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Bluehost vs. HostGator Web Hosting Comparison

Updated January 20, 2020 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

Bluehost vs. Hostgator? – it’s a question that’s a bit like asking “Coke or Sprite?” It’s somewhat slicing details, but it’s a choice nonetheless for something that you’ll likely be using for years.

Bluehost and HostGator are both –

Owned by Endurance International Group (EIG) – a large technology corporation
Established, well-known brands in the hosting industry
Provide a similar menu of products that revolve around shared Linux hosting
Provide pricing & hosting products that focus on small to midsize companies

And yet – they are different companies with different brands. When you are choosing a website host – you still have to end up choosing.

View Bluehost’s Current Plans & Pricing

View HostGator’s Current Plans & Pricing

I have current clients who use (and like) Bluehost. Bluehost has excellent business-focused features & support. They have a known & trusted brand.

I also have several projects that have run on HostGator for years. They have great value pricing, and provide some features for DIYers that are great. I’ve been happy with them.

In this comparison between Bluehost and HostGator, I’ll try to break down the differences that I’ve found in seven different areas ranging from pricing structure to customer service and market focus so that you can decide which is the best fit for your project.

Let’s dive into Bluehost vs. HostGator…

Bluehost vs. iPage Web Hosting Comparison

Updated January 20, 2020 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

“Bluehost vs. iPage?” – it’s a question that’s a bit like asking “Coke or Sprite?” It’s kind of slicing details, but it remains a choice nonetheless for something that you’ll likely be using for years.

Bluehost and iPage are both –

Owned by Endurance International Group (EIG) – a large technology corporation
Established, well-known brands in the hosting industry
Provide a similar menu of products that revolve around shared Linux hosting
Provide pricing & hosting products that focus on DIYers and small to midsize companies

View Bluehost’s Current Plans & Pricing

View iPage’s Current Plans & Pricing

And yet – they are still different companies with different brands. When you are choosing a website host – you still have to end up choosing.

I have current clients who use (and like) Bluehost. I wrote a full review of Bluehost here. I also compared other hosts to Bluehost here. They have a great suite of services and a trusted brand.

Although this site runs on InMotion Hosting (which I’ll mention later) – I also have several small projects on iPage. It’s specifically their pricing that makes sense for many sites. I wrote a full review of iPage here.

In this comparison between Bluehost vs. iPage, I’ll try to break down the differences that I’ve found in seven different areas ranging from pricing structure to customer service and market focus so that you can decide which is the best fit for your project.

Let’s dive into Bluehost vs. iPage…

Bluehost Review: 9+ Pros & Cons of Using Bluehost Hosting

Updated January 15, 2020 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

Bluehost is one of the most established and well-known hosting brands on the internet. It’s a brand owned by the Endurance corporation. I have written about Bluehost in my comparison between Bluehost vs. GoDaddy, but I have never written a Bluehost review looking at the pros and cons of the brand.

See Bluehost’s Current Plans & Pricing

Bluehost has positioned themselves as not only the go-to hosting provider for beginner and starting websites, but also the no-hassle hosting provider for small businesses. I’ve used Bluehost for several projects of my own, and my oldest client has been using Bluehost for more than 10 years.

There are a lot of Bluehost reviews online – usually with user-generated reviews based on anecdotes and personal experience. That’s totally fine but I take a different approach, looking at both the advantages and disadvantages of a host.

Like I have mentioned in all my hosting reviews, I don’t think there is such a thing as a “best hosting provider”, just like there is no such thing as a best car or a best house. It’s all about finding the right fit for your project given your goals, your resources and your know-how.

Here’s what I found to be the pros, cons, and alternatives in a full Bluehost review based on my experience with personal projects and clients’ projects.

Bluehost

Bluehost is one of the most well-known brands in the hosting industry. They are not the highest-performing or the cheapest, but they are a solid all-around hosting solution for websites large and small.

Price: 7.99

Price Currency: USD

Application Category: Web Hosting

Bluehost vs. GoDaddy: Who To Choose For Web Hosting?

Updated January 14, 2020 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

GoDaddy has the brand, pricing, and mind-share in the website industry. Bluehost is one of the oldest and most reputable shared hosting companies on the Internet.

Here’s my comparison of Bluehost vs. GoDaddy for best choice in web hosting – with a specific focus on WordPress hosting.

Web Design vs. Web Development Explained

Updated January 6, 2020 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

Whether you are developing an RFP for a large ecommerce website or are a small business looking for people or tools to build a website, you’ll likely run into the terms “web design” and “web development”.

