Category: Trans

If you want to set up a new website, the first step is your domain. GoDaddy and Hostinger are the two best domain registrars out there. You can start with GoDaddy for as low as $0.99 or claim your free domain by setting up a Hostinger web hosting plan.

If you know anything about me, you know I’m all for starting a website. It’s one of the most critical aspects of your business, and most of your customer interactions will happen online.

But before you can get your site going, you need to know about business domain names and how to get a good one.

This article tells you everything you need to know about business domains.

The 7 Best Domain Registrars for Recovering a Domain Name

Managing your domain is pretty straightforward, but having the right tool for the job can make all the difference. We’ve developed a list of the seven best domain registrars to help you avoid getting burned by scammers, save money on renewals, and get the most out of your online presence.

If you need to set up a domain name quickly, here are the best places to do it:

1. GoDaddy — Best for domain protection and privacy
2. Hostinger — Best for bundling domain registration and web hosting
3. Porkbun — Best for creative domain extensions
4. Domain.com — Best for fast and simple domain purchasing
5. Network Solutions — Best for long-term domain registrations
6. Namecheap — Best for affordable domain registration
7. NameSilo — Best for buying domains in bulk

What is a business domain name?

A business domain name is a specific address used to identify websites and other online resources. It is usually the first thing someone types in to access a website or online service.

These unique domain names can be used to reflect a company’s brand, making it easier for customers to find and contact them online. 

There are many different types of business domain names, including .com, .org, and .net, but .com is the most common by a considerable margin.

How Business Domain Names Work

A business domain name consists of two main parts: the second-level domain and the top-level domain (TLD). The second-level domain is the part before the final dot, and it identifies your website or online service, while the top-level domain is the part after that last dot, which indicates what type of website it is (e.g., .com for commercial websites).

After you have found the ideal domain name for your business website, you must register it with an accredited registrar such as GoDaddy or Hostinger. After you’ve registered it, your domain will become active within 24 hours (for most applications), and you can begin setting up servers and configuring DNS settings so customers can access your site through the web address you’ve chosen.

You’ll need to provide contact information when you register a domain name. This is so that anyone can learn who owns the domain and how to contact them in case of any problems or questions.

You’ll also be asked to provide a list of nameservers. These servers act as the link between your domain and your web hosting provider.

Use Cases of Business Domain Names

Business domain names are used for everything from personal blogs to large corporate websites. Here are a few of the most common types of business websites:

• Corporate Websites: Sites owned by companies, organizations, and universities. These sites provide a wide range of information about the organization’s products and services, contact details, staff members, and other relevant data.
• Online Stores: Ecommerce websites that allow customers to purchase products or services online using their credit cards or other payment methods.
• Personal Websites: These are websites owned by individuals and feature information about the person, their hobbies, and interests. Personal websites are used for consulting, coaching, and other services.
• Blogs: These websites are used for sharing opinions, insights, and experiences. They can be used to promote a business or generate income from advertising and affiliate revenue.
• Portfolios: Freelancers and other professionals use portfolios to showcase their work and skills. A website is a centralized place to provide this information without needing multiple resumes and other documents. It also allows users to scroll through the website owner’s work at their own pace rather than ask for it directly.

The use case for your specific business website will vary depending on your business.

For example, someone who wants to sell products online would open an ecommerce store, while a local brick-and-mortar business might have their site set up just as a local directory.

There are also more complex use cases for business domain names, such as lead conversion funnels, interactive elements, and complete software products like ChatGPT. These sites are generally subsets of a business domain—they may have the same domain name and branding of the overarching business, but they aren’t the main source of revenue or traffic in most cases. 

Steps for Using a Business Domain Name

When you set up a business domain name, the process is straightforward. Still, there are several things you need to know to get the most out of your domain and make sure it’s working as intended.

1. Decide on a Domain Name

The first step is to choose an appropriate domain name that reflects your brand, products, or services. Make sure you select something memorable, easy to spell, and brandable.

This is often the step that business owners spend the most time on. For instance, if you have an idea for a brand name, but the preferred domain name is already taken, you might need to go back to the drawing board and come up with another name for your company and its website.

Finding a name that is easy to spell, recognizable, and not similar to another domain name in your space is trickier than it sounds—there are tons of companies out there, and you want to distinguish yours from others.

2. Research TLDs

Next, you’ll want to research which top-level domains are best for your business needs. .com is usually the one people go with, but there are plenty of others.

For example:

• Lots of new tech companies use .io
• AI-based and digital transformation companies often use .ai
• Startups and small businesses might use .co
• Nonprofits often use .org

There’s a common misconception that .com domains are the only ones worth having, but that’s simply not true.

3. Register and Purchase Your Domain Name

Once you’ve decided on the best TLD for your business domain, it’s time to purchase a domain name from a domain registration provider.

Many providers offer discounts and deals on domains but might also jack up the prices after the initial purchase. Make sure to compare the costs of the different providers and go with the one that offers the best deal.

4. Set Up Email Accounts

Email is still a major form of communication, and having a way for others to communicate with your business is more professional than using a personal email account.

You can easily create professional-looking email accounts with your domain name (e.g., name@yourdomain.com). Most bigger hosting companies offer this option as part of their package deals.

5. Configure DNS Settings

Once you’ve purchased and set up your domain name, you’ll want to configure the DNS settings.

Your hosting provider will usually provide instructions on how to do this. Alternatively, if you’re using a third-party DNS provider like Cloudflare or Amazon Route 53, you can set up the records yourself.

Common Misconceptions About Business Domain Names

There are plenty of myths surrounding business domain names, and while they may have been true in the past, they’re no longer relevant today.

One common misconception is that you need to purchase multiple domains for SEO purposes—this isn’t necessary. Your website will be ranked based on its content, not the number of domains you own.

Instead of buying many domains, focus on getting the right domain name and setting up your website and sitemap correctly.

Another common misconception is that .com domains are the only ones worth having. While .com is often the default choice, plenty of other TLDs can be just as effective for SEO purposes.

Google has not indicated that .com domains are preferential, so you should be open to looking at other TLDs when selecting a domain name for your business.

That said, .com domains are the oldest, and domain age is a ranking factor. But it shouldn’t be the deciding factor for your business, especially if you plan to market your business, its services, or its products through another channel (which you should).

One of the biggest misconceptions about business domain names is that they are only for websites. In reality, you can use your domain name for a variety of things, including email accounts and other forms of communication.

Some freelancers, contractors, and other business professionals use their domain for the sole purpose of separating their communications, business dealings, and other activities from their personal ones.

It’s also common for people to avoid setting up a domain name and website because they believe it to be difficult. Although a little bit of technical know-how is involved, coding, web design, and technical SEO knowledge are “nice-to-haves” at this point—most web platforms have software components that handle these automatically. 

Benefits of Business Domain Names

A business domain name provides multiple advantages, from helping build a brand to increasing website traffic.

• Increased Brand Recognition: A unique domain name can help to establish your business as an authority and increase brand recognition online.
• Trust and Credibility: Domain names give customers confidence that they are dealing with a legitimate and established business.
• Easy to Remember and Share: A memorable and original domain name helps potential customers easily find and remember your website, making it easier for them to spread the word about your products or services.
• Enhances SEO Efforts: Domain names with keywords can help to optimize SEO performance, improving visibility for your business in search engine results page rankings (SERPs).
• Better Security: When you own your domain, you can benefit from added security measures such as setting up extra authentication protocols or secure socket layers (SSL).
• Professional Email Address: By owning a domain name, businesses can create professional email addresses (e.g., name@yourcompany.com) which look more professional than a generic email address from a free provider such as Gmail or Yahoo.
• Website Customization: With multiple web hosting services available for different needs, you have the creative flexibility to choose the one that best suits your requirements and customize your website accordingly.
• Flexible Ownership: You retain complete ownership of your domain name, so it is completely under your control – even if it is registered with an external web host provider.

Is a business domain name right for you?

A business domain name can be a great asset for your business, providing increased brand recognition, more trust and credibility among customers, easier sharing, and SEO optimization, to name a few benefits.

Ultimately, however, it comes down to your individual needs and how well the domain name fits your online presence.

Here’s a quick checklist to determine whether or not a business domain name is a good idea:

• Do you plan on setting up a website?
• Are you looking for a professional email address to use?
• Is SEO optimization important to your business?
• Would you benefit from increased brand recognition and trust among your customers?
• Do existing customers ask you where to find you online?
• Does your competition use a domain name?

If the answer is yes to any of the above questions (which it probably is), then you should either set up a domain name for your existing business or start your new one with a domain name in mind.

Final Thoughts About Business Domain Names

It’s important to remember that a domain name is only one small piece of the puzzle when it comes to building an online presence–you also need website hosting, content marketing, SEO efforts, and other digital marketing strategies depending on your goals.

Still, having a well-thought-out domain name can help to boost your online presence and build customer trust. And it only takes a few minutes to set up, making it a great first step to kick-start your digital marketing initiatives.

From the technical side of things, coding, web design, and technical SEO knowledge are essential for creating a professional-looking website on top of your domain name. With that said, most web platforms have software components that handle the majority of these technicalities, giving you plenty of freedom to customize your website and add features as needed.

Jimdo lets you create a decent website easily and affordably, thanks to its WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get), drag-and-drop builder, and automatic site creation features. But the lack of a few key features like all-in-one versatility, additional ecommerce options, and design flexibility make the website builder slightly less desirable than its competitors. 

Alongside building a professional-looking website, you can also count on Jimdo to create your own online store, get personalized domains and logos, and promote your business on Facebook and Instagram.

Jimdo Compared

Unfortunately, Jimdo hasn’t made it on my best website builders list because it has some seriously strong competition offering best-in-class features. Instead, I recommend Shopify, which allows you to create a high-quality website and start selling products as quickly as possible. Start your free three-day trial with Shopify today.

• Shopify – Best for selling products and services
• Wix – Best website builder for your first website
• Hostinger – Best for keeping website costs low
• Bluehost – Best for WordPress websites
• Squarespace – Best website builder for creators of all stripes
• Weebly – Best for solopreneurs
• GoDaddy – Best for building your website from your phone

Learn more about my top picks.

About Jimdo

Jimdo is a one-stop solution for building a website or an online store. It was founded in Germany in 2007; since then, over 32 million websites have been built using the platform. It offers a bunch of digital tools to help you design professional and mobile-optimized websites per your preferences.

• Jimdo Website Builder Review
• Jimdo Free Website Builder Review

You can also use Jimdo to create personalized domains and custom logos and promote your business on Facebook and Instagram. 

Jimdo Health and Stability

Jimdo‘s main priority is to provide users with an intuitive interface that allows them to create websites on any device, be it a computer, tablet, or smartphone. While it’s a privately-owned company, it has managed to raise a total of €25.5 million in funding over three rounds. 

According to Built With, over 900K websites are powered by Jimdo. It’s safe to say Jimdo is easily one of the most reliable website builders to build a digital presence for your business.

Jimdo Pricing

Jimdo has a free plan with all the base features and a subdomain so that you can play around to get a feel of the website builder. The paid plans start at $9, are mobile-optimized, and can be connected to your own domain.

Get started with a free Jimdo plan today.

