The task of choosing a name and hosting provider can feel overwhelming. There is a ton of tech jargon out there that, if you’re not used to reading it, can be very difficult to understand, and it’s often hard to separate a company’s marketing messages out from what’s really going on with the product.

The following is a list of recommended service providers to help you navigate the process of buying a domain, setting up your hosting, and getting your blog up and running.

Featured Hosting Providers

dreamhost_com_review_300x250-Sunny2Best Service: Dreamhost.com

Dreamhost is my favorite hosting provider if you’re looking for high-quality service at a reasonable price.

There are lots of cheaper options out there, but at only $8.95 this service is still definitely one the best values you can find. Read full Dreamhost review.

 

arvixe_com_review_logoBest Bargain: Arvixe.com

Arvixe is an excellent alternative to some of the more “mainstream” budget hosting services (like HostGator and Bluehost).

They have a high quality service at an inexpensive $4 a month, which is about as cheap as it gets if you want to maintain reliability. Overall a great option. Read full Arvixe review.

Featured Domain Registrar Services


Your Website Works while you play! Start with a $1.99 .Com Domain from GoDaddy!

GoDaddy and Namecheap are the two leading domain registrars, and fall squarely ahead of the rest of the competition. They each have their benefits and drawbacks, but when it comes to selecting domains, either is a good option.

Both companies also offer comprehensive hosting plans, but for hosting I usually prefer to go with one of the sites primarily focused on hosting: Dreamhost, or Arvixe.

 

Namecheap

Both GoDaddy and Namecheap also offer comprehensive website builders and content management systems.

If you’re building a site that contains primarily static content, and you aren’t interested in using one of the major blog CMS providers (like WordPress), these out of the box content management systems can be a good solution.

For more information you should read the full GoDaddy review, or the full Namecheap review, which goes into more detail on the options provided by each service.