Ah so you’ve started the process of building your website. Congrats! Building a website can be a great addition to your business!
If you’re reading this and you’re thinking “someone told me I need web hosting, but I have no idea what that is” you’re not alone! Luckily I have a great description for what web hosting is.
So now that you know what web hosting is you’re basically an expert now right? Just kidding, it’s okay you don’t need to be an expert yet. Web hosting is one of those things you won’t need very often.
Now to the point, which plan is the right plan? Web hosts tend to give wayyyy to many options for people just wanting basic options. Before we get into exactly what plan you should purchase, I have a few recommendations. Web hosting plans vary in what they offer, some will offer the bare minimum while others have unique features that will go along way in letting you breathe easy. I would keep an eye out for plans that offer free daily backups and security plans. Additionally free daily updates are also a good benefit to look for. These may not seem that important, but as someone who has been creating websites for over half of a decade, these features are invaluable in the long run. Again, they are not necessary, but HIGHLY recommended.
For personal blogs or other small (1-2 page) sites:
I’d recommend something similar to GoDaddy’s Economy web hosting plan. This plan gives you 1 website (plus a free domain and free SSL for a year). Additionally it includes daily backups (my holy grail). This plan is a winner winner chicken dinner for those just getting started. It also gives you the flexibility to do whatever you want with your site.
If you would like something a little more user friendly but with not as many options you could purchase GoDaddy’s Basic WordPress hosting plan. The reason this plan is listed second in my list even though it has way more of my recommended features is because I’ve found this gives you less flexibility with what you can do with the site. The Economy web hosting plan let’s you do whatever you want with your website if you decide to change it up in the future, but the WordPress hosting plan gives you less flexibility. Additionally, this is a GoDaddy exclusive plan so if you wanted to transfer to a different host in the future, you’re plum out of luck.
For larger (2-10 pages) sites or eCommerce:
I’d recommend at least GoDaddy’s Deluxe web hosting but preferably the Ultimate web hosting plan. The deluxe web hosting plan gives you the extra storage space that is handy for bigger sites. The Ultimate web hosting plan gives you the enhance performance which makes the end user experience way better for people visiting your site. Not entirely necessary, and the Ultimate plan has features that aren’t needed but the enhanced performance is invaluable.
I’d recommend against a solely WordPress hosting plan for eCommerce and larger sites.
To recap: in general GoDaddy’s Economy Web Hosting plan will get the job done for you with plenty left over. I’ve found it to be one of the more affordable plans and GoDaddy support is usually some of the best (I say usually because there’s always times when support is subpar). The hosting plan is easy to use and has plenty of documentation to help you get your site up and running in no time.
If you have any questions about which hosting plan you specifically need for your site please don’t hesitate to reach out! I offer free 15 minute consultations for your pre-existing website or for your future website. Just reach out to rebekahmyrnell@gmail.com for more information.