Jimdo Pricing Structure

When signing up for Jimdo, you can pay by the month or save money by opting for a 12-month or 24-month contract. There’s no information regarding the discount, so you’ll have to speak with a Jimdo representative to get more information.

Another important thing to note is that Jimdo has different pricing for websites and online shops. Be sure you know what you’re signing up for to avoid misunderstandings. The website builder also offers a personalized domain for your website (.com, .org, .info, and a .store) with its premium plan and is free of charge in the first year.

Note: Jimdo doesn’t sell domains separately. You must sign up for a website or online store plan to get one.

Jimdo Pricing Comparison

Jimdo is certainly one of the cheaper website builders on the market, but you need to go beyond pricing and look at the value you’re getting when looking for a website builder. For instance, Shopify is more expensive than Jimdo, but it also gives you tons of advanced features to help you efficiently run your website. Nevertheless, compared to other options, both have reasonable pricing.

Wix is another cost-effective website builder. Its subscription plans are more flexible and reasonable than Jimdo’s, offering two groups of subscriptions to cover your needs. Comparatively, using Jimdo is more expensive in the long run.

Jimdo Trials and Guarantees

Jimdo offers a 14-day money-back guarantee but no free trial. Get started with a free Jimdo plan today.

Jimdo Website Builder Review

Jimdo didn’t make our list of the top website builders, which features brands like Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace, but it’s a decent choice for people on a tight budget.

For starters, it comes with two different editors—an AI editor for beginners who need extra guidance and another drag-and-drop one that gives you free rein over your website’s design. The freemium plan, mobile-optimized templates, and good site speeds are other reasons to consider Jimdo.

What Makes Jimdo Website Builder Great

Generous free plan: Jimdo has one of the most generous freemium plans with access to all its base features. This includes top-notch security, the ability to add galleries, videos, and content, expert tips for streamlined digital housekeeping, and 100% GDPR-compliant legal pages. You can also set up calls with support executives to get expert guidance and run your website more efficiently.

Straightforward signup process: It’s incredibly easy to get started with Jimdo. All you have to do is create an account, verify your details through your email, and choose the website builder you like to use, i.e., whether you want to make a website, shop, or blog. You can also select the type of website your building is, after which Jimdo will automatically add necessary pages and blocks and walk you through a ‘style selector’ to let you choose your color palette and typography. And that’s it—you have a Jimdo website ready to go.

Greater ease of use: If you’re looking for a super user-friendly and simple website builder, Jimdo might be the website builder of your dreams. Once you answer a few questions about yourself, your business, and the colors you like, its AI-driven Dolphin editor will do all the legwork for you. 

To edit the website, you’ll only need a few minutes to figure out how to customize it. Jimdo also has a drag-and-drop editor that’s equally easy and intuitive. Unlike the Dolphin editor, this one lets you modify and style each element of your website to your liking. Remember, you cannot switch between the builders unless you start a new site, so be entirely sure of what you want before proceeding.

Customizable templates: If you decide to use the Dolphin editor, the AI will do the job for you, so you don’t have the option to choose from templates. Your only task is to pick the appropriate color palette. But if you select the drag-and-drop editor, you can choose from 21 attractive templates for your website design. Admittedly, the selection isn’t too extensive, but it’s better than nothing, plus you can customize it to better meet your needs. Also, you can always switch them up later, so there is no need to agonize over making the right choice before clicking the ‘Next’ button.

Mobile site optimization: Jimdo provides reviews to let you see how your website looks on desktop and mobile devices. While you cannot modify the mobile version of your Jimdo website, all the templates automatically adapt to the different screen sizes. In other words, your site will be ready for any smartphone, tablet, or desktop by default. 

Greater suitability for European audience: For users in the EU, Jimdo’s European presence is a strong advantage. Being a German company with operating data centers in Europe means Jimdo’s data protection and privacy standards are much stronger, thanks to the EU’s new laws on data and privacy. This is also an advantage for US companies who need an EU microsite for their EU audience. Using Jimdo makes complying with GDPR a bit easier than other website builders focusing solely on the US market.

Where Jimdo Website Builder Falls Short

SEO features: If you know anything about SEO, you likely understand its importance in organically ranking higher in the SERPs. Most website builders offer built-in SEO features to help you optimize your website, but not Jimdo. While the website builder does offer SEO settings, the options are barebones. All you can do is change the page title and description and modify the URL for each post. If you want more features, you’ll have to switch to a paid plan—and the offering is still very basic. 

Very limited feature selection: Jimdo has extremely limited options, be it when choosing website templates or payment gateways. It also doesn’t have an official app store, so you cannot add additional desired functionality. Even the ecommerce functionality isn’t as professional as that of other website builders, especially where taxes and dropshipping are concerned, plus you cannot add blog authors or contributors to a Jimdo site.

Few extensions: Another issue with Jimdo is the lack of extensions and elements, like having buttons to share content on social media platforms. While Jimdo does support Smart Apps that can integrate with a handful of external tools like YouTube and Calendly, their functionality within a Jimdo website is very limited. Another disadvantage is that Jimdo doesn’t offer an HTML embed tool, scheme, open graph settings, and sitemaps like most other website builders.

Jimdo Website Builder Compared

If you’re looking for feature-rich and advanced solutions to build your website, check out our best website builder list, especially our top recommendation, Shopify, which makes it easier than ever to create high-quality websites.

• Shopify – Best for selling products and services
• Wix – Best website builder for your first website
• Hostinger – Best for keeping website costs low
• Bluehost – Best for WordPress websites
• Squarespace – Best website builder for creators of all stripes
• Weebly – Best for solopreneurs
• GoDaddy – Best for building your website from your phone

Jimdo Free Website Builder Review

Despite a generous free plan, Jimdo doesn’t feature on our list of the best free website builders.

Jimdo’s free plan is great but only has basic features to help you build a barebones website. Comparatively, Wix gives you hundreds of customizable templates and superior storage, and Square Online offers unlimited bandwidth and powerful analytics and store management tools—all on their respective free plans.

Additionally, Jimdo‘s competitors are faster and can give you a professional and functional website in a few hours.

Jimdo Free Website Builder Compared

While Jimdo has a decent free plan to build a professional website, it simply isn’t at par with our top picks for the best free websites builders:

• Wix – Best for creating a polished site this evening
• Square Online – Best for building a free online store
• GoDaddy – Best for businesses that don’t need an online store
• Mozello – Best for building a multilingual site
• WordPress.com – Best for growing an audience with your site

Final Verdict

Jimdo is an attractive and user-friendly website builder. While it’s less full-featured and intuitive than its competitors, it still provides enough to get the job done, especially if you want a generous free plan. I would also recommend it for users based in the EU to make GDPR compliance easier.

We recommend GoDaddy or Hostinger for researching and registering your chosen domain name. Get a free domain name when you sign up with Hostinger.

A domain sticks with you and represents your online identity. It pays to get your domain name right the first time, as you likely won’t change it in the future unless you want to go through an entire rebrand.

This guide is for ecommerce newcomers. You’ll learn the most useful methods for developing a strong domain name, the best practices to stick to, and the faux pas to avoid.

The 7 Best Domain Registrars for Choosing an Ecommerce Domain Name

Collectively we’ve purchased hundreds of domain names over the years. We used our experience and in-depth research to come up with the best domain registrars to help you choose a domain name. Take a look:

• GoDaddy — Best for domain protection and privacy
• Hostinger — Best for bundling domain registration and web hosting
• Porkbun — Best for creative domain extensions
• Domain.com — Best for fast and simple domain purchasing
• Network Solutions — Best for long-term domain registrations
• Namecheap — Best for affordable domain registration
• NameSilo — Best for buying domains in bulk

Choose an Ecommerce Domain Name in 10 Simple Steps

Choosing a domain name seems like a simple task on the surface, but you need to carefully consider choosing a name that reflects your brand and that customers appreciate. Here are our top tips, along with the dos and don’ts of choosing a domain name for your online store:

1. Sign Up for Hostinger

2. Align Your Domain Name with Your Branding

3. Think About the Meaning Behind Your Domain Name

4. Consider Using SEO Keywords

5. Come Up with Unique Domain Name Ideas

6. Use a Domain Name Generator if You’re Stuck

7. Opt for a Short and Simple Domain Name

8. Search for Trademarks

9. Research Your Domain Name Across the Web

10. Come Up with Alternative Domain Names if Yours is Taken

Step 1: Sign Up for Hostinger

If you’re ready to get a domain name for your ecommerce store, we recommend you sign up for Hostinger. It has the best deal out there – you get a free domain name for a year when you sign up for hosting at just $2.59 per month.

Another good thing about Hostinger is you get a free SSL certificate for your domain. SSL makes your domain “https” rather than “http,” which is necessary to rank well on Google and keep your site secure.

You also get free privacy protection when you register a domain with Hostinger. It prevents internet users from looking up the details attached to your domain using the WHOIS database.

When you have a domain name in mind, go to Hostinger’s Domain Name Search to see if it’s available.

If the domain name is taken, Hostinger will show you other available options, such as .co or .store.

Step 2: Align Your Domain Name with Your Branding

Your domain name is synonymous with your brand. It’ll be at least part of your domain name, if not the whole thing. As such, it’s how people will recognize and remember your online store.

If you don’t already have a name for your ecommerce business, choose one that reflects your brand’s values, the atmosphere you hope to generate, or how you want to be seen online. That’s what good branding is all about.

To give you an example, “4ocean.com” is an ethical brand where customer purchases fund ocean clean-up initiatives.

The domain/store name makes complete sense, representing what the company does and what they stand for.

Another way to hint at your branding with your domain or company name is to choose an adjective that reflects what you’re all about. Happysocks.com is a great example–they sell quirky socks that make people happy.

Step 3: Think About the Meaning Behind Your Domain Name

Your domain name should have meaning. Tell a story with it and use it to represent what you stand for. 

Plus, when there’s meaning behind your domain/online store name, you humanize your brand. Modern consumers care about this as they increasingly want to shop with more authentic, smaller brands than big corporations.

Peloton at onepeloton.com has a deep and interesting reason for its name.

The word “peloton” is a cycling term, which makes sense for a brand that sells exercise bikes. But there’s more to it–a peloton is a group of riders that work together in a race to reduce drag, save energy, and make winning more likely. 

Thus, the name evokes ideas of using teamwork to succeed in a sport that is usually considered quite solitary.

Step 4: Consider Using SEO Keywords

You can use a keyword describing what you sell in your domain name. This signals to Google and users about the kind of store you operate. So, it helps get your web pages to rank higher on the search engine results pages.

Use just one keyword alongside your brand name. Otherwise, your domain name would look spammy and less like it’s for a credible company, e.g., “shoesandsneakers.com.”

You can use your niche as the keyword. For example, “herocosmetics.us” works well for this skincare brand. 

Another option is to use the primary type of product you sell, as in “chubbiesshorts.com.”

Step 5: Come Up with Unique Domain Name Ideas

Your domain name should distinguish your brand from others in your niche. Unique domain names are memorable, and that’s the goal. You want customers to remember and visit your online store, after all.

One way to come up with a unique domain name is to opt for a portmanteau or made-up word. Adidas, for example, isn’t a real word; it’s a portmanteau of the founder’s name Adolf Dassler. 

