Congratulations on taking the leap and deciding to host a WordPress.com site!  You are that much closer to starting your own blog and maybe even making a little extra cash by monetizing your site.  The next step is to buy your domain and register with a WordPress hosting service.  Essentially, these services provide you with space on the internet and allows your site to connect to the internet.  Web hosting companies have massive servers that can handle your data and traffic that you don’t have to worry about the more technical aspects of running your site.

The goods news is that there are a lot of affordable hosting services available.  To help you narrow down your choices, here is a look at some of the most affordable and user friendly options.  Depending on how comfortable you with WordPress, how much money you are willing to spend per month, and whether you are looking to host one or multiple sites, some options may be better than others.

We’ve got step by step instructions for how to setup your WordPress site once you figure out which host is best for you.

Bluehost

Not only is Bluehost one of the least expensive, and user most friendly hosting services available, it is also one of the oldest and most established brands on the market.  Bluehost has been in business since 1996 and become one of the premiere names in web hosting by offering high speed operation, low prices, and excellent customer support.  With their fast and powerful servers, you won’t have to worry about slow load times, which can negatively affect your Google rankings.

In addition, Bluehost has worked to establish a strong relationship with WordPress in order to ensure that their products and services are highly compatible.  Bluehost is a great option for beginners, but it is also sophisticated enough to grow with you as you expand your blog, build more sites, and incorporate different ways to monetize your sites.  If you like the idea of starting with training wheels and having support as you graduate to becoming an expert, then Bluehost may be the perfect service for you.

Who is it for?  Perfect for beginners looking for excellent customer support and low cost.

Pros:  Unlimited storage.  Ability to host an unlimited number of domains.  Unlimited bandwidth. 24/7 WordPress Support. No long-term contract – you can cancel at any point.  Easy, 1-click installation.

Cost:    Starter plan:  $3.49/month, but has certain limitations:  Can only host 1 website and there is limited data storage.

Recommendation:  Purchase the Plus Plan for:  $5.95/month.  This option offers the most unlimited options for the lowest price.

 SIGN UP FOR BLUEHOST

WordPress Setup for Bluehost:

Step 1: Visit Bluehost and enter your desired domain name. You will immediately be told whether or not that name is available. There will also be a box for you to fill out if you have an existing domain you would like to use.

Step 2: You will then be prompted to enter your account and billing information. Be sure to choose correct hosting package that you want to purchase.

Step 3: Once you have your basic account setup with Bluehost, you can download WordPress and start publishing blogs posts! In the Bluehost control panel, you will see a section marked Software/Services. Click on the WordPress icon and begin the downloading process.

Step 4: After you have clicked on the WordPress icon in your Bluehost control panel, you will see an installation screen appear. All you have to do is click the big green “Start” button.

In a few seconds, you will see a screen that tracks the installation process. Once WordPress has finished its installation process, you can visit your site’s WordPress admin page and enter your login information. This will take you directly to the WordPress dashboard where you can start creating and publishing posts.

HostGator

HostGator is another well-established name in web hosting.  They also offer competitive pricing, including some of the most affordable packages on the market, as well as dedicated servers that will ensure that you site is up and running at all times.  The main advantage of HostGator over other hosting services is their dedication to customer service.  You can contact a support representative 24/7 by email, phone, or their online chat features.  Not only will they help you with any hosting problems, they will also talk you through any challenges you might be encountering with navigating WordPress.

HostGator is a reputable, well-respected, and trustworthy name in web hosting.  You can expect to quickly receive answers to any of your questions.

Who is if for?  Beginners, bloggers, and business owners.

Cons:  In most cases, HostGator is the best value in web hosting.  However, be sure to pay attention as you are setting up your account.  They will start tacking on extras that you might not necessarily need and you monthly cost can double or triple pretty quickly.  You can still get their advertised price; you just have to make sure that you are reading all the fine print and unchecking any options that you don’t absolutely need.

In addition, the control panel can be a little difficult to navigate, especially if you are hosting more than one site.  There may be a bit of a learning curve as you get used to their dashboard and it may take a few conversations with customer support to be able to find your way around.

Pros:  Unlimited disk space. Unlimited bandwidth. Easy 1-click installation. 24/7 customer support

Tip:  Be sure to search for coupon codes.  You can get 20-25% off your purchase.

