If you are creating a website – and your self-hosted blog will be its own website – then you need to host it somewhere on the web. Unless you own your own web server (which odds are you don’t), you will need to lease space on a server somewhere with a service that will provide your site with internet connectivity. There are many different companies to choose from and – like domain sellers – the prices vary greatly from place to place. In fact, many domain sellers will also host your site for you if you want, though you probably can find a better bargain by shopping around a little.
While there are many sites you can use to host your blog, we recommend OkTeck because it allows you to get web hosting for as little as $4.95. According to the website Lifehacker, the other most popular web hosting sitesare:
DreamHost Blue Host NearlyFreeSpeech.NET
1&1 HostGator A Small Orange
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Any of these hosting sites will host your blog or website. The costs vary, as do the options they offer. For example, some sites will simply host your page that you already built using WordPress or another blogging platform while others allow you to build your own website using their own site builder system.
To get the deal and options you need, visit as many hosting sites as you can and compare their costs and features. One of the most important factors to consider is the quality of customer service each site provides. If you experience “technical difficulties” with your blog page, you want the site that can resolve them as quickly and efficiently as possible. Beware the least expensive hosting sites because they tend to have the worst customer service. If you are blogging for profit, any down time is going to cost you money.
Another option is to ask other bloggers which hosting site they use and whether they are happy with them.
Installing the WordPress Platform
Signing up for WordPress is free and easy. Simply go to the home page and click on the “Get Started” button. This takes you to a registration page where you can set up an account and choose a name for your blog. WordPress will tell you right away if somebody is already using the name you select. If the name you want is available, you will be sent an email with a link that activates your WordPress account.