Or go for a play on words. One fantastic example of this is Lettucegrow.com, an online shop that sells seeds and accessories for growing your own vegetables:

Another way to generate a unique domain name is to use an acronym. ASOS, at asos.com, is actually short for “As Seen On Screen.” But most people don’t know this; they just think of ASOS as a distinct word.

Step 6: Use a Domain Name Generator if You’re Stuck

If you’re struggling to come up with a creative domain name idea, there are many domain name generators on the web. Most ask you to enter one or two keywords to generate a domain name and check its availability. But this isn’t particularly useful for coming up with a unique domain name idea.

Instead, go to NameStation. Enter the type of business you’re starting and create an account. Type in a list of preferred words and/or keywords, then hit Generate Names. The tool generates thousands of domain name ideas and separates them into handy lists.

First, there are the domain names that are the closest match to the words you entered. Then there’s a list that brings context into account. It combines your preferred words with keywords related to your business.

The hand-picked section generates the most unique, available domain names. 

There are also lists with broad keyword matches, popular affixes, alliterations, one-word domains, and more.

Step 7: Opt for a Short and Simple Domain Name

Short, simple domain names are easier for customers to retain. Make your domain name too complex, and it’s harder for people to find you online.

Make sure your domain name is no longer than 15 characters. Also, it needs to be easy to spell and say out loud. You don’t want people to get frustrated and give up on trying to find your store. 

Avoiding hyphens and numbers is also a good idea, as these just complicate the domain name. Note that no other special characters are allowed in a domain name.

Step 8: Search for Trademarks

When you have a domain or online store name in mind, you’ll need to research to ensure that other companies aren’t using it. 

Naturally, you don’t want to be slapped with a fine for copyright infringement. But more than that, you need to establish a distinct brand of your own.

Check if the name is trademarked. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website has a trademark search tool.

If there’s a company selling the same kinds of products as you with the same or a similar name, head back to the drawing board. Your name is likely fine if there’s a trademark for a similar name, but they sell something different, e.g., you’re “Unicorn Stationery,” and they’re “Unicorn Coffee”.

Step 9: Research Your Domain Name Across the Web

Search Google for brands that may have a similar name to yours. Even if it’s not trademarked, the online store may still exist. Your online store must stand out among the crowd.

If the domain or store name is indeed taken, that’s not good for your business. Imagine doing a ton of promotion for your product and store, only for the customer to go ahead and buy from a competitor with a similar name.

If you’re sure you have a unique domain/brand name, check the domain’s availability with Hostinger’s Domain Name Search tool.

It’s also a good idea at this point to see if your brand name is available on social media channels. If not, you can always add a word or phrase such as “store” or “official” to your username. 

Remember, this should be consistent across channels, i.e., if you have @unicornstore on Instagram, you should ideally have @unicornstore on TikTok, and so on. This ensures users can find you easily across all channels.

Step 10: Come Up with Alternative Domain Names if Yours is Taken

If your chosen domain name isn’t available, we recommend you develop a new name. You must set yourself apart from other companies.

However, if you’re dead set on your chosen brand name, there are a few things you can do. First, combine your brand name with an SEO keyword as in “brand” + “keyword” + “.com,” e.g., this made-up web address, “terraformplants.com.”

Alternatively, add a phrase or word before your brand name, such as “wear,” “this is,” “I love,” “official,” and so on. Take the brand Lively’s domain name “wearlively.com,” for instance.

Another option is to choose a different top-level domain (TLD), i.e., .store, .net, .co and so on. However, this isn’t ideal, as .com is the most credible TLD you can acquire.

Final Thoughts About Choosing a Domain Name

Your domain name represents your identity on the web. It must reflect your branding and distinguish your ecommerce store from others. The best domain names are simple, unique, and memorable.

You may choose to come up with a domain name that’s meaningful for your brand and reflects your values. Or perhaps you’ll add an SEO keyword to make what you sell even more explicit and contribute to a higher ranking on the search engines. Be sure to check that your domain is available to avoid copyright issues and ensure you have a clearly defined online presence.

Liquid Web provides managed hosting for Linux and Windows operating systems. Founded in 1997 by a 16-year-old high school student named Matthew Hill, Liquid Web has evolved into a web hosting powerhouse. 

Companies can pick from a range of hosting packages with Liquid Web. Whether you need cloud, VPS, dedicated, WordPress, or VMWare private cloud servers, Liquid Web has you covered. With its privately owned data centers, Liquid Web offers top-notch security to enterprise brands. 

Liquid Web Compared

While Liquid Web didn’t make our top list, one of its subsidiaries, Nexcess, did. But our favorite cloud hosting service of all is the affordable and versatile Kamatera. Try Kamatera with a 30-day free trial today. 

• Kamatera – Best for affordable versatility
• Hostinger – Most bang for your buck
• Scala Hosting – Best cloud hosting for custom resource allocation
• Cloudways – Best customizable managed cloud hosting
• HostGator– Best cheap cloud web hosting
• Nexcess – Best cloud hosting for ecommerce sites
• DreamHost – Best cloud hosting for developers
• SiteGround – Best cloud hosting for scaling resources
• A2 Hosting – Fastest cloud web hosting
• InMotion – Best cloud hosting for small businesses

Take a deep dive into each of these favorites in our review of the top cloud hosting software. 

About Liquid Web

Liquid Web offers managed hosting on dedicated, VPS, and private cloud hosting servers. Its cloud-dedicated, bare-metal servers can handle a range of needs. The standard plans can host small websites and apps. The high-performance plans easily handle databases, ecommerce storefronts, and companies with multiple websites. You can add managed email and HIPAA compliance to your plan for an extra fee.  

• Liquid Web Cloud Web Hosting Review
• Liquid Web Virtual Private Servers Review

All plans come with 24/7/365 customer support from Liquid Web’s renowned customer service team, the Most Helpful Humans in Hosting®. Acronis Cyber Protect backups are available to protect your data. 

Liquid Web Health and Stability

Since it’s been around for over 25 years, Liquid Web has a track record for weathering all the changes that come with the passage of time. In 2015, founder Matthew Hill sold the company to Madison Dearborn Partners. A new management team was brought in, with new CEO Jim Geiger at the helm. Geiger and the new CTO and COO, Joe Oesterling and Carrie Wheeler, respectively, also invested in Liquid Web. 

This management team continues to lead Liquid Web today. Since the 2015 sale, Liquid Web has added a range of services, including managed WordPress and WooCommerce hosting, managed business email, VMWare Private Cloud, and Acronis Cyber Protect backups.

As far as I’m concerned, Liquid Web is a healthy, stable company with dedicated leaders and ever-improving products. 

Liquid Web Pricing

Liquid Web provides customers with a range of products and services to choose from, so the pricing varies. You can also work with the sales team to create a custom package that fits your business’s needs.  

Liquid Web Pricing Structure

Each of Liquid Web’s 14 core products comes with a unique starting price. The lowest starting price is $13.30 monthly for managed WordPress and WooCommerce sites, and the highest is $1,498 monthly for database hosting.

Remember, these are just starting prices. Each product has several plan options with different prices and features. It’s a little overwhelming if you aren’t sure where to start. We recommend starting at the product overview page and clicking on the service you need. 

Liquid Web Pricing Comparison

Let’s take a look at how Liquid Web’s cloud-dedicated plans compare with Kamatera and Hostinger. A standard cloud-dedicated server starts at $149 a month with Liquid Web. With Kamatera, pricing varies based on the type of server, data center location, vCPU processors, RAM, SSD storage, operating system, and add-ons. 

This makes it challenging to compare the two. But Hostinger offers highly affordable cloud hosting plans that start at just $9.99 a month. It comes with 3 GB RAM—a lot less than Liquid Web’s base 16 GB—and 2 CPU cores compared to Liquid Web’s 4. 

Still, at ten bucks a month, it’s hard to beat the low Hostinger prices. Plus, you get a website builder, a free domain name, daily backups, and unlimited bandwidth with any Hostinger plan. Liquid Web’s bandwidth only goes up to 5 TB on each of its cloud-dedicated plans. 

For LiquidWeb’s VMWare Private Cloud, pricing begins at $510 a month. As with Kamatera, you can pick only the resources you know you’ll use and scale up as needed. 

Liquid Web Trials and Guarantees

Liquid Web doesn’t offer trials. If you pay for a monthly plan, however, you can get a refund if you’re unhappy with your purchase. Annual plans are not guaranteed. 

Liquid Web Cloud Web Hosting Review

Liquid Web provides cloud-dedicated and VMWare-powered private cloud hosting. It also offers managed WordPress and WooCommerce hosting through its subsidiary, Nexcess. 

If you take a peek at the brands on our list of the top cloud web hosting software, you’ll see that while Liquid Web didn’t earn a spot, Nexcess did. To make things more confusing, Liquid Web includes WordPress and WooCommerce cloud hosting on its list of products. But when you click on these services for more information, you’ll see that Nexcess offers them. Which is technically part of Liquid Web…but also not. 

What Makes Liquid Web Cloud Web Hosting Great

Storage Limits: Liquid Web comes with higher storage limits than some of its competitors. And if you approach your storage limits, the Liquid Web team adds more space for an extra fee. It’s essentially a storage expansion add-on. With Liquid Web, you can scale effortlessly as your business grows. 

Bandwidth: Even though many of Liquid Web’s products are capped at 5 terabytes of bandwidth, users find it’s more than enough. 

Uptime: Liquid Web guarantees 100% uptime. If faulty hardware causes an outage, Liquid Web guarantees that things will be up and running within 30 minutes. If they’re not, users can receive a credit worth 10 times the amount of actual downtime recorded by the Liquid Web system. The company offers similar guarantees for live chat, help desk, and phone calls. See the details in the SLA. 

Customer Support: It’s clear to Liquid Web users that the customer service team is dedicated to upholding its title as the Most Helpful Humans In Hosting®. You can reach a live agent 24/7, and the team will do everything it can to get you back on track. If your live chat or phone call isn’t answered within 59 seconds, you’ll get hosting credits for each second and minute your call or chat goes unanswered.

Where Liquid Web Cloud Web Hosting Falls Short

Affordability: Even Liquid Web’s most basic cloud hosting plans cost significantly more than competitors like Hostinger. Its managed WordPress and WooCommerce plans are about what you’d expect to pay, though. But again, these are offered through Nexcess, not Liquid Web–even though Nexcess is Liquid Web. 

User-Friendly Interface: Users report that Liquid Web’s interface is clunky and confusing to navigate. Fine-tuning the interface for user-friendliness would be well worth the trouble on Liquid Web’s end.

Shared Hosting: Part of the reason why Liquid Web is pricier than some competitors is that it doesn’t offer shared hosting. This is a drawback for would-be users who want to reap the benefits of Liquid Web’s managed hosting—but can’t afford a private cloud server. 

Website Building: Even though Liquid Web offers website building through its managed WordPress and WooCommerce plans, these are technically offered through Nexcess. Liquid Web itself doesn’t come with a proprietary web builder like some of its competitors do. 

Liquid Web Cloud Web Hosting Compared

Our favorite Liquid Web alternative is Kamatera, which you can learn more about on our list of the best cloud web hosting platforms.

• Kamatera – Best for affordable versatility
• Hostinger – Most bang for your buck
• Scala Hosting – Best cloud hosting for custom resource allocation
• Cloudways – Best customizable managed cloud hosting
• HostGator– Best cheap cloud web hosting
• Nexcess – Best cloud hosting for ecommerce sites
• DreamHost – Best cloud hosting for developers
• SiteGround – Best cloud hosting for scaling resources
• A2 Hosting – Fastest cloud web hosting
• InMotion – Best cloud hosting for small businesses

Liquid Web Virtual Private Servers Review

Even though Liquid Web didn’t make our list of the best cloud web hosting, it did earn a spot as one of our favorite VPS hosting providers. The VPS plans start at $59 a month, which is more affordable for many than the $159 you’ll pay for a base cloud web hosting plan. 

Plus, its memory and storage muscles are just as strong in the VPS plans as they are in the cloud hosting plans. Here’s how it compares to our other favorite VPS services: 

• Hostinger — Best value VPS hosting
• Kamatera — Best VPS hosting for instant scaling
• Liquid Web — Best VPS hosting with high memory and storage
• A2 Hosting — Best unmanaged plans for developers
• Scala Hosting — Best for customizing VPS resources
• InMotion — Most reliable uptime

Final Verdict

Liquid Web offers leading-edge cloud web hosting and VPS services. It’s got a responsive customer support team and impressive service-level guarantees. It has enough storage for the biggest companies—and then some. All in all, it’s a great choice for those who can afford it. 

Smaller companies will benefit the most from Liquid Web’s VPS plans. The Liquid Web-Nexcess managed WooCommerce and WordPress services are worth the price, too. 

Weebly and Squarespace are popular no-code website builders, so it’s worth putting them head-to-head to see which is better. Weebly focuses on simplicity and ease of use, making it an attractive option for beginners. Weebly is also one of the cheaper website builders on the market. 

Like Weebly, Squarespace provides an intuitive drag-and-drop website editor with professional prebuilt templates. However, Squarespace leans more towards creative freedom and is a terrific platform for showcasing your products or services in the best light. 

Weebly and Squarespace Compared to the Best 

Weebly and Squarespace both made our list of the best website builders. While these are solid choices, Shopify is the best site builder for most people, especially if you plan to sell products and services on your website. Try all of Shopify’s website building features free for three days, with no credit card required. 

• Shopify – Best for selling products and services 
• Wix – Best website builder for your first website 
• Hostinger – Best for keeping website costs low 
• Bluehost – Best for WordPress websites 
• Squarespace – Best website builder for creators of all stripes 
• Weebly – Best for solopreneurs 
• GoDaddy – Best for building your website from your phone 

Weebly vs. Squarespace High-Level Comparison 

Weebly and Squarespace serve the same primary purpose of letting you build a professional website with little or no design experience. However, each platform takes a different approach to website building, so the better option boils down to your specific design needs. Where Weebly targets newbies and budget-conscious website owners, Squarespace delivers high-end features and functionality at a matching price.

Squarespace provides more built-in features than Weebly. So, Squarespace is a good option if you prefer to have certain critical elements at hand. However, Weebly has an extensive app marketplace for add-ons that expand the platform’s native capabilities, meaning you can still access Squarespace-level capabilities on an as-needed basis. 

Furthermore, Squarespace offers more design templates than Weebly. These templates are also more visually appealing than Weebly’s, which is vital if aesthetics play a significant role in your success. However, Weebly offers some of the most accessible prices for an ecommerce store, which is good to know if you’re setting up your first store on a tight budget. 

Products and Services Offered By Weebly and Squarespace 

Weebly’s web design tool lets you create any website you want. You can create a business website, portfolio site, personal blog, or full-fledged online store cheaply and effortlessly. Weebly also offers complementary services to help you grow your website. 

For example, the platform offers professional product photography services. Simply ship your products to Weebly, let them take the photos, then download the images from your Weebly account in 14 days or less. Weebly also has an email marketing platform called Weebly Promote that integrates with your Weebly website. Weebly is also part of Block, Inc. (formerly Square), a financial technology company. 

Squarespace also offers additional products and services besides its website builder. Like Weebly, Squarespace can register and host your domain. And Tock is a reservation and events management tool that integrates with your website. Squarespace also offers marketing solutions and a logo maker. 

Check out our complete Squarespace review and Weebly review for more details on what to expect from these website builders. 

Company Health and Stability of Weebly and Squarespace 

Weebly was released in 2007 and has powered over 50 million websites globally. The platform claims that its websites receive more than 325 million unique visitors every month, so there’s every reason to use it for your website. Block, Inc. (then Square) acquired Weebly in 2018 for $365 million. 

Block, Inc. has long provided financial technology services to brick-and-mortar businesses. The acquisition resulted in a cohesive solution for starting and growing an omnichannel business. Weebly is also a secure platform with built-in SSL certificates and advanced DDoS protection. 

Squarespace is Weebly’s closest competitor and is equally reputable and trustworthy. Squarespace was founded in 2003, hit $1 million in revenue just three years after its founding, and raised $78.5 million in venture capital by 2014.

Squarespace is a publicly traded company that has powered over 4.75 million websites. The company has also won numerous awards, including Best Company Culture by Comparably, Ireland’s Best Workplaces in Tech by GPTW Ireland, and Best Technology Companies by Fairygodboss. 

Weebly vs. Squarespace Pricing Comparison 

Weebly and Squarespace website builders offer similar products. So it’s easy to compare prices. Each platform provides a primary website builder with built-in functionality spanning website design, ecommerce, marketing, and support. 

However, Weebly is generally cheaper than its competitor. Weebly’s paid plans start at just $10 per month, billed annually, with the most expensive plan costing $38 per month when billed annually. The cheapest plan on Squarespace costs $16 per month, billed annually, and the most expensive one costs $49 per month with annual billing. 

Pricing Structure of Weebly and Squarespace 

Weebly and Squarespace have a similar pricing structure. The platforms offer packages with different features, with more expensive tiers having more features. Simply choose the plan you want based on your required website functionality. You can also select the billing duration, including month-to-month or annual payments. 

Weebly offers its services in two categories depending on the type of site you want to build. There’s one for making websites and another for creating online stores. Four plans are under the website category, from free to $25 per month, paid annually. Unfortunately, there’s no free-forever plan with the online store packages, with monthly prices starting at $12. 

Squarespace doesn’t have different categories for websites and ecommerce stores. Instead, you choose from four plans from $16 to $49 per month with annual billing. The cheaper plans are ideal for personal websites, while the more expensive plans are suitable for online shops. Like Weebly, you can save money by choosing an annual contract. 

Cost Comparison of Weebly and Squarespace 

Weebly is the better option for creating a free hobbyist website or passion project. The main trade-off is you can’t connect a custom domain or remove advertising. It might be worth it for a bare-bones website that doesn’t need custom or professional branding. 

However, Squarespace offers a better deal if you don’t mind spending a little extra to build a small professional website. Its entry-level plan is more expensive at $16 per month, while Weebly’s is $10. However, Squarespace doesn’t display ads on your website and offers unlimited bandwidth and 30 minutes of video storage. 

Finally, it’s cheaper to start selling online with Weebly. The Pro plan costs $12 per month and offers a shopping cart and the ability to accept payments through third-party providers. The plan also provides basic marketing and SEO capabilities. You’ll pay at least $27 per month for a similar Squarespace website. 

Trials and Guarantees for Weebly and Squarespace 

Weebly and Squarespace both offer free trials to test the platforms before committing to a contract. However, the free trials are slightly different on each platform. Still, it’s an excellent opportunity to test each platform’s features before deciding. 

Weebly has a 30-day money-back guarantee for all paid accounts except for month-to-month subscriptions. Weebly has a free-forever plan. The plan offers 500 MB storage, free SSL security, free search engine optimization, and lead capture and contact forms. Therefore, you can build a basic but functional one for free with Weebly. 

Squarespace doesn’t have a free plan. However, the platform does have a 14-day free trial. You don’t need to provide your credit card information to try it, and you can cancel your account after the free trial if you are dissatisfied or upgrade to a paid plan to continue using the service. 

Weebly vs. Squarespace Core Criteria Comparison

While price is essential when comparing software, it doesn’t paint the complete picture. It is better to think about what you want your website builder to do. Then, compare each option based on how well it fulfills your requirements.  

We used the same approach when researching and testing contenders for the best website builders. Be sure to check out the review post for a high-level comparison of the best website builders on the market. We analyzed and shortlisted the best builders based on ease of use, depth of customization, and the ability to earn money.  

Ease of Use – Weebly Wins 

The ideal website builder easily lets you create a website without design experience. You can also create a beautiful and professional website without writing a single line of code. It’s a reason to use a DIY website builder in the first place. 

Weebly and Squarespace are easy to use as far as website builders are concerned. However, Weebly has a significantly smoother learning curve and is a terrific option for creating your first website. You only need to drag an element from the toolbar and drop it wherever you want it. 

Squarespace is less intuitive but not as tricky as alternatives like WordPress. Less advanced users may find the editor confusing. For example, you’ll have to click more times for simple editing than Weebly. In addition, some of Squarespace’s terminology may be difficult for people without design experience to understand. 

Depth of Customization – Squarespace Wins

Website customization is vital for creating a unique brand. Unfortunately, template-based websites can sometimes appear generic. So, customization is critical for creating a professional website with the tools and features you need to accomplish your goals. 

Squarespace has a steeper learning curve but rewards users with more in-depth template customization than Weebly. For example, Squarespace lets you edit virtually any aspect of a template, including rearranging elements, re-aligning sections, re-sizing blocks, and changing colors and fonts to fit your aesthetic preferences. 

Squarespace also offers more templates than Weebly. Squarespace’s templates are also more modern and visually appealing than Weebly’s. As a result, you’re more likely to create a unique site with Squarespace than Weebly. 

Ability to Earn Money – Squarespace Wins 

Most website owners want to make money online. So you need a website that lets you grow and scale your business. Ecommerce features are even more critical if you’re building an online store. 

Weebly markets itself as an ecommerce provider with impressive features to back up its claims. You can sell almost anything on Weebly, including services, physical products, and digital goods. Weebly also provides core ecommerce features, including shopping carts, payments, an automatic tax calculator, coupon codes, and abandoned cart emails. 

Squarespace offers similar ecommerce features but has more robust business tools. For example, you can sell directly from Facebook and Instagram posts with Squarespace’s multi-channel integration. You’ll need a third-party application to achieve the same with Weebly. 

Marketing Features – Tie 

Creating a beautiful, professional, responsive website isn’t enough to attract visitors. You need to market your website to earn traffic. So built-in marketing tools are critical, especially if you want to profit from your website. 

Weebly has a full-feature email marketing platform, Promote, with free and paid tiers. The drag-and-drop email builder connects to your main Weebly account and lets you build email lists and test and schedule emails, among other critical marketing functions. In addition, Weebly offers advanced built-in SEO capabilities with its site, page, and blog-level settings. 

Squarespace has an equally robust email marketing tool called Unfold. The tool lets you share your marketing campaign across your favorite social media channels. Squarespace also has built-in SEO capabilities, allowing you to manage meta titles, descriptions, URL slugs, and image alt text. Although Squarespace has slightly more robust SEO management, Weebly has a free email marketing tool for up to two campaigns. 

Customer Support – Squarespace 

You need efficient technical support if something goes wrong with your website. Every second of downtime translates to productivity loss, missed sales opportunities, and reputation loss. Weebly and Squarespace offer customer support in case you need expert assistance. 

Weebly has a community forum, chat and email, and phone support. The live chat is available Monday through Friday from 11 am to 9 pm EST. Unfortunately, Weebly doesn’t advertise its support phone number. 

I like that Squarespace is more straightforward about not offering phone support. Instead, you can reach the support team via email and live chat. Live chat support is available from Monday to Friday, 4 am to 8 pm EST, so you get more support hours than Weebly. Squarespace also has a larger and more active community forum for self-service support. 

Final Verdict – Squarespace Wins 

Squarespace edges out Weebly in most criteria, including depth of customization, business features, and customer support. 

However, Weebly is cheaper and easier to use than Squarespace, making it a good choice for novice web designers wanting to quickly create a free or cheap website. 

More importantly, Squarespace provides excellent value for money. Of course, it’s more expensive than Weebly, but you get additional and more robust features across its template design, marketing, and SEO capabilities for generating income. 

Want to just get started? Click here to sign up for Shopify and build your ecommerce website today.

The ecommerce industry is booming. Existing businesses with a retail presence and new entrepreneurs alike are all selling products online to make money.

But starting a new website from scratch, importing product catalogs, and accepting payments online can be a bit intimidating—especially if you’ve never done this before.

Fortunately, Shopify makes it easy for anyone to create an ecommerce website without any prior experience or technical skills. 

This step-by-step guide will walk you through the entire process from start to finish, so you can have a Shopify website built in less than 30 minutes. 

The Top Ecommerce Platforms to Build a Website

Shopify isn’t the only ecommerce platform to consider when you’re starting out, but we think it is the best choice. 

• Shopify – Best all-around ecommerce platform.
• Wix – Best for stores with fewer than 100 products
• BigCommerce – Best for large inventories
• Squarespace – Best for cornering a niche market
• Bluehost – Best for WordPress users who want to sell online

You can read the full reviews of each ecommerce platform here.

6 Steps to Build a Shopify Website

Building a Shopify website is easy when you follow these simple steps below:

1. Get Organized
2. Sign Up For Shopify
3. Design Your Shopify Site
4. Build Out Your Pages and Organize the Navigation
5. Add Products
6. Connect Your Domain

The Easy Parts of Building a Shopify Website

Most people don’t realize how easy it is to create a Shopify website.

As an all-in-one ecommerce platform, Shopify has everything you need to create a website, sell online, and scale your business—all under one roof. You don’t need to hire developers or designers, or worry about learning how to code either.

Shopify even offers domain registration services and built-in web hosting for your site. So you won’t have to go to separate providers for each of these services.

Getting started is as simple as creating an account, naming your store, and choosing a theme that’s already optimized for ecommerce. 

Other similar ecommerce platforms are good for beginners. But you’ll ultimately run into some stumbling blocks when your business scales, forcing you to turn elsewhere to sell online.

That’s not the case with Shopify.

Shopify is built to scale. They even have an enterprise-grade platform, Shopify Plus, for high-volume businesses. While this isn’t something you’ll need if you’re just starting out, it’s nice to know that you can stick with Shopify for the lifetime of your business—no matter how big it gets.

Accepting payments with Shopify is easy. The platform has a built-in payment processing service. But if you want to use your own payment processor, that’s fine too. Shopify supports hundreds of payment gateways available in different countries and regions. 

With plans starting at just $39 per month, Shopify is an amazing value for the service. 

The Difficult Parts of Building a Shopify Website

While getting your site up and running is easy, getting customers and making money is another battle altogether. 

The ecommerce industry is highly competitive. Not only will you be competing with other brands selling similar products, but you’ll also be up against giants like Amazon and Walmart.

Getting lots of organic traffic to your site is going to take some time, especially If you’re starting a brand-new ecommerce site from scratch. You’ll need to think about your SEO strategy and potentially run some paid ads to get visitors early on. 

The most successful ecommerce brands find ways to differentiate themselves from the competition to attract customers. So you’ll likely go through lots of trial and error with your branding strategy. 

Having people land on your site is only half the battle. You still need those people to convert and buy your products. This means you need to have great product images and product descriptions that entice people to buy.

Even after the sale, you still need to prioritize customer loyalty to keep those people coming back. Running a Shopify website also involves dealing with customer feedback and returns.

But if you’re willing to put in the work, building a Shopify website can be a huge money-maker.

Step 1 – Get Organized

Unlike other website builders, Shopify is built specifically for ecommerce. It’s not like you’re starting a small personal blog for fun to tell your life stories—you’re starting a business.

You can’t go into this haphazardly, or the business will fail. 

For a start, put your ideas in writing. You should have a business plan, a separate bank account, and an employer identification number (EIN) for your business as well. You also need to formally register your business by creating a legal entity, like an LLC or corporation. 

Technically, none of this is actually a requirement for building a Shopify site. So I won’t spend too much time on it. But there are a few other things that you must have prepared during the creation process.

Create a Store Name

Come up with a clever name for your Shopify site. If you already have an existing retail business, then you’re probably going to just use that name again here—unless you’re using Shopify to rebrand yourself or create a new brand online.

Shopify has a free business name generator that you can use for inspiration.

If you find a brand you like, you can even claim the domain name if it’s available. 

Decide What You’re Going to Sell and Who You’re Selling To

You should have an idea of what you’re selling on Shopify before you go through the creation process. 

Adding products to your site is an important step in the build. So you need to know what those products are and where they’re coming from. This will also help you build out your product pages and information about the business.

Even your design choices will likely vary based on your target audience.

Step 2 – Sign Up For Shopify

Head over to Shopify and create an account. You just need to provide an active email address and create a password to get started. 

Choose a Plan

There are three different plans to choose from.

The vast majority of new users start with a Basic subscription. But if you already have an existing retail business or you’re migrating from another ecommerce platform, jumping straight to the Shopify plan might be a better option for you.

All plans come with everything you need to start selling online. Even the entry-level plan supports retail sales with POS integrations. But the mid-tier plan comes with extra staff accounts, shipping benefits, ecommerce automation, better reporting, and reduced rates for Shopify payments. 

If you’re unsure which plan is right for you, just sign up for a three-day free trial and pick your plan later.

Follow the Setup Wizard

Once you’ve signed up, Shopify will walk you through a series of questions to get you started. 

They’ll ask you if you’re just starting out or if you’re already selling elsewhere. 

Other questions in the setup wizard include:

• Where would you like to sell? (online, in person, on social media, etc.)
• Do you want to sell products via dropshipping?
• Where is your business located?

You could skip the setup wizard if you want, but I think it’s a helpful way to get on the right track and get your site built as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

Step 3 – Design Your Shopify Site

Now it’s time to focus on the design elements of your Shopify website. Fortunately, you don’t need to have any design experience or hire an expensive design team to handle this step for you. 

Select a Theme

Shopify has more than 70+ free and paid themes for you to choose from. 

To choose a theme, navigate to the Themes menu in the Online Store section of your Shopify dashboard. Then scroll to the Theme Library to browse free and paid themes.

If you’re on a tight budget, there’s no need to pay for a theme. The free themes are great, and your visitors won’t know the difference. 

Just browse through the themes to find something that fits your brand image and what you’re selling.

You can always change your theme later on, but the rest of your design tasks will be easier if you stick with just one throughout the process. So it’s worth taking a few extra minutes here to land on a theme that you’re happy with.

Add Brand Assets

The theme is just a starting point. From here, you can totally customize the look and feel of your Shopify store. 

You can change the color scheme, add custom images, add your logos, and everything else to make the store your own.

As you’re customizing the theme, you can preview all of your changes in real-time. This shows you exactly how your site will look to visitors.

Step 4 – Build Out Your Pages and Organize the Navigation

Beyond the homepage, you need to create all of the other pages for your Shopify store. 

Navigate to the Online Store menu on the left side of your dashboard. Then select Pages and click Add page to build them out.

As you can see from the screenshot above, my Shopify site is currently password protected. This means that nobody can access the site right now unless they have a password.

Don’t freak out if you see this message. You don’t want people to access your site while it’s in the building stage, and we’ll address this later before the site goes live. 

Landing Pages

Every ecommerce website should have the same basic pages. Things like:

• Home page
• About Us
• Contact Us
• Product Pages
• Blogs

Don’t overthink this. Just stick with the basics for now, and you can always add or customize more pages later on. Here’s a preview of a basic contact page on the sample website I’m building for this tutorial:

That’s all we need for someone to reach out with a question or for some help.

Navigation

Now you need to customize the main menu of your Shopify website. This allows users to quickly jump from one page to another.

Click on the Navigation menu on the left side of your Shopify dashboard, located below Online Store.

You can create nested menus, add or remove pages from the menu, customize the footer menu, and more. You can even set up search functionality for website visitors to browse products and collections within your menus.

Step 5 – Add Products

Products are obviously an important part of any online store. Let’s look at the two easiest ways to get products live on your site.

Adding a Single Product

If you’re just starting off with a handful of items, you can manually add products one at a time. 

Navigate to the Products menu on the left side of your Shopify dashboard and click the Add your products button to get started.

From here, you can fill in all of the information related to the item, including:

• Product name
• Product description
• Product images
• Status (active or draft)
• Pricing information
• SKU
• Barcode
• Shipping information

You can even set up inventory tracking and edit the SEO listing for how the product might appear in search engine results. 

Creating a Product Collection

You can also use Shopify to create product collections. A collection is a gallery of products within the same category. 

Examples of collections might include:

• Men’s shirts
• Women’s accessories
• Bedding
• Footwear
• Activewear
• Coats and jackets

There are two ways to set up collections—manual and automated.

With a manual collection, you’ll hand-pick products to add.

But with an automated collection, you can create conditions for products to be added automatically. For example, you can create collections based on price, product type, inventory level, vendor, or custom tags. 

Collections make it much easier for your customers to browse and purchase items online. Unless you’re only setting a dozen or so items, your Shopify website should have some collections to stay organized. 

Step 6 – Connect Your Domain

By default, your Shopify store will have a subdomain when you create an account. But this should be removed before you go live. 

For the purpose of this tutorial, my Shopify site is quicksprouttest.myshopify.com. That’s obviously not very professional.

So you need to either buy a new domain or connect an existing domain that you purchased elsewhere before going live. 

If you don’t have a domain name, you can purchase one directly from Shopify. This is the easiest approach.

But if you’re planning to buy multiple domains or you want to plan ahead for the long run of managing your domain, it’s better to get one straight from a domain registrar. 

Go Live

Once you’ve connected your domain, you can finally get your site live. If you have password protection set to the site, you can remove it from your Preferences menu.

Just be aware that you can’t remove the password protection if you’re still on a free trial. Make sure you pick a plan before going live. 

Getting your products out in the world means having a reliable platform where you can sell them. Whether you’re an experienced seller or just starting out, WooCommerce and Shopify are two of the more popular platforms for growing your product-based business.

Both rank among the best for setting up your online shop and maintaining your store. WooCommerce gives you the tools to sell through WordPress, while Shopify gives you an all-in-one platform for your goods and services. Here’s everything you need to know to choose the best platform for your selling needs.