Cost:  Hatchling Plan:  Starts at $3.96/month, but this price is only available if you sign up for 3 years.  It also limits you to 1 domain, however, you can upgrade at any time if you decide to add more domains.

Recommendation:  Sign-up for the Baby Plan, which starts at $6.36/month.

SIGN UP FOR HOSTGATOR

WordPress Setup for Hostgator:

Step 1: No matter which hosting service you use, the process for setting up WordPress is pretty similar. The main difference is the way that the control panel in each service looks, however, they contain the same functions and tend to be intuitive and straightforward. To setup WordPress with a Hostgator account, simply visit Hostgator and purchase a plan.

Once you have created an account, you will be logged into a control panel. Under the Software/services section, click on the QuickInstall icon.

Step 2: You will then be prompted with a list of software that you can download. Look for the blog software options and click on WordPress.

Step 3: The next screen that appears will simply give you a summary of WordPress. Simply click “continue” and move onto the next step.

Step 4: The final screen is the only one that will require you to enter any information. Fill in the blanks and click “Install Now.” WordPress will do the rest of the work and you will be able to head to your new site in just a few minutes to start writing and publishing.

WP Engine

WP Engine has been specifically designed to work with WordPress.  It is one of the easiest web hosting services to use because it not only offer technical support, their customer service representatives will also help you with any WordPress problems you might run into.  That means that you have access to 24/7 help with things like themes, plugins, and widgets.

Who is it for?  This web hosting service probably has the widest target audience.  Although it make lean more towards those with a working knowledge of WordPress and website promotion strategies, it also offers incredible customer support if you are a beginner who needs a little extra help.  It is manageable enough for individual blogs, yet also capable of handling multiple sites and big businesses.   

Pros:  You can try them risk free for 60 days and get a full refund if you aren’t happy.  They handle all updates and backup your information.  They will also fix any security problems you might encounter.  Unfortunately, it is quite common for WordPress sites to be hacked.  If that happens, it can be nice to have technical support on your side guaranteeing results.  Speed – they claim to offer loading speeds that are 4x faster than other services, which will improve your load time and help ensure higher rankings.

Cons:  The cheapest available plan is $29/month, which has limited storage and only supports 25,000 monthly visitors.

Cost:  Plans start at $29/month.

Recommendation:  If you are just getting started, you might want to go with a cheaper option that will allow you to upgrade as you grow and expand your sites.  While their services are certainly fairly priced, it might be more than you need as a beginner.

SIGN UP FOR WP ENGINE

WordPress Set Up for WP Engine:

Step 1: Since these two programs have been specifically designed to work together, getting started is super simple. Once you are logged into your WP Engine account, you will see a dashboard with “Installs” as one of the main tabs at the top. Click on installs.

Step 2: Click on the “Add install” button that appears.

Step 3: Create a name for the WordPress Installation that you are about to add. This allows you to manage multiple downloads and go back and delete specific downloads that correspond to specific sites if necessary.

Step 4: Click on “Save Install” and the download should be complete. You can now log into your WordPress account and start publishing.

Pagely

While Pagely might not be the most recognizable name in web hosting services, it has been around for years and is powered by the Amazon Cloud, which means high speed performance and tons of storage space.  Essentially, your site will be supported by the same technology that runs some of the biggest companies in the world.

Who is it for?  Business owners looking to run ecommerce sites.

Pros:  Supported by cutting edge technology. Basic hosting plan supports up to 3 sites. Excellent customer service.

Cons:  Designed for those who are fluent in technical terminology.  This is not the ideal service for beginning bloggers.

Cost:  Plans start at $64/month.

Recommendation:  If you are small business, this may be a good option, but there are much more affordable options for those new to WordPress.

SIGN UP FOR PAGELY

WordPress Setup for Pagely:

Step 1: Sign up for Pagely. Congratulations, you are all done! That’s right. One of the best features of Pagely is that is works exclusively with WordPress. This means that you don’t have to worry about searching through the dashboard to locate download instructions. Once you have created an account, Pagely will automatically get your started on WordPress. This web hosting service also makes it easy to migrate previous accounts with other hosting services or publishing platforms to its services. You can transfer accounts to Pagely with relative ease.