Whether you’re launching a small business, creating content, or putting together a portfolio, it’s important to have all of your information in a central location in one convenient package. What better way to do that than by putting together a website. The best domain hosting sites make this easy. They provide a spot for your website to live and make building it a breeze!
When choosing a host for your website, you need to trust the company behind it. This is especially true because 45 percent of business owners have faced a major data breech in the past, a study shows. A third of these were inside jobs, but many were due in part to the use of data in insecure environments. That being said, where your site’s data is stored is one of the keys to protecting your business.
Having an online presence just keeps getting more essential in today’s modern digital age. For example, in order to stay afloat during the mass business shutdown during COVID’s initial outbreak, small family-owned businesses were forced to get online, according to a new study. Thirty-one percent of small business owners say embracing new technology helped business during COVID-19. Without it, they would have had no way of making money or marketing to customers when everything in-person was closed down.
The first step to building your site is getting a domain and choosing a platform to host it on. While it sounds simple, there are so many options to choose from, which can make things overwhelming. To simplify things, we at StudyFinds want to give you a head start with this list of the five best domain hosting websites. Did we miss one? Let us know your recommendations in the comments!
The List: Best Domain Hosting Sites, According to Expert Reviews
1. Bluehost
This beginner-friendly platform is known for it’s flexible plan options and compatibility with WordPress. This can be a great start for someone who doesn’t deem themselves as extremely tech-savy or for a small business on a tight budget. PCMag reiterates it’s WordPress accessibility calling it “Best for Building WordPress Sites,” saying: “Bluehost strikes a balance between pricing and features, offering services that appeal to hobbyists and business professionals…Great uptime, WordPress-enhancing tools, e-commerce add-ons, and overall flexibility make Bluehost a web host you can count on for a rock-solid website.”
Forbes highlighted the beginner-friendly aspects picking it as “Best for new websites,” citing perks like, “Free domain name and SSL for a year, free CDN, Google Ads/Bing credits for higher-tiered plans.”
The best of both worlds were highlighted by Quicksprout which named it, “Best for New WordPress Websites.” “Bluehost is one of three hosts that is officially recommended by WordPress, and we agree. They offer great rates and a beginner-friendly platform that makes every aspect of running a WordPress website easy.”
2. HostGator
If you’re looking for a domain host that’s compatible with email, HostGator is a great choice. A huge factor in this reasoning is its unlimited email accounts and storage. “Woven into HostGator’s well-appointed web hosting plans is all the email power you’ll ever need,” says an expert review on Hosting Advice. “Unlimited addresses and storage, coupled with ready-to-go Horde and Roundcube webmail clients, combine with the host’s high-class infrastructure to provide reliable and secure sending environments”
SFGate calls it an “Intuitive platform with terrific website builder.” They say, “HostGator is a great web hosting provider that offers an impressive selection of hosting, website builders, and domain selection services. The company’s hosting packages are suitable for both beginner website builders and web pros.”
If you plan on hosting a lot of information, this can be another reason to choose this platform. CNET makes note of it’s unmetered bandwidth and disk space, free site and domain transfers, and 45-day money back guarantee. “That makes it a great option for anyone with lots of video, images or animated page elements.”
3. Hostinger
This popular domain hosting site offers a free perk: free weekly backups for your site. This is considered an additional perk for most sites and it comes with an additional cost. “Normally you have to back up your site yourself or pay extra, but you get that peace of mind for free with Hostinger,” says Quicksprout which names Hostinger as “Best Overall.”
In 2019, there was a security breach, afterward the company changed passwords for potentially affected accounts and stepped up security. “Meanwhile, when I did in-depth testing of Hostinger last year, I found they had properly updated most of the security components of their servers, at least to within a few months,” writes ZDNET.
PCMag calls it “Best for Customized Server Packages” noting its popularity with the gaming community. Saying it’s for “Gamers who want to create their own private servers,” while also noting it’s not just for that. “Of course, Hostinger serves non-gamers, too. The web host constantly adds features to its excellent hosting options, or improves accessibility to make those options easier to use.”
4. InMotion
Known for being a reliable choice for small businesses, InMotion is a great option for business owners entering the world of the web. This is yet another great choice for newbies. Hosting Advice notes it’s “a perfect hosting option for business owners looking to merge their shared web hosting and domain experiences. The web hosting provider seamlessly merges domain and email services with a helpful integration to Gmail and Google Workspace, the productivity suite from Google Cloud.”
CNET also agrees, naming it “Good for first-time business owners.” A great selling point is the money-back guarantee offer. “InMotion Hosting has one of the longest money-back guarantee time frames, so even if you aren’t totally satisfied with its service you can still get some cash back after a month or two.”
Forbes hits on its reliability, saying: “InMotion Hosting is ideal for businesses that prioritize reliability and peace of mind as well as value for price, given its lengthy money-back guarantee and famously high uptimes.”
5. DreamHost
Another option with a money-back guarantee is DreamHost. It’s also a great platform for those looking to use WordPress. ZDNET, notes it’s three-month window for getting a refund if you aren’t happy with the site. “As far as hosting offerings, DreamHost has WordPress hosting, shared hosting, virtual private servers, dedicated servers, and cloud hosting.”
PCMag credits it for being best for cloud hosting. “With its easy-to-use tools, DreamHost is a great host if you’re new to building websites…It also has fantastic cloud-based hosting with highly competitive rates, and a feature-packed toolset that includes site-building software and unlimited data transfers across the board.”
“It’s reliable and affordable with feature-rich plans that include everything you need to build a new website, from a domain name and SSL certificate to one-click WordPress installation,” Forbes adds.
While this is just the beginning of the journey into website hosting, we hope this list of five best domain hosting sites makes things easier. Have a site you love? Let us know in the comments.
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Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations.