Which domain/hosting site to use for company website?
I've been researching a lot lately, and have the majority if my content for my website planned to get it up and running. I'm curious to hear what programs everybody uses for their buyer/seller marketing pages? I've read reviews all over the place,.but haven't found many that are specific to REI. So, what do you use for your domain and hosting (if you don't outsource and DIY). I'm looking for affordable but functional, doesn't have to be super fancy, just enough to get contact info without looking like a second grader built the site.
Thanks!
You can get your domain many places, I got mine through GoDaddy.com just last week. Easy to do. Bluehost.com is another popular one.
Both will host your site as well, but there are TONS of hosting options. When you have your site designed (if you're not doing it yourself), you designer may have options available to you as well.
That addresses your topic...to address your post...there are several folks around BP that do it "on the side" and do a great job. You might consider creating a new topic that's more web-design related so people will see it, and offer their services.
I just realized there was a sub forum for website related questions, oops!
Either way, it would be nice to hear what, more specifically, wholesalers use for their sites!
I buy all my domains from Netfirms b/c they're the most cost friendly and I've always been pleased with their customer service. I like iPage for hosting which has also been exceptional in the customer service dept.
As far as building a site -- I strongly recommend using a database like Wordpress or Drupal (I recommend Wordpress). These databases make building a professional-looking site a cinch -- including setting up effective buyer/seller marketing pages. Your host will be able to up your database. From there, it's just a matter of adding content and functionality - the options with these databases seem endless as far as functionality goes.
@Tony A. thanks for your input. I like what they have to offer, seems pretty cut and dry.
Anybody have any experience with 1 and 1? They are offering first year free for a domain and under $4/month for hosting,.but they have some pretty nasty reviews, but I tried their site creator and it seems to do the job.
Jim Moorecash I've heard bad things about 1and1 as well, although I've never used them myself.
I have used iPage quite a bit, and is currently my preferred hosting provider. Plus they are eco-friendly - if you're into that sort of thing. Right now, they are offering free domain registration for 1st year and $3.50 per month for first year.
I migrated away from GoDaddy after experiencing some limitations with Wordpress customization I was trying to implement on their hosting account. Plus I think their customer support is not very good.
I'm not a big fan of GoDaddy.com but I think 1and1.com and hostmonster.com. I use both.
I use GoDaddy.com because of Danica Patrick ;) I then just buy a template off the internet and customize it in Dreamweaver.
As mentioned, domains you can pretty much buy anywhere. I use go daddy because they're cheap, and usually give me a good discount when I buy in blocks.
For hosting, I prefer Blue Host. Stay away from Netsol (Network Solutions)...no cpanel, and FTP very difficult. You can save some money by partnering up and sharing hosting with other sites. Most ordinary hosting plans can handle numerous sites.
As for site builders, I highly recommend WordPress. Very customizable, and with the right plug ins, extremely functional. Contact forms, Calendar integration,auto responders,...even full fledged RE applications for listing properties.
There is a learning curve involved...it took me a good long time to determine what the best suite of plug ins were, and just how to customize each element. Coding knowledge is not strictly necessary, but some HTML and CSS is extremely helpful. If it's not something you want to devote a lot of time to, reach out for some help. But if you have the time, dive in!
I use more advanced stuff, but If I did not have a team behind me to do by web stuff, I would use GoDaddy.
Originally posted by Watson Smith:
I use GoDaddy.com because of Danica Patrick ;)
hahaha!
Thanks again for your replies everyone. I ended up going with iPage. Only cost me 39$ for a year, domain, hosting, and privacy included plus a bunch of google adwords credits and other free stuff. I was able to get my buyers page up and running completely in less than an hour, pretty awesome!
Now, time for the sellers page...
One reason folks like Wordpress is that it's easy to build.
Our experience shows that a site developed in pure CSS will rank much easier than something built in Wordpress.
It's harder, but our results are much better. We use a third party rank checker and are on page one for half of our targeted keywords with the CSS site.
godaddy - domain
hostgator - hosting
Check internet search engine regardless
which companies you choose
enter " ________ coupon code "
most likely will save you a few dollars
Another vote for Blue Host. Their service has always been solid and the one click wordpress install is nice for those of us who aren't web developers.
I would vote for Godaddy after using dozens of them out there. One of the most important aspects of a website is downtime (servers down) and load time (how much time a webpage takes to load). I have never had any issues with GD ever. Been using them for over 8 years now and I find their support to be good. They usually have a solution to your problem. :)