Is HostGator Good for Blogging? A Beginner-Friendly Hosting Review
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This post is all about answering the question; Is HostGator Good for Blogging? A Beginner-Friendly Hosting Review.
Starting a blog is exciting… but also a little overwhelming when you realise how many decisions you need to make before you even publish your first post lol.
There are the options of both a hosted (free) and self hosted (paid) blog. Self hosted is the one you need if you are serious about your blog or want to really ever make money from it.
Assuming then that you have chosen a self hosted blog, one of the very first decisions you will need to make is who to go with to host your blog.
Finding a hosting provider is easy, finding a good one that suits your needs is trickier.
Spending some time to do some research to find one that suits your needs is so important, as it really can make the biggest difference to your website.
I saw a lot of names being promoted, but when I dove deeper I found they never were quite what I was looking for.
In the end, I chose HostGator, and it’s the hosting I’ve continued to use for my blogs ever since.
In this post, I’ll explain exactly why I chose HostGator, what you will like about it, and why it’s a great option if you’re starting a blog for the first time.
What Is Web Hosting (and Why You Need It)
Quickly before getting into why I chose HostGator specifically for my blog (and why I recommend it to all new bloggers), it helps to understand what hosting actually is and why it’s needed.
When you have a blog or website, all of the files that make up that site need somewhere to live online for people to be able to get to it and see it. That’s where your web hosting comes in.
Your hosting provider stores your website files online and makes them accessible so people can visit your site at any time!
Without hosting, your blog simply wouldn’t exist online.
Well the website would exist, but no one would be able to see it lol.
This is why choosing a decent and reliable hosting provider is one of the first and most important steps when starting your own blog.
Why I Chose HostGator for My Blog
I knew from the very start (over a decade ago now lol) that I didn’t want any of my blogs to be hosted (so a free blog). I knew I wanted them to be self-hosted as it meant that I owned my website which is so important. It also made it look more professional, gave more earning options (a lot more, you can read about the reasons why someone may want a free blog, here), and just overall meant I knew I was taking it seriously, for very little cost.
When you are first researching hosting companies for your blog, there are so many options available and it is so easy to feel overwhelmed. Some are super cheap, some costt a huge amount more, some have more options and features, some include domain names etc etc.
For more information on domain names, hosting and the differences, you can find that post here!
I decided (and what I would recommend anyone reading this to do) to make a list of what I knew I wanted/needed, and find one that fit the bill.
This included things like price, how simple it was to use, having full 24/7 chat support, the speed and capabilities for my site(s), how easy it was to upgrade when needed (spoiler alert, this was super simple lol), and how well reviewed/trusted the company and brand was as a whole.
What ultimately made me choose HostGator was that it ticked all of the above options. This included how beginner-friendly it seemed compared to some of the other options.
Is it THE cheapest on the market? Nope.
Is it still super affordable while not losing anything by going for a more “budget” plan? Absolutely.
I didn’t want something overly technical or complicated to set up. Fun fact, I still wouldn’t now! I wanted something that would allow me to get my blog online really fast, without needing a lot of technical knowledge or learning too much jargon to get up and live.
HostGator offered exactly what I needed, so I went with them and haven’t looked back!
The setup process was really straightforward too. WordPress installation was really simple, and it felt like a good balance between affordability and reliability for someone just starting out. It worked out well!
Let’s break down some of the points just mentioned…
1. It’s Very Beginner Friendly
One of the biggest reasons I chose HostGator was how easy it is to get started as a beginner.
I wanted it to be clean and simple. I did not want to faff about feeling overwhelmed and then giving up as a result, lol.
When you’re new to blogging, the technical side can feel really intimidating.
With HostGator, the whole process of setting up your hosting and installing WordPress is designed to be simple. That’s why it’s so perfect for anyone new to hosting their own blog/website.
You don’t need to understand coding or complicated server settings. You can of course learn this as you go to help with little tips and tricks, but it’s not necessary. Nearly all of the setup can be done with just a few clicks. This makes it much less stressful when you’re starting your first blog and worrying about getting set up with hosting.
2. Affordable for New Bloggers
Another big factor for me was cost. As I’m sure it is for you!
I knew I wanted decent, fast, reliable hosting, but I didn’t want to pay a lot for it. Especially in the beginning when I was getting used to having even one blog.
When you’re starting a blog, you don’t necessarily want to spend a lot of money upfront while you’re still figuring everything out. A beginner plan to give you everything you need/want is all you need initially.
HostGator offers a range of plans to suit your needs and what you want for your website. They offer advanced/multi plans but also offer plans that are very affordable for beginners. This is amazing for anyone new to blogging as it makes it possible to start a blog without a huge investment.
HostGator has plans starting at literally less than $5 a month!
3. Reliable Hosting
Your hosting provider plays a huge role in how reliable and stable your website is on the internet. They are basically what keeps you live and available for people to read.
Ideally you want a host that keeps your website online and running smoothly for as much time as possible. At all times. This means your readers should be able to access your content whenever they choose to visit, no matter what time of day or night. This is especially important across different time zones as your readers willl most likely be from all around the world and could be trying to get onto your site at completely different times of day.
One of the huge reasons I’ve stayed with HostGator is that I’ve found them really reliable. Of course issues happen from time to time, but on the whole my blogs just work lol. This means I’m not sitting there worrying about whether the site is going to be down or glitching every time I load it up, or worse, whether it’s behaving/loading when someone else tries to read my content.
As you can imagine, a working blog is a big deal when you’re blogging lol. You want to be able to spend your time creating new content, not trying to figure out why your website suddenly isn’t loading or behaving properly.