Even though they are sometimes used interchangeably, they do refer to distinct aspects of a well-built website. Here’s the short version.

Web Design refers to how a website appears in a browser. Web Development refers to what appears on a website in a browser.

Mailchimp Website Builder: Pros, Cons, and Alternatives

Updated December 27, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

MailChimp has been one of the fastest growing email marketing providers for years now. They’ve built an huge base of customers ranging from tiny personal accounts to some of the most prestigious enterprise brands in the world.

In 2019, they added a ton of functionality, including postcards & remarketing as they grow their positioning into a marketing platform. And as part of their growth, they’ve introduced a free website builder.

See MailChimp’s Current Plans & Pricing

I’ve been using Mailchimp for years, and was super curious when they announced the beta version of their website builder (FYI, beta just means it’s their first, trial run version. They’re looking for feedback from users to improve the product).

So I gave Mailchimp’s beta builder a try for a full Mailchimp Website Builder review. But before I get into the pros and cons of my review, let’s dive into an overview about tools to build a website.

There are so many considerations to take into account when choosing a website builder — and really, there are a thousand ways to get what you want in the end in terms of functionality, convenience, pricing, etc. The thing to remember is: whether you’re building a simple personal website or running a business, the way you build your site has a lot of consequences.

In the long-term, it affects your versatility, functionality, and, of course, your brand. In the short-term, it can certainly add/take away a lot of headaches. That said, just like choosing a physical house or office, there is no such thing as an absolute “best” or “top” choice. There’s only the right choice relative to your goals, experience, and circumstances.

20+ Considerations on The Future of Web Hosting, Website Builders & Digital Marketing Beyond 2020

Updated December 17, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

There has never been a time when running a website has been more accessible, convenient, and profitable than now.

But there has also never been a time when running a website has been so confusing, frustrating, and winner-take-all than now.

And that contradiction comes because some of the major computing & networking innovations from the 2010s are finally coming to the everyday Internet.

And as the 2010s close out and the 2020s begin, here are some of my considerations (in no specific order) that I think would be useful for DIYers, freelancers, small online business owners, and anyone planning an online presence.

Email Blasts: Definition, Examples, & Best Practices

Updated November 26, 2019 By ShivarWeb Staff

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

Ah, the art of email marketing. Chances are you’ve landed here because you’re looking into sending email blasts as a part of your marketing strategy, and you’re wondering how to do it.

Email can be an incredibly effective way to connect with your customers and improve your business… when used correctly.

When used incorrectly, it can be a surefire way to land in spam (AKA where emails go to die).

So how do you use email blasts effectively for your business? What best practices should you follow?

But before we get there, let’s cover a few of the basics.

6+ Best Dental Website Examples for Inspiration

Updated November 4, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

So you’re creating a dental website, and you’re looking for dental website design examples for inspiration and guidance. You’re also wondering which website platform is best to use for your website.

But before we dive into examples of what professional personal websites look like in the wild on a variety of website builders and hosting platforms, there is one thing to keep in mind when you’re evaluating a website: it’s not just about how the websites look. The functionality matters too.

Think of it like buying a car. You have a make / model in mind, and you’re probably looking to see them drive by on the road to see how they actually look. However, you also care about how they operate. Does it accelerate well? Does it have the hauling capabilities you need? How is the gas mileage?

Looking at a dental website examples should be done in the same way.

Do you want the website to have appointment scheduling functionality? Do you want a patient portal? This functionality needs to be consider before you start choosing a website builder + hosting platform.

Find The Right Website Builder for Your Dental Website

We collected the following website examples not just to show you how they look on different platforms, but how they can function, so you can be sure you create a website that fits both the look and functionality you need!

WooCommerce Review: Pros & Cons of Using WooCommerce for an Online Store

Updated November 4, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

WooCommerce is the most popular ecommerce plugin for WordPress, which is the Internet’s most popular content management software.

WooCommerce was originally developed by a small theme / web design firm in 2011. It grew rapidly among the WordPress community due to its feature set, but also due to its business model.

Explore WooCommerce’s Feature Set

Same as now, you could download & use the full WooCommerce plugin for free from the start. WooThemes made money by selling compatible designs, support, and from specific extensions (e.g. to connect to a credit card processor).

1 WooCommerce Install

In 2015, Automattic bought WooCommerce from WooThemes. Automattic is the software company run by Matt Mullenweg, the original author of WordPress software.

Ever since, the development of WooCommerce has been tightly coordinated with the development of both self-hosted WordPress and Automattic’s hosted WordPress.com software.

So that’s enough introduction. The point is that WooCommerce is legit, WooCommerce is growing, and WooCommerce can be a great fit for many storeowners…but not all.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the most popular ecommerce option for the most popular CMS (WordPress) for plenty of reasons. But it still has plenty of inherent disadvantages for storeowners. If it's a fit, it's amazing. If not, explore alternatives.

Price Currency: USD

Application Category: Ecommerce Plugin

Types of Digital Marketing: Examples, Uses, and Resources

Updated October 30, 2019 By ShivarWeb Staff

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

Saying you’re going to start doing “digital marketing” for your business is like saying you’re going to the “Western Hemisphere” when someone asks where you’re going for vacation. Digital marketing is made up of a bunch of marketing concepts, each with their own strategies and purposes.

And if you’re wondering what types of digital marketing you should be using in your business, a bunch of grab-bag tips and techniques won’t help you until you first understand how digital marketing breaks down and exactly how each marketing concept works.

I’ve put together a guide on the different types of digital marketing with examples, uses, and resources so you can evaluate which digital marketing strategies support your goals.

I’ve broken digital marketing into three media types (owned, earned, and paid) to categorize the different marketing concepts.

Let’s dive in!

How To Design a Website Layout w/ Best Practices & Examples

Updated October 29, 2019 By ShivarWeb Staff

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

So you’re designing a website layout, either for yourself or for a client, and you’re looking for some best practices and examples to follow.

Maybe you’ve even spent some time digging through templates for inspiration, because hey… it can’t hurt, right?

Wrong!

Website templates are great… but they can be drastically affected by stock photos, brand assets, colors, fonts, etc.

Before you start browsing templates, you first need to understand what your site needs to do, what content you’ll have, and how you need to lay it all out for an optimal user experience.

How to Start a Digital Marketing Agency with No Experience

Updated September 30, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

So you’ve got some marketing skills, and you’re wondering how to start a digital marketing agency.

But there’s just one problem…

How do you start a digital marketing agency with no experience?

There have never been more opportunities to strike off on your own in the digital marketing space than there today. But how do you actually do it? Where do you start, and how do you scale?

The secret to starting a digital marketing agency with no experience is to have an actual strategy, grow organically as you learn, and deliberately build word of mouth with a specific type of client. It’s about taking aim vs. shooting randomly and hoping something lands.

There’s also a major misconception that starting a digital marketing agency has to mean a HUGE process that requires building a massive company and doing “all the things” and taking all the clients.

In reality, a digital marketing agency can be just…you. It’s not about the pricey software or offices or employees. It’s about determining who you help, how you help them, and then actually doing the work.

The business model of an agency is fairly straightforward. Sure, you can tinker around the edges about whether to bill by hour, by week, by task, or by project. But at its core, you are providing specialized knowledge for a fee. An agency of one and an agency of 10,000 work in basically the same way.

With that concept in mind, here’s how to start a digital marketing agency with no experience.

7+ Best Author Website Examples to Use for Inspiration

Updated September 27, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

So you’re creating an author website, and you’re looking for author website design examples for inspiration and guidance. You’re also wondering which website platform is best to use for your website.

But before we dive into examples of what professional personal websites look like in the wild on a variety of website builders and hosting platforms, there is one thing to keep in mind when you’re evaluating a website: it’s not just about how the websites look. The functionality matters too.

Think of it like buying a car. You have a make / model in mind, and you’re probably looking to see them drive by on the road to see how they actually look. However, you also care about how they operate. Does it accelerate well? Does it have the hauling capabilities you need? How is the gas mileage?

Looking at an author website examples should be done in the same way. Do you want the website to have ecommerce functionality so visitors can buy books? Do you want people to be able to book you for speaking engagements? This functionality needs to be consider before you start choosing a website builder + hosting platform.

Find The Right Website Builder for Your Author Website

We collected the following website examples not just to show you how they look on different platforms, but how they can function, so you can be sure you create a website that fits both the look and functionality you need!

Most Popular Micropolitan Areas (Small Cities) for Startups According to the US Census

Updated September 23, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

ShivarWeb has a lot of DIYers and freelancers not living in the biggest, richest cities of the world. In fact, I originally started this business in Athens, Georgia, USA – not in larger Atlanta. As a fun post, I thought I’d dig into some data for my non-metro area readers.

The benefits of big metro areas for new businesses are well-known, but so are the costs in money, time, and health. In the era of remote work, you can get a lot of the benefits of the city anywhere with an Internet connection, except one – being physically around other new business-owners.

