How to Start a Blog: Part 2 – Get Web Hosting

Welcome back to the ‘How to Start a Blog’ three part series!

If you’ve already bought your domain, congrats! The next task to check off your list for starting a blog is purchasing web hosting. 

Get Web Hosting

You have your domain name settled and purchased, now you’re ready to move on to the next step, which means you need a server to host your blog on.

Similar to Part 1, there is going to be a few different options here. Sometimes, you can buy your domain and your web hosting from the same company – like NameCheap. It may be best to keep these two items in the same place, but do your research to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck.

Popular ShareASale Merchants who sell web hosting include:

WPEngine(for WordPress sites – my recommended blogging platform)

Nexcess.net

MochaHost.com

Because I recommend using WordPress for your blogging website, I’ll use WPEngine as the example here. This is where you will also be able to install WordPress, which we will get to at the end. Be sure to choose the best plan that will fit your needs, as well as one that is budget-friendly. Here are a few hosting options from WPEngine: 

WPEngine tells you upfront what you’ll be getting with your hosting plan. A couple things to look into and what they provide is included in the graphic below: 

When you set up your account with WPEngine, they ask if you want to purchase an extra site(s) or a speed boost. You simply choose your account name, input your first/last name and email, credit card information and VOILA! They are now hosting your domain name.

The next step is to install WordPress on your computer. WordPress provides you with all the backend tools and everything else you need to create a stunning website. If you get stuck here, WPEngine provides excellent customer service and they will be willing to walk you through it!

At this point, you can see your website and log into the WordPress backend to start drafting up posts. However, I highly recommend you buy a nice theme to reflect both you and your blogs personality. Buying an attractive theme is what we’ll go over in Part 3 of How to Start a Blog! Get Excited!