Your website needs more than just great design – you have to have a strong host. Website hosts offer space on a server so that you can put your website on the world wide web. While your domain name (i.e., “www.yoursite.com”) is your street address where people find you, your host acts as the land on which your house sits. Having a host offers you maximum flexibility and optimized customization, like creating unique pages under your own domain name (i.e., “www.yoursite.com/page”) as well as unique email addresses (i.e., “info@yoursite.com”).
Sites like Blogger or WordPress.com offer to let you “rent” space on their servers (thus, it’s FREE); however, you will find yourself frustrated by its limitations if you are wanting to do anything more than a single page blog. For the price, paying for hosting services is a great value and will give you so much more to work with!
We strongly recommend HostGator. We have worked with them for years and we have never had an issue and consider them among the industry leaders of web hosting services.
If we are doing a website or customized blog for you, you have 3 options when it comes to hosting.
#1. Host the website yourself – again, we recommend HostGator. Click on the ad above and you’ll be directed to HostGator via our customized link. If you choose to host the site yourself, you will simply pass on to us a temporary access to your hosting account as we get ready to launch your site. HostGator does offer an online “Live Chat” feature that has been helpful to us in the past. However, if there are any problems with your server or with your web layout after we complete the project, you are on your own. If that doesn’t bother you, you have selected the correct option. If that scares you and you think “but what if ……“, well…go to option 2 or 3 below.
COST: Their “Hatchling” plans start at approximately $5/month. See all HostGator plan options (but “Hatchling” is most likely all you will need)
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**At this time, we only host sites that we create for our clients because we do more than simple hosting – we offer much more technical support, too! If you are unhappy with your current hosting provider and want to switch, go back to option #1 and let HostGator help walk you through the steps of hosting your site yourself. They will walk you through every single step. They are good at what they do!
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#2. We host your website for you (Level A support) – an option chosen by some clients; you really don’t care to mess with the technical aspects of launching their own hosting. When we host a site for you at this level, we pull together our highly skilled technical support team to offer 24/7 customer support for hosting issues related to your website. If your emails aren’t going through, we’ll make sure that gets attention. If your site is running slow, we’ll work on it. If one day you wake up and there’s nothing on your site but an error message, just call us and we’ll make sure it’s back up and running!
When we host your website, you’ll get the following robust benefit package:
- Basic hosting information: Site is run from a top-tier, ultra-high-speed hosting account; professionally and centrally hosted in Dallas. The servers are maintained by HostGator, a worldwide leader in dedicated website hosting. Network access and climate are maintained by The Planet, largely recognized as the top hosting organization worldwide. We provide exclusive hosting rights for this website and will coordinate the transfer of website from existing host if applicable.
- Triple-hosted: Backup hosting plans with up-to-date copies of this site will reside in multiple states in case of power failure, natural disaster, or widespread Internet outage
- Consistent site security: All WordPress installs are regularly scanned for vulnerabilities, and are periodically upgraded to ensure that those holes which are found are not exploitable on hosted sites
- Intense dedication to stored-file security and privacy: All backup files and documentation related to this site are encrypted, and stored with maximized security features
- Email accounts: Email addresses and accounts may be created for all staff or key players emailing from your branded domain
- We will coordinate with your DNS servers to be switched when site is ready to be launched
COST: $28/month paid annually every January (hosting cost can be prorated for sites launched mid-year; ask about an exact prorated cost)
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#3. We host AND support your website for you (Level B support) – by far the most common option chosen by our clients; most really don’t care to mess with the technical aspects of launching their own hosting, but they also want someone to be there for them as a backup when things (not if) go haywire with their site. This is not due to negligence, but it’s just the nature of working with technology! This is not just hosting and server issues, you may find that in updating your site, there is something that goes really wrong or the formatting just doesn’t work like you want (or that you think it should). We are 24/7 support for ALL issues related to your hosting AND to the functionality of your site. We do not act as your webmaster to load up content (we train you on how to do that yourself), but we are there when things are working on the site like you want – all for only $14 more than Option #2.
When we host a site for you at this level, we pull together our highly skilled technical support team to offer 24/7 customer support for hosting issues related to your website. If your emails aren’t going through, we’ll make sure that gets attention. If your site is running slow, we’ll work on it. If one day you wake up and there’s nothing on your site but an error message, just call us and we’ll make sure it’s back up and running! If you accidentally upload content in the wrong place and the whole site goes haywire, we’ll come to your rescue. All of this support (details listed below) are including in the annual hosting cost.
When we host your website, you’ll get the following robust benefi:
- Basic hosting information: Site is run from a top-tier, ultra-high-speed hosting account; professionally and centrally hosted in Dallas. The servers are maintained by HostGator, a worldwide leader in dedicated website hosting. Network access and climate are maintained by The Planet, largely recognized as the top hosting organization worldwide. We provide exclusive hosting rights for this website and will coordinate the transfer of website from existing host if applicable.
- Triple-hosted: Backup hosting plans with up-to-date copies of this site will reside in multiple states in case of power failure, natural disaster, or widespread Internet outage
- Daily database backups: Content of pages, posts, comments, and statistics for your WordPress site is maintained in the database, which is backed up daily. Copies of these backups are maintained indefinitely so that content which has been deleted weeks, months, or even years ago is still accessible upon request. This also guarantees that, should your site go down for any reason, it can be brought back up with current information very quickly
- Monthly file backups: Images, documents, and downloads available on your site are backed up at the beginning of every month, and are maintained for 3 years. This allows for deleted pictures or files to be recovered, and for very quick site rebuilding if necessary
- Consistent site security: All WordPress installs are regularly scanned for vulnerabilities, and are periodically upgraded to ensure that those holes which are found are not exploitable on hosted sites
- Intense dedication to stored-file security and privacy: All backup files and documentation related to this site are encrypted, and stored with maximized security features
- Email accounts: Email addresses and accounts may be created for all staff or key players emailing from your branded domain
- We will coordinate with your DNS servers to be switched when site is ready to be launched
- Access to Technical Support Team: while hosting your site, you have UNLIMITED EMAIL ACCESS to us for any questions
COST: $42/month paid annually every January (hosting cost can be prorated for sites launched mid-year; ask about an exact prorated cost)
(if you wish to have us host your site, it is not necessary to click on the HostGator ad above or any of the HostGator links on this page; we’ll take care of EVERYTHING for you!)
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If you have any questions, or if you’re not sure which option is right for you, please email us and we’ll be glad to assist you!