WooCommerce Pros and Cons

Pros

• Affordable pricing
• Good integration with other apps
• Quick and easy setup

Cons

• No web hosting on its own
• Relies on plugins for best functionality
• Difficult to calculate shipping costs

Shopify Pros and Cons

Pros

• User-friendly storefront platform
• Thousands of plugins
• Extensive knowledge base and support

Cons

• Few free themes
• Not many product variants

Visual Website Builder: Shopify Wins

With WooCommerce, you need WordPress to start building your shop. If you’re familiar with WordPress, this can be an advantage. If not, you may have a steeper learning curve.

With WordPress and WooCommerce, you get greater flexibility than you would with most other ecommerce platforms. However, it does mean that WordPress itself isn’t specialized for ecommerce. Fortunately, WordPress is one of the most popular website builders, and it has plenty of resources and plugins to help you along.

WordPress has a drag-and-drop setup, making it super easy to create your site using a wide selection of themes and layouts. With WordPress, you usually have everything you need available to turn your website into a successful online store.

Shopify lets you build your site quickly from scratch. You don’t need tons of plugins, and many of its themes and layouts are free. It also gives you all the tools you need to get started with no coding needed.

Shopify is built for businesses of all sizes. It gives you a custom domain, which WooCommerce doesn’t on its own. Shopify uses a simple four-step process for setting up your shop through planning your business, choosing your platform, customizing your site, and launching.

Shopify comes with complete security, a POS system, unlimited products, and free tools you can take advantage of in your shop. Like WooCommerce, it has drag-and-drop to help you customize your site. Shopify comes out on top here because you can build your site with all the necessary tools already available.

Inventory Management Tools: Shopify Wins

For basic inventory management with WooCommerce, go to Inventory under Product Settings. Here, you’ll see options for tracking inventory, including low and out-of-stock notifications. It also lets you enable stock management.

WooCommerce requires you to get an add-on for more advanced inventory management. Not only do you have to take the time to choose one, but you also must learn how to use it. You may even need multiple add-ons to successfully manage your products and services, and they aren’t always free.

Fortunately, WooCommerce has high-quality extensions. These add-ons help your sales strategy by showing you which products sell best, so you can adjust your inventory and you the information you receive to grow your business.

Once again, Shopify already has advanced built-in tools, putting it ahead of WooCommerce. Under Products, you can track individual products as well as your overall inventory.

Shopify has more options than WooCommerce with options to continue selling even when your product sells out, as well as product variant tracking. You can still get apps and add-ons, but you don’t need them as much as you do with WooCommerce.

Shopping Carts: Shopify Wins

WooCommerce is WordPress’s shopping cart app and the most popular ecommerce plugin for the platform. It supports many payment options, including some offline ones. You also have options to list products in shopping carts differently, including table and quick view.

Shopify is more secure, with Level 1 PCI-DSS security and 256-bit SSL certification for customers. Its buy now buttons allow for a faster, easier shopping experience for consumers, and it’s easy for you to use as a business owner, too.

A key feature that sets it apart from WooCommerce and most other ecommerce platforms is its built-in abandoned cart recovery. Usually, you have to pay for this feature, if it’s available, which gives Shopify an edge over the competition.

Payment Gateways: WooCommerce Wins

WooCommerce and Shopify both support all major payment gateways, including:

• Stripe
• Square
• PayPal
• Apple Pay
• Credit
• Debit

Both platforms accept multiple currencies with over 100 payment gateways.

Shopify charges a 2% fee per transaction with a third-party gateway. However, you can avoid those fees by using Shopify Payments. You can also lower the fee by upgrading your plan.

But WooCommerce wins out here because it doesn’t charge these fees at all. That works out better for you if you plan to sell a lot of products, as it will reduce the overall cost of running your store.

Shipping Tools: Shopify Wins

Shipping is important for growing your business and boosting your reputation. When customers get their items quickly and reliably, they’re more likely to buy from you again and recommend your shop to others.

WooCommerce has basic shipping features, but it has a reliable platform for sending your products to buyers. It lets you offer free shipping, and you can ship internationally, as well as connect to many shipping options, like FedEx and USPS.

WooCommerce has integrations you can use for couriers and shipping management. Unfortunately, many users find it difficult to calculate their shipping costs, and WooCommerce doesn’t have a simple way to determine them.

Shopify, on the other hand, does. It has its own partnerships with various couriers, like UPS and Canada Post, so you don’t have to worry about doing your own sourcing. It lets you save up to 88% with discounted rates on shipping costs.

You can manage shipping from one location in your shop. It streamlines shipping operations, has its own shipping cost calculator, tracks packages, and makes it simpler for you to grow your business with convenient shipping tools, putting it ahead of WooCommerce in this area.

SEO & Marketing Tools: WooCommerce Wins

WooCommerce and Shopify are fairly equal when it comes to SEO and marketing tools. Shopify has a free SEO Booster plugin to increase your search engine rankings. It keeps your shop performing well, and you can add titles and descriptions fast.

Shopify has many plugins and app integrations for your marketing needs. It also offers multichannel sales at no extra cost, which sets its marketing tools apart from WooCommerce.

WooCommerce wins out her, however, because it has more quality SEO tools than Shopify does. Its optimized code makes you show up more easily in search results, and WordPress itself has built-in SEO tools to help you further.

You can use WooCommerce’s plugins and integrations to improve your SEO and marketing campaigns, too, including email and social media. You have to pay for most of them, but you can advertise for free on Facebook.

Pricing: WooCommerce Wins

WooCommerce and Shopify are on par with each other when it comes to actual features. While Shopify ultimately comes out ahead with tools and capabilities, WooCommerce is a cheaper platform with great performance.

WooCommerce offers two plans:

• Standard: $12.95 per month
• Premium: $24.95 per month

WooCommerce has a 30-day money-back guarantee if it doesn’t give you results. The plugin is free to install, but to get better features, you do need to pay more.

The Standard package gives you plenty of comprehensive features to get you started with your ecommerce site, including marketing tools, analytics, payment processing, and discount codes.

The Premium version upgrades you with unlimited products, subscriptions, tax management, and product customization. The downside to WooCommerce here is that you do end up paying extra for plugins, but if you’re looking solely at pricing and initial value, WooCommerce wins this round.

Shopify costs more, but it does give you other perks with its plans, like shipping discounts and no transaction fees. Shopify offers three plans:

Despite the big price jumps, you get a lot more with each tier. Basic Shopify sets you up for success with all the necessary tools, including four inventory locations with two accounts for staff. You can also get features you’d normally pay extra for, like discount codes, abandoned cart reminders, and printable shipping labels.

The middle tier reduces credit card transaction fees and includes more reporting features, staff accounts, and inventory locations.

With Advanced Shopify, you get even more reporting features and lower credit card fees. Plus, you can take advantage of Shopify’s three-day free trial before you buy.

Product Layouts: WooCommerce Wins

Both WooCommerce and Shopify offer many product layouts that you can use to organize your ecommerce site. With a wide range of designs and themes to choose from, it’s easy to make your shop unique.

Shopify has over 70 themes to choose from. The downside is there aren’t many free ones, and the paid ones start at around $140. They’re a one-time purchase, too, which can make things inconvenient if you want to change your layout later. So Shopify is more customizable than WooCommerce but at a price.

WooCommerce gives you more upfront. Its starting theme, Storefront, comes optimized for mobile. WooCommerce has plenty of customization options and a wider range of layouts, including more free ones than Shopify.

Setting up a shop with WooCommerce can take a little longer, depending on how much work you want to put in. For a simple ecommerce site, you can get your shop ready faster with WooCommerce.

Apps and Plugins: WooCommerce Wins

WooCommerce wins easily when it comes to apps, integrations, and plugins. Since it’s part of WordPress, you get WordPress advantages. That means over 50,000 available additions, including many free ones.

You can tailor your site to your needs with plugins like Constant Contact, SeedProd, OptinMonster, and WooFunnels. You can also integrate with HubSpot, MailChimp, Zapier, and more.

Shopify has 6,500 apps and plugins. They offer free ones, too, and they help you market, connect with customers, source products, and create an improved shopping experience while helping you manage your shop better.

Shopify offers popular apps with Shopify Email, Point of Sale, Pinterest, and Product Reviews. It doesn’t quite compare to WooCommerce because of its smaller selection, but all of its plugins make for a capable platform.

Sales Channels: Shopify Wins

Shopify allows you to sell across many sales channels and through various platforms, from Walmart to Amazon to Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. This is a built-in feature, so you don’t even have to get another plugin to make it work. Shopify helps boost sales by making it convenient to get your products on a wide range of channels.

WooCommerce needs plugins for selling across channels. That makes it less convenient, but it’s not difficult.

You can sell on many of the same channels as Shopify, including social media, eBay, Amazon, and more. It also has many of the same Shopify features that make it easy to sell and shop. However, Shopify still comes out ahead for its user-friendliness in this area.

Web Hosting: Shopify Wins

WooCommerce uses WordPress through BlueHost and other hosting platforms to run your online store. WordPress through BlueHost gives you a well-performing site, but it’s not the only one you can use.

WordPress gives you the option to use other hosting platforms, including SiteGround, GoDaddy, and more. With this variety, you can use the one that works best for you. Despite their affordability, it can be a big extra step to buy hosting separately.

Shopify has built-in web hosting included with every plan. It gives you your own domain and automatic updates to take one more manual task off your plate.

With a built-in content delivery network, you get excellent performance, and Shopify offers unlimited email forwarding and bandwidth. Shopify cuts out the extra steps with a reliable hosting service, which reduces the time you need to set up your shop.

Analytics: Shopify Wins

Even Shopify’s most basic package gives you a detailed analytics page, financial reports, and product analytics. Other packages expand to include reports for inventory, sales, marketing, and even customizable reporting with the Advanced plan.

Shopify’s data helps you improve your products and target your marketing. Plus, by tailoring your reports, you only get information relevant to your business and customers. This feature comes built into the platform.

WooCommerce needs a plugin for analytics. With this plugin, you get reports based on sales, income, shipping, refund issues, and other factors. You can also see these analytics in different forms, including tables, dates, and charts.

WooCommerce reports vary based on the plugin you use, which once again makes variation a potential downside to the platform. Both WooCommerce and Shopify have great analytics, but Shopify gives you more control and consistency.

Mobile App: Shopify Wins

WooCommerce lets you manage everything on mobile. It has the basics of tracking orders and managing your site, but it doesn’t stop there. You can manage multiple stores on the app, too.

Whether you want to add products or check your store notifications, you can do it all. You can also manage shipping labels, including printing and tracking. However, this feature is limited to US-based stores only.

Shopify’s mobile app offers many of the same mobile features as WooCommerce. You can add product photos, get real-time information, and track your orders. It comes out a step ahead of WooCommerce here since it’s easier to manage international stores on mobile without having US-only features.

International Sales: Shopify Wins

Shopify lets you sell internationally from one store. It gives you international sales by default, rather than making you buy another plugin, and again avoids giving you extra work during setup.

With market-specific experiences for international customers, Shopify helps you expand your shop. You can set your prices to local currencies and reach customers in 21 languages. Customizable international selling lets you tailor consumer shopping experiences no matter where they are, and you have access to global inventory locations, so customers always see the correct listings.