With that in mind, I decided to look at the Census Bureau’s data on cities to see if there were any places in America that hit a sweet spot between being small & self-contained and being a popular place to start a new business.

Micropolitan areas are populated areas that have too much population to qualify as a rural area, and too few commuting ties to a larger city to qualify as part of a larger metropolitan area. They are between 10,000 to 50,000 people and quite a distance from a large city.

In other words – micropolitan areas are true small cities.

There are 536 micropolitan areas in America with a core city of between 10,000 and 50,000 people plus the population of the surrounding area.

Here are the Top 20 Most Popular Micropolitan Areas for New Small Businesses in America based on US Census data from 2015-2016 (most recently available). You can view the full list of 536 areas here.

Zoho Sites Website Builder Review: Pros, Cons, and Alternatives

Updated September 15, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

Zoho is a software company that has a suite of products designed to help business owners get their businesses up and running online. Their website builder, Zoho Sites, is an all-inclusive website builder, which means it includes everything you need to create your site (from the builder itself to the hosting).

See Zoho’s Current Plans & Pricing

Recently, I gave Zoho’s website builder a try for a full Zoho Sites Website Builder review. But before I get into the pros and cons of my review, let’s dive into an overview about tools to build a website.

There are so many considerations to take into account when choosing a website builder — and really, there are a thousand ways to get what you want in the end in terms of functionality, convenience, pricing, etc. The thing to remember is: whether you’re building a simple personal website or running a business, the way you build your site has a lot of consequences.

In the long-term, it affects your versatility, functionality, and, of course, your brand. In the short-term, it can certainly add/take away a lot of headaches. That said, just like choosing a physical house or office, there is no such thing as an absolute “best” or “top” choice. There’s only the right choice relative to your goals, experience, and circumstances.

What Is Zoho Sites?

On the wide spectrum of website building solutions, Zoho Sites lives on the end that is all-inclusive and provides everything you need to get started and grow your website. It contrasts with solutions where you buy, install, and manage all the “pieces” of your website separately.

Using Zoho is sort of like leasing and customizing an apartment in a really classy development instead of buying and owning your own house. You’re still in control of decor, cleaning, and everything living-wise – but you leave the construction, plumbing, security, and infrastructure to the property owner. That point is key because there’s usually a direct tradeoff between convenience and control.

Everything may fit together just right with a website builder like Zoho, but that may or may not be what you’re looking for.

As far as competition, Zoho Sites competes with all-inclusive website builders like GoDaddy, Wix, Squarespace, Jimdo, Yahoo!, Strikingly, and WordPress.com.

Compared to their direct competition, they focus on ease of use and integration with their plethora of Zoho products. Zoho offers several website templates you can customize with no coding or design experience required, and also gives you the opportunity to integrate with their marketing and optimization tools.

Zoho Website Builder

Zoho Website Builder is very straightforward with lots of advanced features. The pricing, versatility, and future-proofing leaves some to be desired.

Price: 4

Price Currency: EUR

Application Category: Website Builder

Shopify vs. Etsy: How To Choose, Differences & Using Them Together

Updated September 15, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

If you are building an online store, Shopify and Etsy are two of the biggest brands that you’ll encounter. But a frequent question that I get is – Shopify or Etsy? What’s the difference and how do I choose what to start with?

View Etsy’s Current Plans & Pricing

View Shopify’s Current Plans & Pricing

The core difference is fairly straightforward.

Etsy is a marketplace for handmade, vintage and artisanal products (here’s my guide to setting up Etsy).

Shopify is a hosted eCommerce platform. An eCommerce platform allows you to set up and run an online store on your own domain while they take care of the technical parts & customer support (here’s my Shopify review).

In other words, Etsy is a marketplace where you can have an account. Shopify is software that sets up a storefront for you.

If they had physical world equivalents, Etsy would be a local farmer’s market where you could set up a stall.

Shopify would be a shopping center owner letting you build out your own store at your own address.

But that still doesn’t tackle the question behind the question – so let’s look at the biggest differences & considerations so you can decide between Shopify or Etsy (or both!).

These differences will highlight Shopify vs. Etsy specifically – but they can also be applied to any alternative to Shopify, whether it’s WooCommerce, BigCommerce or others.

Keep in mind that these are all differences/considerations – they are not pros & cons. Everything has a tradeoff that might be a good or bad thing for you depending on your goals, resources and priorities.

Domain Names Explained

Updated September 13, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

Domain Names are human-readable words (e.g., amazon.com) that direct Internet browsers to specific files on a specific server.

