CoolHandle Hosting (formerly ProNet)

This is still my top recommendation for reliable all round hosting.  Fast, efficient service, fully loaded control panel, blisteringly fast server response, and very low prices, definitely a 5 star award.

The best package is the $4.95 a month deal which gives you almost unlimited everything plus the option of adding up to five domains to the same hosting package, ideal if you have more than one website…

For the power user the $10.95 a month option gives you the capability of up to 100 domains hosted on the one plan… awesome!

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Hostgator

Hostgator is a company that has provided the very best quality with excellent reliability and service for many years.

The feature list is long and contains everything that most people will ever need in a hosting package.

Personally I have around eighty sites hosted with Hostgator and the service received over the past five years has been absolutely top class. Very knowledgeable support staff, though I have only used them half a dozen times in five years, great prices, and superb reliability.

Highly Recommended

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1&1 Internet

I recently subscribed to one of 1&1′s hosting plans as their deal just seemed too good to be true, and it needed checking out carefully.

After almost a year with them I have to say that I am a convert to their system.

Firstly I thought that not having seperate cPanel admin areas for each domain would be a bind, but the exact opposite is what I am finding. Every domain, email account and database available from one admin area is proving to be so easy to use that I am wishing that I had found them earlier.

Also the sites that I have hosted with them are blisteringly fast, puts my other hosts to shame in some respects.

Check them out for yourself, I think you may be impressed!

My very personal recommendation for using any of the hosting companies listed here is for you to register your domain name separately from the hosting provider, and simply update the nameserver information to point to your new hosting (very simply done).

This allows you to EASILY change hosts if you ever find the service doesn’t meet your requirements, and also makes it easier if you ever sell the domain as you will have full control over the administration of your domain.

To register a domain name you will find prices starting from $7.99 either HERE or HERE

If you aren’t bothered about the same company registering your domain name AND hosting your website then simply order a domain when you order the hosting.

You can check if your domain name is available here:

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Anti-Virus Programs

OK I know this isn’t hosting but there are so many virus threats around at the moment that this is a priority, check that you are safe now, if not grab one of these deals before you get caught…

There are many web hosts available and even some which include a site builder or publishing platform in the hosting package. The more popular free ones include blogspot or wordpress, while the paid ones include Blue Host and Hostgator. Choosing which web host to use which includes a site builder is very important to the budding website owner. A site builder can simplify the website building process and enable the programmer to work at the aesthetic level rather than at the code level. This not only allows non-programmers to create their own websites, but also makes things faster and easier for those who are familiar with code.

There are many free hosting services which include site builders or publishing platforms. Blogspot is one of them. Blogspot uses the Blogger site builder to create websites. Blogger allows its users to choose from a selection of templates, add various widgets and plugins to the website, and customize and post up articles. The entire process of creating a website and adding content to it has become much simpler and easier. This is not just limited to Blogspot. WordPress uses the wordpress engine, which has more customization for its users as well as a whole host of extensions available. Ultimately, the difference between the 2 are minor, and since these are free web hosts, you can always switch over if you dislike it.

There are just as many options for paid web hosting which include site builder tools. One such example would be Blue Host, which offers cheap and quality web hosting. Not only that, they also use the WordPress engine for building their website. By using a free, open-source publishing platform to augment their web hosting capabilities, they can provide a better service. Being an industry leader with over 1500 GB offered in website storage, free domain names, high bandwidth and most importantly, 99% uptime guaranteed, it is a good choice for a hosting which includes site builder tools for the budding website owner.

Dream host is another good choice which uses the WordPress engine as the default site builder. Getting a website up and started may be the hardest thing for a budding website designer to accomplish; Dream host allows wordpress to be synchronized with just a click, letting you get straight down to business. With the huge extensions available for WordPress, the 1 TB in disk space that Dream host offers may just be needed. With 10 TB of bandwidth it is definitely a good choice for a business website.

In any case, picking which web host to use is a personal choice. Some may find one provider to be superior while others may differ in opinion. Ultimately it boils down to what kind of website you are creating and which hosting and site builder suits you best. Picking the right web hosting company is often a difficult choice when it comes to the paid services. However, for the free services, you can always simply change to another provider if one proves dissatisfactory.

A blog is a good way of expressing your thoughts and opinions to a world-wide audience. It can help you achieve your dreams by giving you a platform for you to write your experiences, your sadness, your life. Writing a blog has become one of the most popular past time for the  youth of today’s internet generation. With the widespread access to the Internet available to the youth of today, it is no wonder that they are beginning to harness the power of this global network as a stage where they can speak to the world. Blogs have become more than just a online diary, and they have become not just limited to the youth as well. Blogs of today, have become a valuable source of information, a social media in itself, a living for some even.

That said, having your own blog is not as simple as it seems. Having your own blog hosted on your own website, rather than simply on a free blogging service is not so simple. First of all you need to get a domain. A domain is the virtual address, or the URL, which your blog is located at. However, these usually come free with a paid hosting plan. Choosing a domain that is not too long, complicated, and easy to remember may be a tricky thing to do. A good method would be to simply use your name in the URL. While this may not seem like the most professional, it definitely is one of the better options if you have a personal blog where you are the only writer. It will also help to promote yourself as a writer in the blogosphere.

Picking a web host is not as simple as picking a domain. There are many web hosting plans and web hosts available. For a new blogger or web master, it is prudent to stick with the larger and more established websites rather than to try out a smaller web host and end up dissatisfied. Popular web hosts like Blue Host and Dream host offer a free domain as well as providing a blog program or site builder free when you sign up with them. The larger and more established web hosts may not offer niche services or customized packages but they are the best for a beginner web master as they are often the most commercialized. Picking a web host is difficult with the number of web hosts available in the market these days. Sticking with a tried and tested host may not seem like the most daring of choices, but it is definitely the superior one when you are just starting your blog.

Picking a publishing platform is also important. Some hosts like Dream host only offer compatibility with one engine: WordPress. However, between WordPress and Blogger, and even some other publishing platforms for blogs, there are unique differences. For example, WordPress has the most customization available to the blogger, with a vast number of widgets and plugins for you to use. Blogger on the other hand is less customizable but easier to use for the novice blogger and offers better services when writing. Ultimately the choice is yours to make between all the publishing platforms available in the market.

In any case, these three steps will get you swiftly on your way to starting your blog on a website. Following them will allow you to create a blog that you and your friends can view at leisure and talk and laugh about.