WooCommerce requires plugins for multiple languages and other international selling features. These plugins work well, but it may feel more overwhelming to start selling globally. That said, once you have everything set up, it offers most of the same features as Shopify.

Final Verdict

Both WooCommerce and Shopify are excellent ecommerce platforms. Shopify comes out on top with more value for its price, slightly more advanced features, and convenience.

WooCommerce might work better if you already use WordPress. If you’re starting from scratch, Shopify gives you everything you need in one place, from a unique domain to customizable product listings and international selling capabilities.

Both platforms set you up quickly, but Shopify makes everything easier and less time-consuming. Learn more about Shopify, WooCommerce, and other top ecommerce platforms when you check out our top picks.

Get web hosting from Bluehost, the go-to hosting provider for reliable uptime, lightning-fast loading speeds, excellent support, and multiple affordable hosting packages. Sign up for Bluehost today and enjoy free SLL, free domain, free CDN, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. 

Shared and dedicated hosting is among the most popular hosting services. Most hosting providers offer either option at different price points. However, it’s not always clear which hosting type is right for your website. Fortunately, there are distinct differences between shared and dedicated hosting. Therefore, making a decision shouldn’t be difficult if you know the benefits and drawbacks of each hosting service.   

The 8 Best Web Hosts for Dedicated Hosting

While shared hosting offers many advantages, most websites are better off with dedicated hosting. We tested more than two-dozen service providers to compare the best dedicated hosting plans. Our recommendations include the following: 

• Bluehost – The best overall dedicated hosting plan 
• InMotion – The best dedicated web host for small businesses 
• HostGator – The most reliable dedicated hosting 
• A2 Hosting – The fastest dedicated hosting 
• Liquid Web – The best bundle packages for dedicated hosting plans 
• Media Temple – The best dedicated hosting for enterprises and resellers 
• AccuWeb & Hostwinds – The cheapest dedicated hosting plans 

Now let’s explore the primary differences between shared hosting and dedicated hosting. 

1. Server Allocation 

The main difference between shared and dedicated hosting is how the service provider allocates servers and their accompanying resources. This disparity is the basis of all other differences we’ll explore in this post. With this in mind, the terms shared and dedicated hosting are self-explanatory. 

Shared hosting means that multiple users share the same server. Therefore, numerous websites and applications share the same server resources. For example, the service provider may divide a server’s central processing unit (CPU), random access memory (RAM), and storage space among multiple websites or clients. 

The obvious problem with shared hosting is one website or application hogging most of the server’s resources. However, most hosting providers implement measures to ensure that each website uses a reasonable amount of the shared server resources. For instance, the service provider may use an operating system like CloudLinux to control server usage. 

The operating system creates LightWeight Virtual Environments (LVEs), which work like isolated servers. The host allocates resources like CPU, RAM, and storage to each virtual environment, independent of the central server. Therefore, a website can only use resources as it is allocated. 

Dedicated hosting is exactly how it sounds. The provider only hosts one account or website, so the website can access 100% of the server’s resources. 

Resource allocation is one of the dedicated hostings’ main selling points. You don’t have to share much-needed computing power. Instead, you can access all the resources at your service up to the server’s capability.  

2. Server Management & Customization 

Server management refers to the tasks performed on the server to ensure that it runs optimally and reliably. The main objectives of server management include minimizing slowdowns and downtime, securing and protecting the server environment, and scaling the server to keep up with the website’s resource requirements. You’ll notice a considerable difference in server management between shared and dedicated hosting. 

Generally, shared hosting requires little server management at the user level. Instead, the web host takes primary responsibility for server management, including hardware maintenance, setup and configuration, software management, and server monitoring. 

Shared hosts also offer limited administrative access. This design rules out customization options like bespoke software configurations or using your preferred software and operating system. However, most shared hosting providers offer a cPanel for simple administrative tasks like organizing web files and managing domains. 

On the plus side, shared hosting is user-friendly, especially for people with limited technical skills. In addition, you don’t have to worry about back-end maintenance and other technical details. However, you’re also at the mercy of your host’s operating system, server configuration, and security policies. 

Dedicated hosting provides more freedom for server management and customization. It’s a terrific choice for tech-savvy administrators who want the server to match their exact specifications and requirements. In addition, most dedicated hosts provide unrestricted root access. 

Root access allows you to customize the server to meet your specifications. For example, you can install your preferred operating system and software, adjust hardware specifications, and install custom server-wide applications. For technical users, this freedom is critical for optimizing performance.  

Dedicated hosting isn’t just for tech-savvy administrators. Many providers offer managed dedicated hosting. It is a good alternative for users who don’t have the technical skills to manage a server independently. 

3. Performance 

Naturally, sharing server resources has an impact on your website performance, and it’s the main reason many prefer dedicated hosting versus shared hosting. Sharing resources with other websites means you can only access a portion of the servers’ true capability. 

Service providers can host hundreds or thousands of websites on one server. As a result, you can expect some performance issues. For example, lower loading speed is a common downside of shared hosting.  

It’s worth mentioning that shared hosting doesn’t always mean limited performance. For example, a content-light website requires few resources to run optimally. Therefore, you may not notice differences in page loading speed and other performance metrics with shared hosting. 

Similarly, there are things you can do to speed up your website, even with shared hosting. For instance, optimizing images, using a CDN solution, or executing web caches can speed up your website. Again, most shared hosting providers readily allow you to implement these measures. 

On the other hand, dedicated hosting gives you access to 100% of the server resources. As a result, there’s a perceptible performance boost, especially for a content-heavy website like an ecommerce store. Plus, with enhanced customization, you have more control of server performance at your fingertips. 

Overall, your website type plays a primary role in performance when considering shared vs. dedicated hosting. For example, a resource-heavy website with a lot of traffic will likely have performance issues with shared hosting. Therefore, dedicated hosting is the safer bet if website performance is a primary consideration. 

4. Web Hosting Bandwidth 

Web hosting bandwidth refers to the maximum amount of web traffic transferred between a user, website, and the internet during a specific period. Web hosts typically measure bandwidth in Megabytes per Second (MB/s) or Gigabytes per Second (GB/s). Each web visit eats into your total bandwidth allocation. Therefore, a higher bandwidth limit is preferable, especially for a quickly growing or high-traffic website. 

Shared hosting typically imposes lower bandwidth limits compared to dedicated hosting. Shared hosts usually limit access to the website or lower its performance if you go over the bandwidth limit, referred to as bandwidth throttling. All this is understandable since you must share the server resources with other websites. 

Many shared hosting providers claim to offer unlimited bandwidth. However, a quick look at your contract exposes a “fair use” clause. You’ll notice limitations such as CPU or bandwidth usage in your contract, and the web host may reserve the right to interrupt service if you exceed this limitation. 

Dedicated hosts have vastly higher bandwidth limits than any shared host, and it’s unsurprising since you’re paying for total server capacity. Typically, the bandwidth is more than most websites need to operate optimally. 

Many dedicated hosting providers also offer unmetered bandwidth. This means you don’t have to worry about sudden traffic spikes or exceeding your bandwidth limitation. The hosting provider doesn’t throttle your bandwidth if you exceed the allocated bandwidth. 

5. Scalability 

Most websites don’t have a baseline for assets and web traffic. Instead, there are frequent fluctuations, especially during peak seasons, when running a promotion, or from a sudden spike in demand. Similarly, a growing website uses more resources with every piece of new content or additional web page. 

Scalability refers to the hosts’ ability to keep up with your website’s fluctuating system resource demands. Furthermore, scalability works both ways. Ideally, the web host should allow you to increase or decrease computing resources as needed quickly. 

Shared hosting packages are generally not flexible. Often, you can only reduce your computing resources if you downgrade to a lower package. Similarly, you’ll likely need to upgrade to a higher package to increase computing resources. 

Furthermore, you may need to contact the shared hosting provider to upgrade your package. Alternatively, the hosting provider may allow migrating to a higher package manually. Regardless, you may waste valuable time while you attempt to scale your computing power to keep up with a sudden traffic spike. 

On the other hand, dedicated hosting is inherently scalable. If nothing else, most dedicated hosting providers add bandwidth, processing power, and storage space on request. They’re also willing to downgrade system resources, so you don’t have to pay for unnecessary computing power. 

6. IP Address Management 

With shared hosting, all websites share the same server IP address. Therefore, there could be illegal or scam websites among the shared server’s hundreds or thousands of sites. If one of these gets blocked, your website is also blacklisted. 

There are ways to recover a blacklisted website in case you’re caught in the crossfire. Your hosting provider may also work diligently to recover your website. However, the downtime can do irreparable damage to your website’s reputation and client trust. 

Dedicated hosting solves this problem by assigning each server a unique IP address. This way, you’re solely responsible for your online reputation since you’re not sharing an IP address with anyone. The peace of mind is sufficient to choose dedicated hosting over shared hosting. 

It’s worth mentioning that shared hosting providers take extra precautions to detect and remove dubious and illegal websites. Unfortunately, however, dishonest actors can fall through the cracks. This inherent risk is one of the major drawbacks of shared hosting. 

7. Security 

Shared hosting isn’t inherently insecure. On the contrary, shared hosts go to extreme lengths to secure the server. However, shared server infrastructure introduces additional security risks you don’t find with dedicated hosting. 

Firstly, shared hosting plans use a common directory. The directory contains all website core files. This structure means your website is interlinked with other sites sharing the server. 

Theoretically, a hacker could access the main directory. Unfortunately, this situation means that all the websites are potential targets for the hacker’s dubious activities. 

Shared servers are also common targets of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Such an attack can cause the server to slow down or crash. In addition, such an incident may slow down or crash all the websites on the shared server. 

Dedicated hosting offers more robust security by default. If nothing else, you’re not sharing space with vulnerable websites that could provide hackers an access point to the server. You also don’t share a directory with other websites, so you only have to worry about your security policy. 

Furthermore, dedicated hosting allows you to customize your server for added security. You can limit admin access, set up new firewalls, use your preferred malware protection program, and install an intrusion detection system (IDS). Dedicated hosting provides added security for users with robust web security policies. 

8. Cost 

Shared hosting is inexpensive, which is one of the main reasons why many users prefer shared hosting. The hosting cost is spread among multiple users, reducing the per-user cost.

On the other hand, dedicated hosting is more expensive. You’re paying for extra benefits, but some may find the added cost inaccessible. Still, you can find affordable dedicated hosting providers if you price shop. 

The Similarities Between Shared Hosting and Dedicated Hosting 

There are undoubtedly stark differences between shared vs. dedicated hosting. However, there are also similarities between the two hosting types. 

For example, shared and dedicated hosting providers offer technical support. The quality and support time may vary depending on the hosting provider. Regardless, you can count on technical support in case there’s an issue with your website or server. 

Both types of web hosting also eliminate the need for physical or on-premise servers. Instead, the hosting service offers virtual servers that run from the cloud. These servers also don’t require technical staff to maintain. 

Additionally, shared and dedicated web hosts provide a cPanel account or other interface to monitor critical metrics. For example, you can keep track of server status, daily process logs, system performance metrics, and server availability and uptime. This information is often delivered in real-time. 

Furthermore, web hosting providers offer built-in security. These features may vary depending on the hosting provider. However, most web hosts provide DDoS protection, regular data backups, SSL certificates, firewalls, and scheduled malware scans. Most providers also offer these security services at no extra charge, depending on your hosting plan. 

