For many people cost is an important factor when setting up a blog. Especially if the blog is only for fun and not an attempt at blogging for profit.
Blogging software such as WordPress is free, as are many plugins and themes. This means the biggest cost of all is generally hosting. There are several options when it comes to hosting, the most popular choice is ‘shared’ (other choices include VPS (Virtual Private Server), a dedicated server and managed web hosting).
Each segment is allocated a set of resources depending upon the package purchased. This package defines the amount of storage space, email addresses and bandwidth etc that have been allocated to an account. Many web hosting companies offer unlimited storage and bandwidth knowing that most users will only use a tiny percentage of the allocated memory and bandwidth.
The cost of shared hosting is minimal – approximately $100/£50 can get you set up with a domain name (read How to choose a domain name for advice on domains) and some hosting space for a year. Some companies allow monthly payments if you are prepared to pay a little extra each month.
The upside of shared hosting
Shared hosting is a very cost effective way to get blog or website online. It is possible to register a brand new domain name, purchase some hosting space, install WordPress and have a blog running within just a couple of hours.
I would recommend shared web hosting to anyone starting out.
The downside of shared hosting
Most hosting companies limit the amount of server resources any one blog/site can use. If a site uses too much CPU, then it can be shut down by the host until the problem is fixed. This has happened to me on several occasions, but the problem, usually caused by a WordPress plugin or a hack attack, has generally been fixed with several hours.
Could it happen to you? Certainly.
For most standard HTML sites, using too much CPU shouldn’t be a problem due to the way the site is constructed, but for WordPress, and other dynamic sites, which are constructed from several PHP files, server power is critical. Two top tips – don’t install too many plugins, but do make sure you do install WP Super Cache. This plugin creates static HTML pages from a WordPress blog and drastically cuts down on the requests made to the server.
Hosting companies can load a server with too many sites, making the server a little overcrowded. If there are too many sites competing for a set amount of bandwidth or resources, then some will begin to slow down because the resources are not available. Generally, the fewer sites there are on a shared server the better.
To find out how many sites there are on a server, visit Domain Tools, type in the web address you are checking and look for the Reverse IP number (see image below).
The number you are interested here is 720; which isn’t bad. It’s not great either. At the time of writing this post, The Blogging Academy is sharing a server with three other sites. Now that is more like it!
Choosing a web host
The best way to find a host for your blog is to go on the recommendation of a friend or colleague. They can offer a first hand account of their experiences and offer you impartial advice on whether you should sign up with the same company.
There are tons of blog reviews and ratings sites around for you to use if you don’t know anyone who already has a blog. Try to gather as much information as you can and speak to the companies before you sign up. Most offer online chat facilities – use them to ask any questions you are not sure about.
Choosing the right company is important, as your whole blogging experience could depend upon the way you are treated by the hosting company and how fast/reliable your blog is when you are updating it and when others are reading it.
Cost should not be your top priority; $20 a year could mean the difference between the best and worst service.
Other posts you might like to read
Tools, resources and services used by The Blogging Academy
- Powered by WordPress
- Theme - Personally modified version of Twenty Ten
- Hosting - KnownHost
- Mailing List - Aweber
- RSS Feed - Feedburner | Subscribe
- Analytics - Google Analytics | GetClicky
- Remote Blogging - Windows Live Writer
- Notes and Screengrabs - Evernote