4. Easy WordPress Integration
A lot of bloggers (I’d say the majority) use WordPress (wordpress.org not the free version wordpress.com as that goes back to hosted rather than the self hosted we are talking about), it’s important to choose a hosting provider that works well with it.
One thing I love about HostGator that I mentioned earlier is how simple it is to install WordPress. It takes just a few clicks, which is why it’s always a simple recommendation for bloggers. Especially anyone who doesn’t like a technical or complicated set up like me lol.
You can get everything set up really quickly and then jump straight into the fun parts like designing your blog, writing your first posts, and actually building your site and making it look exactly the way you have envisioned it, instead of getting completely stuck in an overly complicated setup.
5. 24/7 Live Chat Support
If you are a new blogger, or even just less confident in the world of self hosted websites, having 24/7 live chat support is hugely important.
We have all had issues where the site has crashed, only getting blank scenes, site is failing to load etc. Being able to contact your hosting company at any time of day, for them to be friendly, helpful, and get you back up and running really quickly is not to be taken for granted.
Having used HostGator for multiple sites for over 10 years, I can confirm their live support is not something I would want to be without, even now lol.
How to Get Started with HostGator
If you decide that HostGator feels like the right fit for your blog and has everything you ideally want from a hosting company, getting everything set up is actually really straightforward.
To start with, you just need to choose your hosting plan from their options available. These do change at times but there are always multiple options available so you can choose the ones that fit your needs the best. You can then register your chosen domain name, and install WordPress.
They do offer domains too if you wanted to keep it all together, and there may well be an offer on to get a bundle with your domain name and hosting for a bundle price!
Once that’s all done, you can log into your own WordPress dashboard and start building your site! Then the fun can begin lol.
From there, it’s just a case of designing your blog, creating your first posts, and gradually turning it into the website you want it to be.
👉 You can check out HostGator and see their current plans here.
FAQs About HostGator Hosting
Is HostGator good for beginner bloggers?
It is. And that’s actually one of the main reasons so many new bloggers start with it. HostGator is designed to be really beginner-friendly. This means the whole setup process is nice and simple. WordPress can be installed really quickly, and you don’t need any tech experience to get your new blog online.
When you’re starting a blog – especially for the first time – the last thing you want is complicated hosting or confusing dashboards lol. HostGator keeps it all straightforward so you can focus on building your blog and creating content instead of trying to figure out any technical settings.
Also remember that any issues you do have, they have their 24/7 live chat support to help.
Do you need technical knowledge to use HostGator?
As mentioned and for similar reasons above, the answer is no, not at all. You don’t need coding skills, any web development experience, or anything like that to get started. Of course you will see things you don’t understand, but the process is designed so that you can click what you need as those bits are all clearly marked. You don’t have to understand all the technical bits, unless you want to learn about them down the line.
Most of the setup is all step-by-step, and things like installing WordPress only takes a few clicks.
For beginners (or anyone who doesn’t want hassle), that simplicity makes a huge difference.
What happens if your blog grows later? Can you upgrade?
Yep! And this is something a lot of beginners worry about but there’s no need.
If (and when) your blog starts really growing and you need more resources, you can upgrade your hosting plan. It means you’re not locked into one option forever. You can start with a beginner-friendly budget plan and move to a bigger plan later when your site gets more traffic or you want to run multiple websites. There’s different options depending on your needs.
I can confirm from upgrading plans myself a while back that it’s as simple as choosing your new plan and clicking to upgrade lol.
It’s one of the reasons many bloggers feel comfortable starting with HostGator. You can start with the plan that you need initially, and then once your blog grows, you can then upgrade to a more advanced plan. This saves you having to guess how big of a plan you will need from the get go. It also saves paying for a bigger plan when you are first starting out.
Can you have more than one website on HostGator?
Yes you can but it depends on the plan you choose for your blog. Some plans do allow you to host multiple websites under the same account. This can be really useful if you ever decide to start a second blog or launch another website later on but most people start with just one website and focus on building that first before branching out. But the option is there for if you ever wanted it.
Not all plans allow this, but as mentioned earlier, you can easily upgrade to a multi-site plan if and when you need this. No point in paying for a multi-site plan initially with only one site. Start at the level you need and then you can always upgrade.
Is hosting expensive when starting a blog?
While there is of course a cost to having a plan to host your blog, it’s really not expensive at all.
Prices do vary depending on what you need and how many sites you are wanting hosted etc. But HostGator are one of the most affordable I found that had all the bits I needed and wanted.
Currently their plans start at less than $5 a month for the most basic hosting to give an idea of just how affordable I mean lol.
You will need to factor in a domain name as that will of course need to be purchased, but it’s always worth checking if HostGator have any current offers to get your chosen domain name for a reduced price with one of their hosting plans.
For another place to get domain names, you can also look at GoDaddy.
It’s one of those costs that if you are a blogger, you need to pay for. But it’s also what allows your blog to exist on the internet in the first place lol.
Final Thoughts on Is HostGator Good for Blogging?
The quick answer is of course, yes.
Choosing a hosting provider is one of the first things you will need to buy when starting your blog. This can feel like a big decision. And to be honest, it is.
A good hosting company can make the world of a difference when blogging.
They can offer support, easy set up, good prices, reliability etc, for a long time after starting your blog before you ever need to even think about upgrading (unless you start multiple sites etc).
For me personally I chose HostGator and it was definitely the right choice because it offered a good balance of all the things I was looking for in a host, but at a price I was happy with!
It’s also expanded with me as my blogs have which has been seamless.
If you’re starting your first blog and want a hosting provider that’s easy to set up, really affordable and beginner-friendly, HostGator is definitely worth considering.
Speak soon!
Katherine
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