Website Host Reviews - Best Blogging Host

I know what you are thinking.

If a website host is good, isn't it good for all applications?  How much of a difference could there be between hosts for a blogger or a regular website owner?

The difference can be significant.  In this installation of Website Host Reviews, I am going to go through the ways a host can differ, with respect to blogging. 

So if you are a blogger or are thinking of becoming a blogger, I hope this article is helpful. 

Before we go any further, you are probably wondering what right I have to be writing about website hosts and blogging. 

I started creating websites about 11 years ago when you really had to know HTML to create a website.  Everything was very manual. 

When the concept of templates came out in Dreamweaver, it was nothing short of amazing.  I could actually create a website design and apply it to every page that I created.  Then, whenever I made a change to the template, it updated all the other pages. 

Needless to say, website design has come a long way since then.  I have gone on to start two blogs and help others create many more. One of my blogs actually helps people build better websites. 

My blog platform of choice has always been Wordpress.  From the beginning, I found it easy to use and much less manual and easier to use than the other platforms out there. 

Enough about me, let's get down to business. 

There are a staggering number of website hosts out there today.  This is because anyone with a server and an internet connection can technically start a hosting company.

Of course, that doesn't mean that it will be any good.

The first thing that you want to take into consideration when choosing a host for your blog is the technology that your website host is using.

You want to be sure that they have a fast connection to the internet. That means having multiple internet connections over a fast network.

By the same token, you want to be sure that your host is in the country that most of your visitors are from. Physical distance does play a part in the speed that your website loads. Many times the difference is barely noticeable, but sometimes it can make a difference.

Then you want to be sure that they have a real server hosting facility not just some server hooked up to the internet in some guy's basement. The servers should have backups in case the primary server goes down, it should have fire prevention and security measures to prevent people from breaking into the facility.

They company should also do a good job of keeping their server software up to date and prevent viruses and hackers.

It kind of goes without saying but the host should also be very reliable. You want your website to be up as much as possible. Be sure to look for at least a 99.9% uptime guarantee. 

The next consideration is how easy it is to install your blogging software.  In my case, I use Wordpress exclusively so that is the benchmark I use to determine ease of installation. 

Even though a website hosting company says that they have an "easy" Wordpress installation. That is not always the case.  You may need to get a degree in physics in addition to some major tweaking before you can get Wordpress installed. 

Be sure that easy really is easy.

When I am doing website host reviews, cost is a consideration but not a big one.  You see, most website hosts are pretty similar in price. 

I would rather pay a few bucks more for a quality host than save $2 a month and have a website that is always going down. 

So I would recommend that you don't worry about price too much.  Focus on quality and don't nickel and dime. 

Most website hosts have a control panel installed. This is a piece of software that allows you to control everything about your website.

To me, this is one of the things that really separate one host from another. It's not a major consideration, but it can make your day-to-day use easier. 

Well, after all that it all comes down to this. What do I use and recommend?

For me, the best blogging host is HostGator. Their easy Wordpress install really is easy. I have never had any problems with permissions and I have never had to manually change the code to get Wordpress to work.

The control panel software is the best in the business, in my opinion. My favorite feature is the fact that you can upload zip files via the file manager, then unzip them on the server. Everything is laid out in a logical manner and is easy to navigate.

For a more detailed account of other hosts that I have used in the past, click here to read my other Hub.

Hugh Kimura has worked in IT for over 10 years, with a specialization in website design and marketing.  He created a blog to teach others how to create better websites and blogs using Wordpress.  His blog can be found at WebsiteRockstars.com.