Should You Host Your WordPress Site With HostGator? [Coupon Inside]
So you're considering starting your own website?
And you're still on the fence of choosing HostGator?
If so, then this post is for you!
I'm going to discuss the main things that you need to know about HostGator – so that you can decide if it's the right fit for you or not.
Thus, read till the end if you're interested in this topic.
NB: I have a special coupon for people who decides to host their sites with HostGator 😁
What You'll Learn
Without further ado, let me jump🏃♂️ straight into the nitty-gritty.
What Is HostGator?
HostGator is a web hosting company, which helps people to setup & run their own websites online.
It’s owned by EIG group i.e. the one which owns Bluehost, iPage, Constant Contact, etc.
HostGator is known for being one of the cheapest providers i.e. when it comes to shared hosting – since their prices are on the lower spectrum.
Thus, HostGator is not just a random weird company that came from nowhere – but it’s a reputable player🏌️♂️ in the industry.
Anyways, enough of this TED talk🗣!
Let's get into the more interesting staff i.e. the features – so that you can know what to expect i.e. when you signup for this provider.
HostGator Features
1. Uptime
HostGator claims to have a 99.99% uptime rate – which is above the standard 99.95%.
This is great – since your site will be live & running🏃♂️ during most times⏱ of the year – thus, reducing chances of hick-ups.
Keep in mind that, Bluehost also has the same uptime rate – which proves that this company prioritizes this feature.
2. Speed⚡
HostGator sites have an average load time⏳ of 2.7s – which beats🤜 the set 3 second mark.
It's important to take speed into consideration i.e. when choosing a hosting platform – since it is one of the major ranking📈 factors used by Google.
Thus, you should always choose a hosting provider with fast speeds⚡ i.e. in order to increase your chances of ranking on Google.
Now let me clarify some few things real quick:
Speed can be affected by the amount of plugins that you install on your site i.e.
Too many plugins will overload your site – which has a negative impact on load time⏳.
Thus, it’s always advisable to install fewer plugins – which are only ‘necessary’ for your site.’
3. Security Features🛡
HostGator offers some security oriented features – which are all designed to protect your site from external attacks.
With HostGator, you'll get tools🛠 like SSL certificates, PHP – as well as the two step verification feature.
This helps to protect your site from malware👾 & hackers👽 – who’re always on the hunt🏹 for loose sites.
But keep in mind that, some security features comes as add-ons i.e. upsells.
This is common with most EIG softwares – as they try to upsell you on the check out page.
Thus, you should carefully analyse your order i.e. before submitting your payment details💳.
4. Backend
HostGator provides a clean interface – which is easy to use & navigate.
Most features are laid out on the dashboard – thus, you don't need to stress🤯 about figuring-out the cpanel.
Another cool thing about its cpanel is that, it’s responsive on mobile devices📱 – thus, allowing you to log into your account through your phone.
5. Site Migration
HostGator offers some tailor-made tools🛠 – which are all designed to facilitate the site migration process.
This is useful for people with existing websites which they wish to transfer over to HostGator – as you can take advantage of these tools to easily migrate your site.
Thus, instead of hiring a developer🛃, you can literally do this process on your own i.e. just by utilising these tools.
You can also reach out to the support team i.e. if you experience some challenges during the migration process – and they’re more than willing to help.
HostGator Plans
As I mentioned earlier, HostGator is known for being one of the cheapest shared hosting provider in the industry.
Its starter plan (Hatchling) starts from $2.75/month – which is less than the price of standard coffee☕.
With this plan, you'll get access to unmetered bandwidth & disc💿 space – which is great i.e. compared to most starter plans.
But the only caveat of this plan is that, it limits you to 1 domain – which might be a huge blow🤜 to people who want to host multiple sites.
For this reason, you might be forced to upgrade to the Baby Plan👼 – which costs $3.95/month.
This plan is not much different from the Hatchling plan, except that it allows you to host unlimited domains.
Thus, you might need to consider this plan i.e. if you wish to host multiple sites.
However, if you wish to have your own dedicated IP, then you might need to consider the Business Plan.
For just $5.95/month, you can get started with this plan – which is quite fair i.e. considering the prices being charged by other providers.
Now, let me clarify some few things about the prices:
First, you should know that, most hosting providers charges lower attractive prices during the first year📅 – but they’ll increase the prices during the renewal phase.
Thus, you should always check the renewal prices i.e. before committing to a certain hosting provider.
Some companies might seem cheaper at the beginning, but they might be quite expensive in the long run i.e. from year 2 going onwards.
Another important thing to note is that, some essential features might come as upsells i.e. add-ons.
Thus, don't be shocked😳 when you see a bump in the price i.e. on the check out page – since this is common with most hosting companies.
Also, most hosting companies offers huge discounts to people who buys long term commitment plans like 24 or 36 months.
For this reason, you might need to signup for long term plans i.e. if you want to take advantage of these exclusive deals.
Coupon For HostGator
NB: I had to come back & edit this section after some few months of publishing this post.
I’ve been receiving a lot of DMs over the past few months i.e. regarding the issue of HostGator coupons.
So l had to go out there👉 & hunt🏹 for deals🏷 being offered by this company – in case, you might save some money💵.
After a lot of sleepless nights😴, l was finally able to find these great deals & I'm happy to present them to you!
Through these deals, you can get up to 60% discount for long term plans i.e. if you choose to subscribe for 2 or 3 year plans.
This helps you to save a ton of money – since you'll only be paying 40% of the full amount.
Thus, l highly urge you to check out this exclusive promo.
You can also get up to 25% OFF for your first 3 months i.e. if you subscribe for short term plans like 1 year.
Thus, instead of paying $2.75, you can literally pay 2 bucks per month for your first 3 months.
This might not seem like a lot – but these tiny little savings compounds over time⏱.
Besides shared hosting, HostGator is also offering great deals on VPS hosting – as well as its own website builder👨🚒.
But l won't emphasise much on these deals – since most people are only interested in shared hosting deals.
You can get access to these deals using the link below.
HostGator Customer Service
HostGator offers support via email📧, live chat💬 & phone📞 support.
You can reach out to their support at any time, any where i.e. through any of these platforms – and they’ll assist you in no time⏱.
HostGator also offers a pool of online resources – where you can get some solutions for some of the most common queries.
Thus, instead of contacting the support team every now & then, you can get some self help through utilising these online resources.
HostGator Pros
• Affordable plans
• High uptime
• Great speeds⚡
• Offers site migration tools
• Beginner friendly cpanel
HostGator Cons
• Some essential features comes as upsells
Final Verdict
After testing a lot of hosting options, l think that HostGator is just a fine option i.e. considering value for money.
The reason being that, HostGator offers some great features for less money – which is beneficial for most customers.
Also, it has great uptime & speed – which is crucial when running a web based business.
The only problem that l have with HostGator (and any other EIG softwares) is that, they try to bomber🗯 upsell after upsell.
It’s strange to see your order jump from $2.75 to almost 4 bucks i.e. as a result of these tiny add-ons.
But anyways, it is what it is🤷♂️.
If you're interested in HostGator, you can signup through the link below.
