Which website host should I use?

[Cabe26]

While beginning to design a logo and business cards, I realized the importance of a professional website and a personalized domain. I have been pushing this off for a while, but now I am going to do it. I am having trouble choosing which website host to use.

I made a site using wix almost a year ago The site is here: http://www.wix.com/soccerca56/calebtenenbaumphotography but it is un-updated for a long time now and I am not nearly satisfied with it in any way.


What hosts do you guys use to make your sites? I would love to see your sites. I don't know if I should use my wix as a starting point and work off it, start over and make a new wix, or switch to a different host before I get a domain.

I want to have the pages that I currently have on my site as well as a new page for purchasing my work, and maybe a blog as well. I want something pretty easy and aforadable with enough space to host a good amount of pictures.

I have heard good things about wordpress.org/.com, squarespace.com, smugmug.com, etc. and have heard negative things about wix because it is flash based.


Any help would be great, thanks!

[Hikin Mike]

I use ICDSoft.com to host my websites (I have a photography site and a backpacking site). I "hand-coded" my website using 'Notepad++' and 'FilezilaClient' for FTPing. I downloaded the self-hosted Worpress to use as my blog. I also have a Smugmug site....just because.

SEO-wise, flash is not recommended as well as using the free version of Wordpress. If you want to use Worpress as a website/blog, purchase a domain and then use Wordpress.org. Most hosts already have Wordpress installed.

BTW, Did you get my PM/e-mail?

EDIT: Got it.

[Cabe26]

I am confused with the difference between Wordpress.com and Wordpress.org. Is one a blog and one a host? Also, can I not get the domain straight through Wordpress? Do I have to use something like godadday to purchase the domain, and then direct the domain to my site?

And yes, I just saw both before and e-mailed you back about 30min ago.

[Gweebs]

Originally Posted by Hikin Mike

I use ICDSoft.com to host my websites (I have a photography site and a backpacking site). I "hand-coded" my website using 'Notepad++' and 'FilezilaClient' for FTPing. I downloaded the self-hosted Worpress to use as my blog. I also have a Smugmug site....just because.

SEO-wise, flash is not recommended as well as using the free version of Wordpress. If you want to use Worpress as a website/blog, purchase a domain and then use Wordpress.org. Most hosts already have Wordpress installed.

BTW, Did you get my PM/e-mail?

EDIT: Got it.

Never heard that the free version of Wordpress is not SEO recommended. Not arguing at all, but do you have link with more information?

[Hikin Mike]

Originally Posted by Gweebs

Never heard that the free version of Wordpress is not SEO recommended. Not arguing at all, but do you have link with more information?

If you already have your own domain/website and you also use the free version, then you are splitting you "link-juice" to two different sites. One to your website and the other to Worpress.com. It makes more sense, SEO-wise, to use the self-hosted version of Worpress (worpress.org) so that ALL of the flow goes to YOUR site, not somebody else's site. Make sense?

[Mark1]

Originally Posted by Cabe26

I am confused with the difference between Wordpress.com and Wordpress.org. Is one a blog and one a host? Also, can I not get the domain straight through Wordpress? Do I have to use something like godadday to purchase the domain, and then direct the domain to my site?

And yes, I just saw both before and e-mailed you back about 30min ago.

Wordpress.com is where you go to get the free blog that THEY host for you.

Wordpress.org is where you go to get the software to host your own blog on YOUR OWN SERVER.

You can get the domain through wordpress but I think They hold ownership of it.

I have been with GoDaddy for like 10 years and have yet to have my first problem. I purchased my domains through them and I also host my own site through them.

[Cabe26]

Originally Posted by Mark1

Wordpress.com is where you go to get the free blog that THEY host for you.

Wordpress.org is where you go to get the software to host your own blog on YOUR OWN SERVER.

You can get the domain through wordpress but I think They hold ownership of it.

I have been with GoDaddy for like 10 years and have yet to have my first problem. I purchased my domains through them and I also host my own site through them.

Ahh, I see. Thanks for the clarification.

