By Evalyn Bair
An extensive amount of preparation that goes into even just attempting to find a website host. When building a website by yourself, it is very important to consider all of your options and decide what services are the best fit for you. Moreover, it is important to do some research before committing in order to understand just what you are getting into.
Website Building vs. Website Hosting
Website building services are those that work to create the visual aspects of the website, i.e. the homepage, about us page, contact us page, etc. These websites primarily use templates in order to make them more user friendly so that actual website coding does not become an issue. Some of the major website builders are Wix, Weebly, WordPress, and SquareSpace.
Web hosting is an entirely different thing and it involves the process of making the website accessible via the World Wide Web. It also deals with the more technical sides of websites, such as domain, security, and email. Some of the most prominent hosting services are Bluehost, HostGator, and GoDaddy.
Lastly, there are certain services that provide both the building and the hosting, and some that are partners. Squarespace provides both the website building and hosting, as does HostGator. Bluehost is partnered with WordPress, and so is GoDaddy.
How Do The Options Compare?
After this preliminary research, it is important to consider what your needs will be for your website and which service would be best suited to fulfill these needs. Some to consider for a stress-free website building process might be a user-friendly interface, potential for eCommerce, an option for the website to exist in multiple languages, and then of course more technical aspects like a SSL certificate, website protection, and Search Engine Optimization. Finally, it is essential to consider price and which service had the most value.
HostGator
Pros:
- Has a website building option called “Gator”
- Consistently described as “user-friendly” and less of a learning curve
- One of the the cheaper options for a 3-year plan
- SSL, SEO, and Sitelock and Codegaurd, with daily scans and backup
- Uses webmail but can upgrade to gSuite or Outlook
Cons:
- After looking up websites that were actually built using Gator, it became clear that the software does not allow for much variation and is limited in its functions
Squarespace
Pros:
- The most user friendly caption, very concise and easy to work with
- Heavily endorsed across the internet by celebrities and businesses alike
- SSL, SEO, and Sitelock and Codegaurd, with daily scans and backup
- Partnered with gSuite
Cons:
- One of the most expensive options
- No customer service line (temporarily dispabled due to Covid-19)
GoDaddy
Pros:
- Partnered with WordPress, which builds beautiful, clean websites
- SSL, SEO, and Sitelock and Codegaurd, with daily scans and backup
- Uses webmail but can upgrade to gSuite or Outlook
Cons:
- Complicated interface with an intense learning curve
- One of the priciest options
BlueHost
Pros:
- Partnered with WordPress.
- BlueHost is almost unanimously ranked as the #1 hosting platform across the internet
- The cheapest option
- SSL, SEO, and Sitelock and Codegaurd, with daily scans and backup
- Uses webmail but can upgrade to gSuite or Outlook
Cons:
- Complicated interface with an intense learning curve
Finally Finding a Fit
In order to choose a website host and building software, all you have to do is consider the pros and the cons and which is best suited to help your website shine. Each interface has distinct values and also distinct drawbacks, so there is something in each of them for everyone. It can also be extremely helpful to call a customer service line and ask them to outline just how their services can be beneficial to you.
What Was Our Final Decision?
Ultimately, we decided that the best fit for Aurora Executive Consulting was Bluehost. We realized that it was in the best interests of AEC to spend more time on a professional looking website than to have it done quickly. BlueHost has great customer service and also maintains that their websites are able to grow with your company, meaning that they always support increased traction and expansion. BlueHost guarantees daily backups, scans for malware, and a 24/7 customer service line. Beyond BlueHost, there are also many other benefits of using WordPress, such as the option for translating the webpage, a huge variety of good templates, and the option of “BlueSky Service”, a paid program that provides website-building coaching for WordPress. For all these reasons it is clear that BlueHost is the best option for AEC, even if it means working a little harder at building the website.