DOMAINS
What is a domain name?
A domain name is the online address for your website. The IP address is a unique string of numbers and other characters that is used across the Internet to access websites from any device or location. Think of a domain like a contact number in your phone. Instead of typing a series of complicated numbers (IP address) into a browser, you type in a domain name. A domain name can be followed by many unique TLDs, giving you a chance to stand out online.
Is My Domain Name Available?
Since there are so many domain name options to choose from, the first thing you want to check is that your chosen domain name is still available. To begin, you will enter the domain name in the search box and then click “Search” for your results. When the search is complete, if your domain name is available, you’ll be directed to a page where you can review and purchase it. In the event your domain name isn’t available, Bluehost can provide several variations and extensions of that domain name for you to choose from.
How Should I Choose My Domain Name?
Choosing a domain name is important for your website because it represents your brand or business online. We recommend choosing a short domain with relevant keywords so visitors can easily access your website. While your domain can include letters, numbers or hyphens, you’ll want to avoid any special characters so it’s easy to remember and type into a web browser.
Is Domain Name Privacy + Protection Worth It?
When you purchase a domain name, your personal contact information is registered to your domain and can be found in the public WHOIS directory. In order to keep your information private, you want to utilize Bluehost’s Domain Privacy + Protection which helps protect you from spam and identity theft. Domain Privacy + Protection scans the website you created with your domain and alerts you if there any changes are made or if there is any harmful malware.
Why Do I Need a Domain Name?
Your domain name is connected to a series of letters and numbers called an IP address which solidifies your online address. Domain names not only add credibility to your brand or business, but also help visitors find you online. Having a branded website can help attract visitors to your business. You can increase your online visibility through marketing and rank higher on search engines with the help of SEO. Without a domain name, people would have to remember your IP address. This could be confusing to remember or easily forgotten and would ultimately prohibit you from ever growing your website audience.
Which Domain Names Are Available?
There are tons of websites on the internet. That’s why when you select your domain name it’s important that you find a TLD that accurately reflects what your website is about. Bluehost sells a wide array of domain extensions such as: .com, .club, .co, .space, .us, .website, .org, .net, .me, .biz, .info, .host, .online, .site, .co.uk, .org.uk. and more! Domain extensions are the perfect way to express your brand in a vivid and creative way.
Can I transfer my domain name to Bluehost?
Yes, you can transfer your domain name to Bluehost. The process of transferring a domain is easy. Simply follow these instructions in your cpanel to begin using your domain name from your Bluehost account.
WORDPRESS
What is WordPress?
WordPress is an open source content management system (CMS) that powers over 30% of the internet. WordPress makes it easy to create, edit and manage websites for beginners and advanced users alike. Built by a community of global developers, WordPress is continuously being improved and refined to provide the best functionality and performance for its users. This open source approach has made WordPress the website creation and management platform of choice for new and skilled users all over the world. Whether you are looking to build your eCommerce website or start a blog, WordPress has all of the tools and resources to take your website from an idea to an achievable dream online.
Why WordPress?
WordPress is a content management system unlike any other because it gives users the tools and resources to create a website that’s uniquely their own. As one of the most popular platforms used to create websites, it provides an abundance of themes you can select to design your website, plugins that can enhance your overall functionality and endless customization features. How a user customizes their website is vital to establishing their brand or business online and WordPress provides easy and accessible ways to help you differentiate your website from everyone else.
What is the Difference between Shared vs WordPress Hosting?
Anyone who has a website needs hosting to get their website online. Shared Hosting is a low-cost option for new users that is affordable and can be used with WordPress. Any website hosted through Bluehost automatically has WordPress installed and ready to use. Shared WordPress Hosting is fully integrated with all the WordPress features to include automatic WordPress updates and installation.
What is WordPress Hosting?
Shared WordPress Hosting was designed for our customers who need the resources, products, tools and support to create and manage their WordPress website. Bluehost offers affordable WordPress hosting backed by experts to guide you through the intricacies of WordPress. Whether it’s selecting a theme to design your website, updates to the platform, or ensuring you have the latest and most secure version of WordPress for your website, this hosting plan is great for any user looking to create a dynamic WordPress website.
Why Choose Bluehost for WordPress?
When you sign up for a web hosting account with Bluehost, we automatically install WordPress with your new account. Since 2005 Bluehost has been the #1 recommended hosting provider for WordPress because of our customer service and expertise. We continually offer reliable and affordable WordPress hosting while providing our customers with products, tools and support to help them successfully manage their website. You don’t need to worry about finding the correct version of WordPress, Bluehost always installs the latest version so you have the most recent features available for your website.
SHARED HOSTING
What is Shared Hosting?
Shared Hosting is one of the most popular hosting packages because it provides an affordable way to get your website online. Shared Hosting works by allowing multiple users to share space on a single server maintained by the hosting provider (Bluehost). A Shared Hosting package can include multiple offers or combinations of features as offered by their hosting provider. Bluehost Shared Hosting is perfect for blogging, hobbies and small business websites.
What are Shared Hosting Benefits?
When you sign up for a Shared Hosting package, your biggest benefit is purchasing hosting at an affordable price. In addition to various features, our shared hosting platform is managed which means users don’t have to worry about server management and platform patches. When you purchase a Bluehost Shared Hosting package it also includes an SSL certificate, domain name and more!
What is the Difference between Shared vs WordPress Hosting?
Anyone who has a website needs hosting to get their website online. Shared Hosting is a low-cost option for new users that is affordable and can be used with WordPress. Any website hosted through Bluehost automatically has WordPress installed and ready to use. Shared WordPress Hosting is fully integrated with all the WordPress features to include automatic WordPress updates and installation.
What is the difference between Shared vs VPS Hosting?
When you have a Shared Hosting package you are one of multiple users hosting their website on a web server. This means a specific allotment of resources (RAM, CPU, etc) are not guaranteed for your website. Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting provides more space and bandwidth to manage a higher influx of traffic to your website. VPS Hosting allows you to expand a website over time so you can easily scale up your website as it grows. Users have a much higher degree of control with VPS Hosting so you can customize your control configuration as you’d like.
E-COMMERCE
What is WooCommerce Hosting?
WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that is primarily used for selling products or services online. Regardless if your products are digital or physical, WooCommerce makes it easy to build an online store that is customized specifically to your business needs. WooCommerce also makes it easy to manage your inventory, take secure payments, manage shipping, and will even apply taxes accordingly.
Can I customize my WooCommerce online store
Absolutely. Depending on what you want your e-commerce store to do or look like, you can choose from a variety of available WooCommerce themes. Once you’ve chosen a theme, you can begin to customize it within the “customizer” section of your WordPress dashboard. This will allow you to make simple changes like adding your personal logo or changing the background and font. Coding knowledge is not a requirement for using WooCommerce, however for users who know basic HTML or CSS, customization can be taken to a whole new level. We recommend that beginners to WooCommerce choose a theme that best fits their needs and then learn how to customize it further through our knowledge base articles or community forums. As your customization skills increase, you will be excited by all the possibilities your WooCommerce online store has available to leverage.
Why should I use WooCommerce instead of Shopify?
WooCommerce is completely free to use and is powered by a community of developers dedicated to making WooCommerce as flexible and versatile as the industry needs. As the internet and online stores continue to evolve, WooCommerce evolves with it. Bluehost makes building a WooCommerce website easy for beginners while still providing all the tools necessary for pros. WooCommerce allows anyone to setup and run a professional online store in minutes. The best part is that it’s all powered by WordPress so your data is all 100% owned by you.