Recommended as one of the top three website hosting providers by WordPress itself, my current favorite hosting company is Siteground (and has been for awhile).
I have used several different hosting companies and Siteground, by far, has the best customer service of all I’ve used. I can’t think of one issue that I’ve contacted them about that they haven’t been able to resolve. That means a great deal to me .
Let’s back up.
What is hosting, and why do you need it?
I like to compare your domain name to the address to your house, and hosting to the lot that your house sits on.
In the internet world (unlike your residence) your ‘address’ and your ‘lot’ don’t need to be at the same location. Your address could be on one end of town and your lot could be at the other, because your address (domain name) actually tells the ‘postman’ where to find your lot.
Setting up a hosting account with Siteground is pretty straightforward, but if this is your first time, you might appreciate step-by-step instructions.
Go to Siteground
Siteground offers servers that are optimized for WordPress. Using one will help your site run faster and more smoothly, so take the extra step to insure you’re on the WordPress servers. Click the Get Started button.
Choose Your Plan
If you only have one site, the StartUp package will be perfect for you. If you think you’ll have two or more websites in the very near future, then choose GrowBig. Remember, you can upgrade any time you decide to do so. Click the Get Started Button.
Enter Your Domain Name
If you don’t have a domain name yet, select ‘Register a New Domain.’ If you have purchased a domain already, select ‘I already have a Domain.’
There is no need to purchase your domain name at the same place that you host your site. In fact, it is oftentimes more expensive (though not by much) to purchase through your host. They actually deal with a third party anyway, so why not cut out the middle man?
I prefer to purchase my domain names at a registrar, ie Namecheap. It keep things clean. I mean, what if you decide to move to a new host for whatever reason? All you have to do in that case is tell the registrar to point to the new server; you don’t have to track down who actually has your domain.
Enter Your Account Information
Fill in the requested personal information, including your billing information.
Siteground has already filled in the hosting plan you selected and the data center location nearest to you. If you want to change these, click the icon next to that detail, and a drop-down box will open where you can scroll to select a different plan or data center.
Select the time period (trial, 12 months, 24 months or 36 months). Click the button to complete the order.
Congratulations!
Once you’ve completed your order, a screen pops up to tell you your account has been created successfully. Shortly after that, you will receive an email with your login information. Put it in a safe place, you will undoubtedly need it at some point in the future.
Log Into Siteground
That’s it. You’ve set up your hosting account.
If you prefer, Solo Web Solutions can set it up for you and send you an annual statement. Contact us to get started.
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