As an analogy, a domain is like a physical address… but on the Internet. Like a physical address, they don’t really do anything on their own, but they are critical to understanding when you are building an online project.

1&1 IONOS MyWebsite Review: Pros, Cons, and Alternatives

Updated September 1, 2019 By ShivarWeb Staff

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

1&1 MyWebsite is an all-inclusive website builder from German web hosting company IONOS. Their website builder is geared toward helping small businesses get up and running online with pre-made templates that include images and text based on your niche. Their platform requires zero code or design skills, meaning even those with no website experience can create a good-looking site in minutes.

See 1&1 MyWebsite’s Current Plans & Pricing

Recently, I gave 1&1 MyWebsite a try for a full 1&1 MyWebsite review (I have previously reviewed their hosting services). But before I get into the pros and cons of this website builder review, let’s dive into an overview about tools to build a website.

1&1 IONOS MyWebsite

1&1 IONOS MyWebsite is 1&1 IONOS' hosted website builder. It comes bundled with hosting and drag & drop features.

Price: 5

Price Currency: USD

Application Category: Website Builder

Homestead Website Builder Review: Pros, Cons, and Alternatives

Updated August 29, 2019 By ShivarWeb Staff

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

Homestead is an all-inclusive website builder that’s tailored to helping businesses build their websites quickly, so they can have an online presence. Their platform includes “ready-to-use” templates that DIYers can customize to meet their needs, or simply “plug in” their content and hit publish.

See Homestead’s Current Plans & Pricing

Recently, I gave Homestead a try for a full Homestead Website Builder review. But before I get into the pros and cons of my review, let’s dive into an overview about tools to build a website.

Homestead Website Builder

Homestead is one of the Internet's oldest website builders. Now owned by Endurance, they still offer template-based website design & hosting services.

Price: 7.99

Price Currency: USD

Dynadot Review: Pros and Cons of Dynadot as Domain Registrar

Updated August 27, 2019 By ShivarWeb Staff

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

Dynadot is an ICANN-accredited domain registrar and web host headquartered in California. They were founded in 2002 by a software engineer and state their primary focus is engineering and designing excellence.

See Dynadot’s Current Prices & Selection

Dynadot’s main pitch is to help customers “register domains names and create websites simply and affordably”.

They are one of the myriad smaller domain registrars that have a dedicated but smaller following than the big brands like GoDaddy.

Do they hold up to their mission? Here’s our Dynadot review with pros and cons.

Dynadot

Dynadot is an ICANN accredited domain registrar and hosting company founded in 2002. They offer domain registration and management along with complementary products like hosting, website builders, and email. Simple, straightforward domain purchasing process with cheap renewal rates. Domain management and complementary products are geared toward those with more technical experience.

Application Category: Domain Registration

NameCheap Shared Hosting Review w/ Pros & Cons

Updated August 25, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

NameCheap is an independent (ie, not owned by a big holding corporation) ICANN-accredited domain name registrar founded in 2000. In addition to domain registration, they offer a complementary spectrum of hosting services.

See NameCheap’s Current Plans & Pricing

NameCheap also provides email, a website builder, SSLs, and various services with 24-hour support and a 30-day money back guarantee.

I reviewed NameCheap as a domain registrar here, but have received questions for years about their hosting services. Readers ask because NameCheap Hosting is really cheap – like, suspiciously cheap.

Although I like to keep my hosting and domain registration separate, I had a small project to launch, so I decided to put it on NameCheap and see how the service turned out.

Here’s my NameCheap Shared Hosting review – structured with pros & cons based on my experience as a customer.

NameCheap Shared Hosting

NameCheap is an independent domain registrar and Internet service company that also offers discount hosting services. NameCheap Hosting is incredibly cheap, though they do have heavy plan limitations. If you have a small website and looking for a good, discount host - they could be a great fit.

Price: 2.57

Price Currency: USD

Application Category: Web Hosting

WordPress Hosting vs. Web Hosting Explained

Updated August 24, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

Choosing the best web hosting plan for your specific project has always been a bit confusing. Plan features never line up. Terminology never matches. And pricing varies according to current discounts and plan length.

But that was before the latest trend – WordPress-specific hosting plans.

Nearly every hosting company offers a “WordPress Hosting Plan” in some form.

View my guide to WordPress Hosting companies here.

Sometimes those plans are nothing more than a headline change. Sometimes they are very well-priced for the extra services. And sometimes they are plainly upsells with dressed up “features.”

It’s maddening – because here’s the thing. WordPress software runs fine on typical web hosting.

You do not need “WordPress Hosting” to run WordPress software. All you need is a Linux-based hosting account that supports PHP and mySQL.