[Gweebs]

Originally Posted by Hikin Mike

If you already have your own domain/website and you also use the free version, then you are splitting you "link-juice" to two different sites. One to your website and the other to Worpress.com. It makes more sense, SEO-wise, to use the self-hosted version of Worpress (worpress.org) so that ALL of the flow goes to YOUR site, not somebody else's site. Make sense?

Isn't WordPress about link juice? Having links to high ranking sites, potentially boosts your own ranking!? A genuine backlink to any official website like WordPress* . Should improve the ranking of say, any blog or Photoshop?

As would a good web address. Regularly updated content. Current content. High traffic to the blog/site.

[Hikin Mike]

Originally Posted by Gweebs

Isn't WordPress about link juice? Having links to high ranking sites, potentially boosts your own ranking!? A genuine backlink to any official website like WordPress* . Should improve the ranking of say, any blog or Photoshop?

As would a good web address. Regularly updated content. Current content. High traffic to the blog/site.

The way I see it is, I would rather have ALL of my content on MY site, then somebody else's site.

[Gweebs]

Originally Posted by Hikin Mike

The way I see it is, I would rather have ALL of my content on MY site, then somebody else's site.

I understand your view, but its not what SEO and Wordpress are about.

Your content doesn't have to be on other sites to improve the ranking of your own, i.e. Sponsors with link to their own site!?!?!

Wordpress is not effected by being either being with .org or .com

I see from your signature that you offer information on SEO. Could you please provide a link to how you have come to any of your comments in this thread??

[buddymac]

I use wordpress and built my site in under a week. Check it out. I love how easy it is to customize everything, just google web servers plus. As I'm not allowed to put the actual name site on here. Make sure you get a plan that also gives you unlimited domains... Meaning you can have multiple sites with one web hosting plan. Hope this helps.

[isoMorphic]

If you want a solid host look to services like Media Temple, National Net or ISPrime. You really do get what you pay for when to comes to hosting. While there are reliable services on the cheap they have hidden limitations and often crappy support. Where as more expensive services tend to not be "unlimited" but the support and service quality is much better. That means better uptime, more reliable infrastructure, less overselling and less chance of servers having to many customers and crashing all the time.

Godaddy is probably one of the worst US registrars you could ever choose and 1&1 which operates under German law is probably the worst of all. I really like Hover which is a Canadian company owned by Tucows (wholesale registrar) and they always bend over backwards for me. Used to have over 200 domains with another company that went bust and Hover took them over. I have actually used Network Solutions, Name.com, Godaddy, domains410.com and Hover over the years.

The worst part about Godaddy (and most resellers) is the upsells they push and if you forget to renew on time they will charge a $200 extortion fee. If you decline to pay this fee to keep your domain it goes to auction. May not seem like something to worry about but recently my mother forgot to renew a domain with name.com because she never got any notice after two years. Luckily the business that the domain was used for happened to be shut down so it was no longer needed.

[davtackett]

I use IX, they are good priced with good service. I pay $7.50 a month for business plan, which comes with 3 free domains/domain names. I have unlimited space. I then added a word press blog on my ix server. This blog gets much more attention than my site from google spider, like when I make a post it will show up on google within a matter of hours but my site can takes weeks or months. But the site is more long term, it will eventually work its way up in google searches.

I code it myself with firstpage 2000. My coding is pretty simple and easy to understand. Learning to code isn't all that hard, it's mostly copy and paste. The code on wp blog is very complex compared to my site but it doesn't require much knowledge of code.

If anyone is interested in IX for a host, let me know, I have an affiliate link to use and I will get paid $75.

One other note, I had godaddy registrar for one of my domain names and I think they can't be trusted. Matter of fact, when they were starting out I caught them phishing my website. They have horrible service, just do a goggle on whats bad about godaddy and you'll see.

http://www.fisheadtackle.com/
http://www.fisheadtackle.com/blog/
http://www.bigfootape.com/index.html
http://www.walleyedvd.com/
http://www.fisheadcartoons.com/

https://www.ixwebhosting.com/templat...cgi?id=fishead

[davtackett]

BTW I get about 1000 visitors a day on my main website, and about that many on the others combined. The blog is part of my site, not separate.

[isoMorphic]

IX uses the Blue Mile Cloud network.