Start a WordPress Blog on Hostgator – Since 2002, HostGator has been providing hosting services for over 19 years and currently hosts a large share of websites online.
It is very awesome and offers almost everything necessary for an affordable shared hosting package so if you are a beginner or a small business looking to start a website or a blog, then this might your best option as I will be discussing all you need to know in details.
How to Start a WordPress Blog On Hostgator
HostGator offers lots of services among them shared hosting and website builders.
HostGator features
1. Performance
HostGator offers good uptime and overall stable hosting experience. It is fast with great speed which helps retain your website visitors and it’s very reliable. Learn how to reduce loading page time to increase site speed.
2. Support
As a HostGator user, you get access to 24/7/365 support by email, phone and live chat. As per user experiences, the support is usually very timely, proactive and knowledgeable.
Instead of getting referred to some resources for solutions to your problem, HostGator support offers you solutions to your specific concerns. However, HostGator outsources its customer services so there is some likelihood of getting an agent who is not fully invested in the job.
On top of that, you have access to an extensive knowledge based guides, video tutorials and other articles if you are the type of person who loves to do everything on your own for learning purposes along the way.
3. Pricing
HostGator hosting services ranges from $2.75/mo to $139/mo which is quite the range in the industry. Their available plans are as below:-
- Hatchling Plan- the cheapest plan starting from $2.75/mo
- Baby Plan- Starts from $3.50/mo
- Business Plan- Starts from $5.25/mo
The above prices are only available for your first purchase with HostGator and if only you choose the 36 months billing option.
If you go for monthly billing you will be charged $10.95/mo and renewal will be $6.95/mo with the Business Plan renewing at $14.95/mo which is so expensive.
Shared hosting has both bandwidth and storage space unmetered. This does not mean unlimited all it means is that HostGator does not count how much you use the storage space and bandwidth.
If you upload normal website files nobody will ever bother but the moment you start uploading multiple large files then you will get suspended or at the least contacted by HostGator.
All plans include a free domain name with every hosting package. Remember the free domain name is offered only when buying hosting for more than a year.
On top of that you will get 2 website builders pack with shared hosting plans for free (Weebly website builder and Gator builder). If you are migrating from another hosting provider, HostGator offers you a free website transfer which saves you a lot.
4. Security
A free SSL certificate is included with every hosting package but if you need to buy a different tougher one, you can do so at the checkout of your purchase.
This SSL certificate protects your websites, domains and encrypts communication between the server and your website visitors. You also get extra security features such as the option to monitor your site with sitelock.
The sitelock runs daily looking for any potential hacks or site breaches and alerts you immediately if one is detected.
5. Money back guarantee
HostGator is very confident in their service such that they offer an extended 45-day money back guarantee from the industry standard 30-days.
The better part of it is that there are no questions asked for the refund which gives you the freedom to try it totally risk-free. You can use them for more than a month and still get your money back if you encounter any problems.
If you pay for your hosting with a check, money order or wire transfer you are not eligible for this refund.
How to purchase HostGator hosting
1. First go to HostGator website
2. Click on Get Started
3. If you intend to create only a single website or blog, choose the Hatchling Plan and click on Buy now
Now follow through the below steps to complete your HostGator account:-
SECTION 1
Choose your domain name
SECTION 2
Confirm your package type and choose a billing cycle. The longer the billing cycle the better the deal you will get in price. I recommend going for the 36 months @2.75/mo which is a 60.50% off.
This is a very great advantage considering the renewal fees. Or if you are just trying things out, you can go for the 12 months @3.75/mo so as not to miss out on the free domain name offer for your new site.
SECTION 3
Here is where you will create your account and billing information. You can either use PayPal or Credit Card to pay for your hosting.
SECTION 4
Here you will find optional services. Since you are going to install WordPress, I advise you uncheck all since there are lots of free WordPress plugins you can use for these services in SECTION 4. This will help you reduce you get the best price.
SECTION 5
Review your order details and confirm whether everything is correct for the purchase. If all is good then click on the check box to agree to HostGators Terms of Service and finally click on the Checkout Now! Button.
Wait for some minutes for your account to be setup. Once it is complete you will be redirected to your HostGator account dashboard where you can manage everything you purchased.
Under the Order Completed! message, click on View Your Dashboard.
Hostgator install wordpress guide
- Under Control Panel, click on Install WordPress.
- Click on the Install Now button.
- Ensure you use https://option for security purposes. (It may take some time for the SSL certificate to get linked so do not panic if you get ‘A trusted SSL certificate was not found’message)
- Choose the latest version for installation
- Under site settings, you can modify your site name, description, admin username and password, email address, preferred language and plugins. For the plugins, check Limit Login Attempts (Loganizer) only. This plugin lets you know if people try to hack into your site by logging in.
- Leave the advanced settings to default it is just your database information.
- You will find thousands of different themes to choose from. Choose the one you like and click on Select Theme then Yes to the image copyright message that pops up.
- If you wish, you can email yourself the username and password by entering your preferred email to send to. Now after this click on Install.
You will get a congratulations message along with URLs that you can use to access your new WordPress site and your WordPress dashboard for editing your site. You can check this post on how to design a website for tips on setting up your website layout.
Conclusion
That was all I had for you on “How to Start a WordPress Blog On Hostgator”. I hope you found the post useful and successfully started your WordPress website. Feel free to leave any questions or suggestions in the comments below I will be honored to hear from you and be of help.
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Hey, I’m Frank! A Digital Entrepreneurship enthusiast. I help people understand the fundamentals of digital entrepreneurship. I created this site originally to hone my web design skills, motivate & inspire people who also love to dream big! Read more...