Both are run of the mill features since the early 2000s. So what’s with all the WordPress Hosting plans vs. Web Hosting plans?

Well – sometimes a WordPress-specific plan is absolutely worth paying for. WordPress does have some needs & requirements that are not “generic” so some companies can offer seriously better service, support & performance for WordPress installs.

Here’s how they differ along with features worth paying for, and what to look for when shopping for the right host for your specific project and next steps.

Shopify vs. Wix: Online Store Builders Compared

Updated August 21, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

Shopify vs. Wix – they are two of the most well-known online store builders. I’ve written a Shopify review here and Wix review here. But how do they compare directly to each other?

View Shopify’s Current Pricing & Plans

View Wix’s Current Pricing & Plans

First, a bit of background. Over the past few years, online store costs have plummeted, and the technology to get a website from idea to reality has blossomed. Whether you’re using a text editor and uploading to the Amazon cloud, hosting your own site powered by WordPress + WooCommerce or using a drag and drop online store builder, there’s never been an easier time to create an online store.

All-inclusive eCommerce builders have been particularly interesting. Companies like Squarespace, Weebly, Wix, Shopify, and BigCommerce – not to mention platforms like Etsy, eBay, and Amazon – have brought eCommerce to everyone regardless of their coding skills.

On the wide spectrum of eCommerce store building solutions, they all live on the end that is all-inclusive and provides everything you need to get started and grow your website.

That is in contrast to solutions where you buy, install, and manage all the “pieces” of your website separately. That’s not a good or bad thing. But it is something to be aware of when you’re choosing one of them as a solution since it affects your website both long and short term.

In the long-term, it affects your versatility, functionality, and, of course, your brand. In the short term, it can certainly add/take away a lot of headaches. That said, just like choosing a physical house or office, there is no such thing as an absolute “best” or “top” choice. There’s only the right choice relative to your goals, experience, and circumstances.

Using an online store builder is like leasing and customizing an apartment in a really classy development instead of buying and owning your own house. You’re still in control of decor, cleaning, and everything living-wise – but you leave the construction, plumbing, security, and infrastructure to the property owner. That point is key because there’s usually a direct tradeoff between convenience and control.

Ecommerce Real Estate Tradeoffs

Shopify, Wix, and other options like BigCommerce and Weebly as a group compete with options like WordPress (which provides the free software to build a website that you own & control – see my WordPress setup guide here) all the way to options like typing actual HTML code into a text file.

The last preface I’ll mention is that Wix is an all-around website builder with eCommerce capability.

Shopify, in contrast, is strictly an eCommerce platform. This focus puts Wix behind as an advanced tool and Shopify behind as a super-easy-to-use tool. With their respective free trials, you can quickly see the differences.

Make sense? Awesome – let’s dive into the comparison.

Side note – if you want this comparison in a BuzzFeed-style quiz, you can take my online store builder quiz here…

You can also look at my posts on –

Otherwise, we’ll look specifically at pricing, onboarding/user experience, design features, technical features, eCommerce features, marketing features, and customer support.

GoDaddy vs. SiteGround Web Hosting Comparison

Updated August 21, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

GoDaddy vs. SiteGround for hosting is a tale of the established, name-brand, corporate giant against the rapidly growing, scrappy, independent company.

GoDaddy’s Current Plans & Pricing

SiteGround’s Current Plans & Pricing

While there is no such thing as the “best overall” hosting company, both of these companies excel for certain types of projects & certain types of website owners.

In this comparison between GoDaddy and SiteGround, I’ll break down the differences that I’ve found in seven different areas ranging from pricing structure to customer service and market focus so that you can decide which is the best fit for your project.

Let’s dive into GoDaddy vs. SiteGround…

Squarespace Review: 5 Pros & 4 Cons of Using Squarespace

Updated August 21, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

Squarespace is one of the best known brands in the website building space. They do a ton of advertising with everything from podcasts to the Super Bowl and have a beautiful product with a long trusted history. I recently had a project that was a fit for a bundled website builder software. I gave Squarespace a try, along with several other brands. Here are my 5 pros, 5 cons, and full Squarespace review.

But first, a bit of an overview. There are a lot of considerations that go into an choosing a website builder.

There are also a ton of options, tons of pricing – and really a thousand ways to get what you want in the end (aka for someone to type in a website address and see your information in their browser). Whether you are building a simple personal website or running a business, the way you build your site has a lot of consequences.

