FREE domain name with any hosting plan. They are the best and least expensive way to get your online business website started.
Here are the steps to get signed up with Bluehost:
Type in the domain you’d like to purchase and hit enter
Fill out the account information. Hosting can range anywhere from 3.95 to 5.95, but to keep your cost under $100, select the basic plan for 12 months. Uncheck the boxes for Domain privacy protection, Site Back Up Pro, and Sitelocksecurity.
Check that all your information is correct.
Click ‘Purchase’.
Would you rather watch a video? Check out this 5 min tutorial on getting set up with Bluehost.
Now that you’re registered, it’s time to install WordPress. Luckily with Bluehost, the process is simple.
I’ve included a video on how to install WordPress if you need it.
Once you’ve installed WordPress, you need to choose a theme. WordPress has plenty of free themes that you could use to get started. As your needs change, you could always upgrade to a premium theme.
I don’t want to overload you with too much today. We will discuss other options and dig a little deeper into WordPress in future posts.
I hope that this helps you get your website online. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to comment below or send an email to onemooreosolutions@gmail.com
What is web hosting and why is it important? A Web host is basically a parking space or storage unit for your domain. It’s a space just for all of your web files, databases, email addresses, etc.
I know many of us use Instagram, Twitter or our Facebook page to market our services, which is great, but it’s a good idea to lock down your space in the web. It gives you more freedom and flexibility. I always recommend that even if you aren’t ready to investing a website for your business, you should at least lock down your domain and hosting, and redirect it to your page you currently use to market your services.
For example: My Facebook page is
www.facebook.com/onemooresolutions. So instead of pushing traffic to Facebook, I would purchase www.onemooresolutions.com and point to the Facebook URL. Once I get my business cards and add my domain name to it, then anyone who goes to onemooresolutions.com can still contact me via Facebook…and in the future, schedule on my new site once it’s created.
Hosting isn’t as expensive as you think. I’m a partner with bluehost, which means that and for less than the $50.00 ($47.40 to be exact) you can secure your domain for a year.
If you are interested in getting securing your domain and hosting, you can click on the link below to get signed up. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Often, we entrepreneurs don’t have a lot of time to build a website, or find someone to build one for us … so we tend to find the fastest, easiest solution that requires minimal work.
We hop on google and search for website builder which leads to a lot of options that seem to be just the thing that we need.
There are two main options that I run into often when I am working with a client that needs a website
Vistaprint or Godaddy Website Builders…
Don’t get me wrong, they are simple options to build a quick personal websites that contains basic options, but they aren’t ideal for businesses, especially businesses that plan on growing.
So to help you I put together a list of reasons why you should avoid the website builders and invest in reliable hosting and website services. I will use Vistaprint for my example.
Problem #1: You pay anywhere in the range of $5.00 monthly to $30.00 per month for a domain that you don’t own and limited services.
For Example: The Basic Vistaprint package is $5.00 per month.
For $5.00 you get 1 basic web address, unlimited pages, 1 email address, basic site activity, and Basic Phone Support. Sounds good, but what if you need more email addresses for your team or growing business.
Problem #2: You don’t have any freedom to use custom html coding
I know this one sounds a little confusing for you, but to let me break it down for you. If you decide that you want to add a blog or some special feature to your site it may not be supported since VistaPrint sites give you limited freedom.
Problem #3: You don’t own your domain.
You’ve decide to hire someone to redesign a site for you. So you email them the login and password info to redesign your site…easy right? Not so much. When you sign-up and register a web address with VistaPrint maintain ownership of your domain name. If you decide to go else where or upgrade to a custom developed site, you actually have to buy your own domain name from them. You have to basically buy your domain back from vistaprint and transfer your domain to a site that can host your domain and website.
Solution: There’s a light at the end of the website builder tunnel. For less than the cost of Vistaprint, you can purchase a web hosting package through a reliable web hosting company. I personally recommend Bluehost for domain registration and web hosting.
I won’t get into too many technical details, but for $3.95 per month, you get 1 website, and 100 email accounts, and 5 parked domains…meaning you could have mysite.com, mysite2.com, mysite3.com…etc….
Most importantly…you own your domain! That’s right it’s all yours ….and you have the freedom to install WordPress for blogging, or redirect to a temp site, or add future products and classes.
Let’s do the math 3.95 X 12 = 47.40 for 1 year of hosting, domain ownership, 100 email accounts……and creative freedom.
Or
5.00 X 12 = 60.00 for 1 year of 1 website, 1 email address, and limited options
I could go on and on, but I think you get my point. The choice is totally up to you ( no Judgement here)…I just want you to be informed when you make your decision.
Do you use a websitebuilder?Have any questions? Leave your thoughts below
