Make a Website Great

The number of Web hosting companies and options seems to be endless, and I think the best thing I can do for you is greatly narrow those down.

In this post, I’ll walk you though the exact steps needed to sign up for hosting with the hosting company I’m using for this website, Host Gator. However, it is my intention to give you insight into into the various options available when you sign up for hosting in general. Also, since in the future Host Gator might change their sign-up process and screens, I think what’s most important here is an explanation of the available choices rather than the exact process of signing up for hosting.

Let’s start with my top requirements for a Web hosting account:

1. Linux Hosting – Linux is the de facto standard operating system of Web hosting servers just as Windows is the de facto standard of desktop computers. And Linux is indeed the better solution for Web hosting. There are Windows hosting solutions available as well, however, unless you know you need to run some piece of software that’s only supported by Windows, I say stay away from Windows as a Web server.
2. cPanel Support – cPanel is a widely used hosting account management software. It acts as a control panel that integrates all the services and scripts one needs to use in a hosting account. It’s very convenient. And if you know a hosting account uses cPanel, you can also automatically trust it offers all the features that come with it.
3. Good 24/7 Customer Technical Support – I don’t think I need to explain why this is desirable.

Over a year ago I saw several sources recommending the hosting company Host Gator, and since it matched my top 3 requirements for Web hosting, I gave it a try and it turned out to be very good. Host Gator’s technical support staff is very competent and highly responsive, with convenient 24/7 chat support.

Therefore, I am also going to recommend you host your websites with Host Gator.

How to Sign Up for a Hosting Account With Host Gator

Open up a Host Gator page in a separate window by using this link. Go to where it says “Hosting” and click “Order Now“:

The other options, “Reseller” and “Dedicated“, are for power users. Just to give you an idea, the “Reseller” option enables you to have completely separate hosting sub-accounts that you can then give out to other people, possibly for a fee. The “Dedicated” gives you a whole computer server just to yourself. It’s good for people who run very many, or highly trafficked sites. But for most practical purposes, especially if you’re starting out, the “Hosting” option is just perfect.

In the following screen that comes up select the “I will use My Existing Domain and update My Nameservers only” option, enter your domain name, and click “Next“:

If you haven’t registered your domain name yet, go here to learn how to register a domain name. In that post I also explain why you should never register your domain name with your hosting company, as in the first option given above.

The following screen will give you the opportunity to choose from among three plans, “Hatchling“, “Baby“, and “Business“:

With the Hatchling plan, you’ll be able to host just one site. The Baby plan gives you the ability to host multiple sites with different domain names all under a single hosting account. And the Business plan is just a Baby plan supped up with some commerce features, such as a toll free phone number. My recommendation is to go with the Baby plan, although if you know you just want to have a single site, it’s okay if you get the Hatchling plan.

If you are planning on having multiple sites, I also suggest you sign up for hosting with a generic domain name, such as JebediahsWebsites.com for instance, that won’t be associated with an actual site you want to build and act as an umbrella domain for your hosting account. Otherwise, the directory structure in your hosting account will get a little messy. After you sign up for hosting with your generic domain, you’ll be able to neatly add in the domains for your actual sites.

After you select your hosting plan and click “Continue“, the next screen will ask you to select a billing cycle:

You can choose from a monthly bill, yearly bill, etc. You can save a little by signing up for the longer periods. Personally, I don’t like to commit to long term plans and pay in advance larger chunks of money than necessary, so therefore, I recommend to go with the monthly billing, at least until you’re sure you want to keep your hosting account for a long time.

After you click “Calculate Totals” you’ll see a screen summarizing your order (click image to enlarge):

Just click “Continue” there, and you’ll be at a screen asking for your contact and payment information:

Fill out all the information and click “Verify My Order” to proceed onto finalizing your hosting plan order.

After your order is final, your account will be set up and you’ll receive an email containing very important information about your account. This may take a few minutes or longer, but once you receive that email, make sure you save it in a safe place and don’t lose it.