In the long-term, it affects your versatility, functionality, and, of course, your brand. In the short-term, it can certainly add/take away a lot of headaches. That said, just like choosing a physical house or office, there is no such thing as an absolute “best” or “top” choice. There’s only the right choice relative to your goals, experience, and circumstances.

What Is Squarespace?

On the wide spectrum of website building solutions, Squarespace lives on the end that is all-inclusive and provides everything you need to get started and grow your website. It contrasts with solutions where you buy, install, and manage all the “pieces” of your website separately.

Using Squarespace is sort of like leasing and customizing an apartment in a really classy development instead of buying and owning your own house. You’re still in control of decor, cleaning, and everything living-wise – but you leave the construction, plumbing, security, and infrastructure to the property owner. That point is key because there’s usually a direct tradeoff between convenience and control.

Everything may fit together just right with a website builder like Squarespace, but that may or may not be what you’re looking for.

As far as competition, Squarespace competes directly with all-inclusive website builders like Weebly, Wix, and WordPress.com.

Compared to their direct competition, they try to allow for more customization and code access. Squarespace tries to appeal to the non-developer customer AND the developer community. It’s a tough pitch to sell – but they try it.

Those options as a group compete with options like self-hosted WordPress (which provides the free software to build a website that you own & control – see my WordPress setup guide here) all the way to options like typing actual HTML code into a text file. Make sense? Awesome, let’s dive into the Squarespace review.

Squarespace

Squarespace is one of the world's most well-known website builders. They have truly beautiful designs and lots of functionality. If the all-inclusive website builder is the right solution for you, Squarespace is a good route to go. It has some drawbacks, but plenty of built-in beautiful design.

Price: 12

Price Currency: USD

Application Category: Website Builder

Strikingly Website Builder Review: Pros, Cons, and Alternatives

Updated August 8, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

Strikingly is an all-inclusive website builder that’s tailored to helping entrepreneurs get up and running online quickly and easily. They’re platform requires zero code or design skills, meaning even those with no website experience can create a good-looking site in minutes.

See Strikingly’s Current Plans & Pricing

Recently, I gave Strikingly a try for a full Strikingly Website Builder review. But before I get into the pros and cons of my review, let’s dive into an overview about tools to build a website.

There are so many considerations to take into account when choosing a website builder — and really, there are a thousand ways to get what you want in the end in terms of functionality, convenience, pricing, etc. The thing to remember is: whether you’re building a simple personal website or running a business, the way you build your site has a lot of consequences.

In the long-term, it affects your versatility, functionality, and, of course, your brand. In the short-term, it can certainly add/take away a lot of headaches. That said, just like choosing a physical house or office, there is no such thing as an absolute “best” or “top” choice. There’s only the right choice relative to your goals, experience, and circumstances.

Hover Domains Review: Pros & Cons of Hover Domains as Domain Registrar

Updated August 8, 2019 By ShivarWeb Staff

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

Hover Domains is a domain registrar founded in 2009 as an offshoot of Tucows Inc. (the second largest ICANN accredited domain registrar online). Hover’s M.O. is that they stick to what they know, and that’s domains.

But let’s be honest, you probably only know them from their podcast ads on shows like Hello Internet and 99% Invisible. While Grey and Roman might plug them – you want to know how they actually stack up.

Well – this domain registrar deals solely with buying, managing, and transferring domains on their platform. They do offer email services but they do not offer other complementary products such as hosting, website builders, etc.

See Hover’s Current Prices & Selection

It’s important to remember that a domain is not a website. It’s not an email, an app, or any other service. It’s simply your online address. It helps people locate where you are. If you want to set up a website, you’ll still need to get hosting or a website builder / eCommerce provider that provides hosting (which Hover does not provide).

I’ll dive deeper into this in the pros and cons, but it’s an important distinction to make up front because it helps us understand what Hover’s goal is. They’re not about being an all-in-one solution — quite the opposite, actually. Their focus is only on simplicity. They’re all about getting you your domain and letting you use it wherever you need it through app integrations.

How does Hover stack up against other domain registrars? Here’s our review of Hover Domains as a domain registrar with pros and cons.

Hover Domains

Hover Domains is a domain registrar founded in 2009 as an offshoot of Tucows Inc. (the second largest ICANN accredited domain registrar online). This domain registrar deals solely with buying, managing, and transferring domains on their platform (they also offer email services, but no other complementary products).