Final Thoughts About Shared Hosting vs. Dedicated Hosting 

Shared and dedicated hosting are vastly different. Choosing the best hosting type should be easy. The best option depends on your hosting requirements. 

While dedicated hosting offers more advantages, shared hosting plans are good enough for some people. For example, a small website with minimal traffic and computing requirements can get by with shared hosting. In addition, you can always migrate to dedicated hosting when you scale the website. 

However, most users will benefit from dedicated hosting. This goes doubly for websites that collect and process personally identifiable information (PII), anticipate significant growth, or have custom hosting requirements. 

Finally, compare the best hosting companies before choosing your preferred web host. The specific services vary depending on the provider. So a little research goes a long way in making the best purchase decision. 

If creating a website using WordPress is your plan, a strong web hosting service built around WordPress is necessary. SiteGround and Bluehost are two of our favorite options for web hosting for WordPress.

SiteGround is especially useful for creating an ecommerce site that uses WordPress. Bluehost is extremely easy to use, ensuring you can operate a basic website within several minutes. And both options have excellent starting price points, so you can build your site on a budget.

SiteGround and Bluehost Compared to the Best

Through our research to find the 10 best WordPress web hosts, we placed both Bluehost and SiteGround on our list. Our top pick, however, went to Hostinger, which we found to be the most affordable WordPress web hosting option that still offers strong features. If you sign up for Hostinger today, you receive a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you may be able to receive three months of hosting for free.

• Hostinger – Most affordable WordPress web host
• Bluehost – Best for creating your first WordPress website
• GreenGeeks – Best for eco-friendly website owners
• WP Engine – Best for hosting multiple WordPress sites with tons of traffic
• Nexcess – Best for effortless website staging
• SiteGround – Best for ecommerce websites with easy site migration
• Flywheel – Best if you want experts to migrate your site for you
• Kinsta – Best for managing unexpected surges in traffic
• Scala Hosting – Most freebies in every WordPress hosting plan
• Cloudways – Best for flexibility and extensive options

SiteGround vs. Bluehost High-Level Comparison

SiteGround and Bluehost have quite a few similarities. Both offer managed and unmanaged web hosting services, shared hosting, WordPress hosting, and dedicated hosting. 

We believe both web hosting services are a good choice for a wide range of potential users. They both offer low initial hosting prices and rank highly on our list of the best web hosting providers. 

At a high level is where they slightly differ, though. Bluehost is a slightly better choice for those who need top-notch customer service and built-in marketing tools, especially for novices. SiteGround caters nicely to those with pretty simple website needs while delivering easy-to-use site migration processes, especially for ecommerce websites.

Products and Services Offered by SiteGround and Bluehost

SiteGround has several different types of hosting available. Its WordPress hosting is especially notable, as it offers options specifically made to work with WordPress. You don’t have to download or configure WordPress on your own when you take advantage of SiteGround’s services in this area.

SiteGround also offers WooCommerce hosting, which is an ecommerce platform built on WordPress. Cloud hosting is another option available from SiteGround. To learn more about the services available, check out our detailed SiteGround review.

In addition to its WordPress hosting services, Bluehost’s claim to fame is low-priced website hosting through shared hosting. Bluehost has both managed and unmanaged shared hosting platforms, ensuring you can find the best option for your needs and budget. Bluehost’s various shared hosting plans are extremely versatile, allowing you to generate the perfect setup.

Another key service from Bluehost is its VPS hosting. You receive dedicated server resources, and you can select the amount of dedicated RAM, CPU, and disk space for your website from the virtual private server. Bluehost also offers a dedicated hosting plan, which is the top-end hosting service it has available. Our Bluehost review breaks down the various services available in even more detail.

Company Health and Stability of SiteGround and Bluehost

Both Bluehost and SiteGround are strong companies with a long track record of serving customers.

Bluehost began hosting services in 2003 from its headquarters in Orem, Utah. More than 2 million websites make use of Bluehost web hosting services. Bluehost partnered with WordPress more than 10 years ago, allowing it to provide high-end customer service to its WordPress hosting customers. Bluehost did have a hacking incident in 2015, but it recovered. 

SiteGround was founded in 2004 in Sofia, Bulgaria, making it almost the same age as Bluehost. SiteGround maintains data centers worldwide, including in the United States, the UK, and Australia. SiteGround provides hosting for about 2 million domains worldwide.

As a Bulgarian company, SiteGround does not publicly disclose its ownership group. Endurance International Group owns Bluehost. Neither SiteGround nor Bluehost are publicly traded.

SiteGround vs. Bluehost Pricing Comparison

Both SiteGround and Bluehost offer a wide range of pricing options, helping you find the right features that fit your budget. Both services also provide extremely low introductory prices for the first year, but the prices increase quite a bit in the second year and beyond.

Both also offer some free benefits for subscribers in the first year, including a free domain and a free automated backup. You need to pick the right pricing tier if you want these extra benefits.

Pricing Structure of SiteGround and Bluehost

Bluehost offers WordPress, shared, dedicated, and VPS hosting. Once you select the type of hosting, you can then pick among a few pricing tiers within each hosting service. Bluehost offers a discount of about 35% to 70% for the first year of hosting before prices rebound to regular rates. 

Within each pricing tier in Bluehost’s shared hosting plans, for example, you can select the specific number of websites you want to use, the amount of SSD storage, and whether you want to use multi-site management tools. 

SiteGround offers web hosting, WordPress hosting, WooCommerce hosting, and cloud hosting. As with Bluehost, you can select among various pricing plans within each hosting service. Expect to receive a discount of up to 80% for the first year with your SiteGround package before it reverts to the regular price. 

Within the pricing tiers in the web hosting plans from SiteGround, you can pick the number of websites available, the number of monthly visits, the amount of storage space you have available, and other items.

Cost Comparison of SiteGround and Bluehost

Both Bluehost and SiteGround have pricing plans ranging from those for clients planning to run a single, small blogging website to those running dozens of large ecommerce websites.

Because both SiteGround and Bluehost offer WordPress web hosting, we’ll compare those plans to give you an idea of how they each handle pricing for similar services.

SiteGround offers a larger initial discount with its WordPress web hosting services, but that discount lasts only 12 months. Bluehost’s prices are quite a bit lower when the prices revert to the regular price after the first year. If you are looking for a site host that you will keep for the long run, Bluehost is the better value. Additionally, Bluehost also has an initial three-year discount option that’s even cheaper than its one-year option.

Bluehost also has a more powerful top pricing tier than SiteGround. It offers 100 GB of SSD storage in its top tier versus 40 GB of storage in SiteGround’s top tier for WordPress web hosting. 

Trials and Guarantees for SiteGround and Bluehost

Neither Bluehost nor SiteGround offer a free trial period for any of their web hosting services. However, both offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on the price of certain hosting subscriptions. 

With Bluehost, your 30-day refund period only applies to the cost of the hosting service. If you subscribed to a pricing plan that included a free domain name, Bluehost deducts your refund amount by a domain fee. This ensures you maintain control of your domain name. If you cancel after the 30-day initial period, you cannot receive any refund of what you paid.

SiteGround offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for shared hosting plans and a 14-day money-back guarantee for cloud hosting plans. If you sign up for a plan that includes a free domain name, you cannot receive a refund for the cost of the domain name. 

SiteGround vs. Bluehost Core Criteria Comparison

As we researched the best options for website hosting with WordPress, we settled on measuring each tool against several key criteria. Our research showed that these are the most common criteria that the majority of people need to have for success with their WordPress web hosting options.

We wanted to delve into the criteria beyond the obvious ones. We purposefully did not include website loading speed as a core criterion, for example, because any hosting service should excel in this area. The same goes for uptime for the website.

Check out our list for more information on how Bluehost and SiteGround stack up against our favorite web hosting with WordPress tools in these core criteria.

Multi-Site vs. Single-Site Hosting – Bluehost Wins

Although some people simply want a single website running from WordPress, you should think about your potential growth plans. You may end up needing to run multiple websites. If so, you will want a hosting provider that can accommodate all your different sites.

We like Bluehost for those seeking multi-site hosting at a great price. It allows you to create as many websites as you want at its Choice Plus pricing tier, which starts at $5.45 per month for the first year, which is almost three-quarters off the renewal rate of $19.99. Bluehost’s Choice Plus has a helpful multi-site management tool called Maestro and 24/7 customer service. 

SiteGround is actually cheaper in its GrowBig tier, which costs $4.99 per month for the first year. However, its renewal rate is $24.99 per month, which eats up the first-year savings versus Bluehost in less than two months. SiteGround does have 24/7 customer service, which is helpful.

Customer Service – Bluehost Wins

Although most web hosting for WordPress tools is easy to use, you may find yourself needing to reach out for help on occasion. Finding a host that provides excellent customer service is important. Availability at any time of the day or night is also a key consideration because you never know when you may need help.

Bluehost offers 24/7 customer service via telephone or live chat. The phone number is easy to find, so you don’t have to waste time searching for it. Even though Bluehost focuses on unmanaged hosting, its customer service operates at an impressive level.

SiteGround’s customer service isn’t quite as easy to access, but it still performs well. The primary means of help is through a live chat session 24/7, but phone support is also available. However, you must receive a one-time verification code to use telephone customer service.

Managed vs. Unmanaged Hosting – Tie

Deciding whether you want managed or unmanaged WordPress web hosting is an important consideration. Although most web hosting with WordPress is unmanaged, you also have some managed site options. Sites run faster, have a higher level of security, and have more responsive customer service teams with managed hosting. However, they also cost more than unmanaged hosting.

Bluehost only began offering managed hosting options recently, but it jumped into this market with quick success. It works especially well when you want to use marketing tools with your website, like analysis of your site traffic and suggestions for SEO. SiteGround is one of the least expensive managed WordPress hosting options around. However, it is only useful for sites with limited traffic.

For unmanaged hosting, either Bluehost or SiteGround are good choices. They both deliver extremely low introductory prices before increasing in price in year two and beyond. You also continue receiving limited customer service capabilities with SiteGround and Bluehost in the unmanaged arena.

Site Migration – SiteGround Wins

It’s common to need to move an existing website to a web host with WordPress. Because this is so common, you might expect most WordPress web hosts to make this process easy. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Without a simple migration process, you may make an error or waste a lot of time migrating your old site.

SiteGround offers site migration as an important aspect of its service, and it excels in this area. Transferring your old site to SiteGround is easy, and SiteGround provides the help you need. Its migration tool is free to use.

Bluehost also allows you to migrate your existing site for free. It offers a dedicated tool for migrating the site, although we slightly prefer SiteGround’s tool. Should you need help from the Bluehost support team, you can reach out at any point during the migration.

Final Verdict – Bluehost Wins

Our research shows that Bluehost is the winner against SiteGround for WordPress web hosting. Both SiteGround and Bluehost hang their hats on low price points and ease of use, but Bluehost slightly outdoes SiteGround in these key areas. Additionally, Bluehost has built a large user base on the strength of its customer service, which is always appreciated when you need help.

Both Bluehost and SiteGround are strong options, as both made our list of the top web hosts for WordPress. But we give Bluehost a slight nod in this comparison.