Welcome back to our “Build Your Business Website” series! In this article, we’ll be focusing on an important aspect of building a website for your business: web hosting and domain names.
If you’re new to the world of website creation, you may be wondering what exactly these terms mean and why they’re essential for your website’s success.
Web hosting is a service that allows you to store your website’s files and data on a server, making your website accessible to the internet.
On the other hand, a domain name is your website’s address that users can use to access. It’s crucial to have a domain name that’s memorable, easy to spell, and related to your business name.
In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of buying web hosting with a free domain for your business website.
So, whether you’re new to the world of website creation or you’re looking to save money on your website’s setup, you’re in the right place.
But first, let’s look at the factors you need to consider when choosing a hosting service.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Web Hosting Provider
When it comes to choosing a web hosting provider for your business website, it’s essential to consider several factors.
Not all web hosting providers are created equal, and choosing the wrong one can have a significant negative impact on your website’s performance and your business’s success.
Here are some factors to consider when choosing a web hosting provider:
- Reliability and uptime are crucial factors to consider when choosing a web hosting provider. You’ll want to choose a provider that has a reliable uptime guarantee, ensuring that your website is always accessible to your visitors.
- Features and scalability are also essential factors to consider. You’ll want to ensure that the provider you choose offers the features you need to build and run your website effectively. Additionally, you’ll want to consider the provider’s scalability options to ensure that your website can grow as your business does.
- Support and security are critical factors that can impact your website’s success. You’ll want to choose a web hosting provider that offers excellent customer support to assist you with any issues you may encounter. Additionally, you’ll want to ensure that your website and data are secure, so choosing a provider that offers robust security measures is essential.
- Pricing is another important factor to consider. You’ll want to choose a provider that offers affordable pricing without compromising on quality.
One web hosting provider that meets all of these factors and more is Hostinger.
Hostinger offers reliable uptime, scalable features, robust security measures, and excellent customer support, all at an affordable price.
Additionally, they offer a free domain for 12 months, making it an excellent option for those looking to save money on their website’s setup.
In the next section, we’ll guide you through the process of buying a shared web hosting plan from Hostinger, claiming your free domain, and setting it up for your business website.
Your WordPress site deserves a better host
How to Buy Web Hosting With a Free Domain from Hostinger: Step by Step
Below, we’ll show you how to purchase your web hosting plan and sign up with Hostinger.
1. Choose your hosting plan
Hostinger offers three shared web hosting plans: Premium Web Hosting, Business Web Hosting, and Cloud Startup.
We recommend choosing the Premium Web Hosting plan, as it includes unlimited bandwidth, 100 GB of SSD storage, a free domain for 12 months, unlimited free SSL, and managed WordPress.
It is the ideal option for a small business website that is not expecting huge traffic right away. You can upgrade it to a higher plan as your traffic increases.
To purchase the Premium Web Hosting plan, go to Hostinger click on ”Hosting” from the menu, and then “Web Hosting”.
Next, scroll down and simply click “Add to Cart.”
Next, choose the length of your contract to take advantage of any available discounts.
It’s worth noting that most web hosting providers, including Hostinger, offer significant discounts for longer contract periods.
After selecting your contract length, scroll down to create an account with Hostinger using your Google or Facebook credentials. This account will serve as your login for accessing your hosting account.
Next, scroll down to select your payment option and enter your payment details. Hostinger offers a range of payment methods, including credit cards, PayPal, and more.
Once you’ve entered your payment information, click “Submit Secure Payment” to complete your purchase.
Congratulations! You now have a hosting account with Hostinger. With your new account, you can take advantage of Hostinger’s easy-to-use website builder or install a content management system like WordPress to create your website.
If you need any assistance, Hostinger’s customer support team is available 24/7 to help you get started.
2. Log into your control panel
After purchasing your web hosting plan from Hostinger, the next step is to log in to your control panel. If you were logged out after the purchase process, simply use the credentials provided during the purchase to log back in.
Before you can set up your WordPress website, you’ll need a domain name.
Luckily, as part of the Premium Web Hosting plan, Hostinger offers a free domain name for 12 months.
In the next section, we’ll show you exactly how to claim your free domain name.
3. Claim your free domain.
Now that you have your hosting account, it’s time to claim your free domain from Hostinger.
To do this, simply click on “Claim Domain” from the home dashboard of your control panel.
Next, choose a domain name and extension. It’s recommended that you choose a .com domain name if you can and keep it short and memorable.
Check the availability of your chosen domain name, and if it’s available, click on “Claim Domain“.
To complete your domain registration, you’ll need to fill out your contact information and click on “Continue”.
Hostinger will then send a verification link to your email for you to complete the domain verification process.
Go to your email and click the verification link to verify your domain.
And there you have it—both your hosting and domain name are now available for you to use.
4. Setting up and configuring your web hosting account
Now that your web hosting and domain name are ready, it’s time to set up your website. As mentioned in the main guide post, WordPress is an excellent CMS for building websites, and Hostinger offers an easy installation process.
To begin, log in to your control panel and click on “Manage” or “Set Up” for the account which has not been set up next to your hosting plan name. This will bring you to the main Hpanel dashboard.
From there, scroll down to the website tab and click on “Auto Installer.”
Then, select WordPress from the list of options.
A pop-up will appear, prompting you to enter your website’s name, administrative username, and password. This information will be used to access your WordPress dashboard.
Next, select the latest version of WordPress, choose the language you want to use and click “install.” Hostinger will take you back to the Hpanel dashboard after the installation.
Before we log in to the WordPress dashboard, let’s make one important configuration.
From the main Hpanel dashboard, click on the “WordPress Tab” and select Overview. From there, toggle on “Force HTTPS” to ensure that all website requests are redirected over HTTPS. This will show your visitors that your website is secure.
To access your WordPress dashboard, click on “Edit Website,” and Hostinger will automatically log you in. Now your website is online.
For our next article in this series, we will explore the process of installing a WordPress theme and template on your website instead of creating a website from scratch.
This can save you a lot of time and effort when designing and developing your website.
We will provide step-by-step instructions on how to choose, install, and customize a theme or template that best suits your business needs.
Conclusion
Buying web hosting with a free domain name has many benefits for beginners looking to establish an online presence.
Firstly, it saves money as you don’t need to purchase a domain name separately.
Secondly, it’s convenient, as you can manage both your hosting and domain name in one place.
And finally, it’s a great way to kickstart your online journey without worrying about the technicalities of domain registration.
As a final thought and recommendation, Hostinger is a reliable web hosting provider that offers affordable pricing plans with a free domain name included.
Their support team is available 24/7 to assist with any technical issues or questions. We highly recommend Hostinger for beginners who are looking for a user-friendly and budget-friendly web hosting solution.
Remember to choose a plan that suits your needs and take advantage of the free domain name offer.
With Hostinger, you can confidently start your online journey and build a successful website for your business.
Your WordPress site deserves a better host
Additional Information
- The Comprehensive Guide To Creating Your Small Business Website
- Exploring The WordPress Admin Dashboard