Application Category: Domain Registration

iwantmyname Review: Pros & Cons of iwantmyname as Domain Registrar

Updated August 8, 2019 By ShivarWeb Staff

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

iwantmyname is a New Zealand-based domain registrar company focused solely on domain registration and management. The company, which was founded by employees from several ICANN accredited domain registrars, has been around since 2008 and prides itself on its simplicity, transparency, and ethics.

iwantmyname believes in making the domain buying, managing, and transferring process transparent and simple. They’re big on company values (like transparency) and give off the “good guy” vibe when it comes to domain registrars.

See iwantmyname’s Current Prices & Selection

So, how does this domain registrar stack up against the rest? Here’s my experience so far and my full iwantmyname review with pros & cons…

iwantmyname

iwantmyname is a New Zealand-based domain registrar company focused solely on purchasing and managing domains. It promises simplicity and transparency for global customers. A bit pricier than rivals, but a solid product for those who want an easy domain-buying experience. Clean, simple, and zero tech experience necessary, but lacks complementary products.

Application Category: Domain Registration

Shopify Review: Pros & Cons of Using Shopify For eCommerce

Updated August 8, 2019 By Nate Shivar

Disclosure - I receive a commission when you make a purchase from the companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my experience as a customer or consultant to a customer.

There are a lot of options for running an online store – Shopify is an all-in-one eCommerce solution that I’ve used to run several online stores & consult with clients since 2009. Here’s my Shopify review – with 6 pros and 6 cons of using Shopify for your online store.

See Shopify’s Current Plans & Pricing

I’ve been using & consulting with clients on Shopify since 2009. This Shopify review was originally published in 2013 and is re-published frequently with updates to reflect new features / pricing / opinion. From 2016 through 2019, Shopify has improved on several fronts, especially with a much-improved checkout process. Just in the last year, they added same domain checkout – previously a big disadvantage.

But first, a bit of intro.

There’s a lot of options for running an online store, and your choice of best eCommerce platform can have just as big of an effect on your business as choosing a building or location for a physical store. It’s not the end all of the business – but it certainly can make or break your business – and can either expand your opportunity or severely kneecap your business.

What Is Shopify?

Shopify is part of a group of turn-key eCommerce (aka “hosted eCommerce”) solutions that provide everything you need from end to end (minus the product and business know-how) to set up and start selling your product(s) to the world as opposed to you putting all the pieces together yourself (see Shopify’s plans here).

It’s sort of like hiring a general contractor to build your house, over being the contractor and hiring sub-contractors yourself. You’re still in control, but you let the general contractor use their expertise to make the project happen. My go-to analogy is with real estate.

Ecommerce Real Estate Tradeoffs

There are pros and cons to the approach – which is what we’ll get into. But basically know that Shopify competes mainly with BigCommerce and Volusion – all three of which provide turn-key eCommerce solutions, which in turn compete with non-turnkey solutions (like setting up your own store with WordPress).

And these hosted solutions sort of compete and integrate with eCommerce “marketplaces” like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. I wrote more about how Shopify can work with Etsy here and how Shopify competes with website builders like Wix here.

Aside – Shopify also has a “Buy button” functionality that allows you to use Shopify as Point of Sale (POS) / Inventory option – and let customers click to buy your products anywhere online (Pinterest, Facebook, WordPress blog, Tumblr, etc). I’ll be looking less at that – and more at Shopify’s full online store package. You can get the Buy button only as part of the Lite Plan, but it competes with PayPal rather than full online store options.

How Does Shopify Work?

Shopify is fairly straightforward – which is sort of their whole selling point. The broad process is as follows –

Pick a Shopify plan that fits your budget and feature needs.
“Point” your domain that you bought from a registrar like GoDaddy or NameCheap to your Shopify store. You can also buy one via Shopify.
Choose a design/template for your store. You can edit a free one via their drag/drop tool or buy a premium one or hire a designer.
Add your products, page content, payment options, etc.
Go get customers! Here’s an eCommerce marketing strategy to get you started.

Is Shopify Worth It?

It depends! That is a maddening answer, I know. But it’s true. Shopify is a tool. It might not be for you. If you are selling a single digital product on your blog, then Shopify is probably not worth it. A PayPal button or a WooCommerce plugin on your WordPress site would work. But if you need to run a multi-product eCommerce store with inventory, marketing tools, customer records, etc – then Shopify is absolutely worth it…if the pros / cons balance out for your based on your goals, resources, expertise, etc.

Make sense? Cool. Let’s dive into the actual Shopify review.

Shopify

Shopify is a hosted ecommerce platform that allows anyone to setup an online store with hosting and support included. If you are looking for an all-in-one solution for your online store, Shopify is a great way to go.

Price: 29

Price Currency: USD

Application Category: Ecommerce Hosting