Getting Your Site Online

I’m often asked how to take a website that you’ve created on your computer and make it publicly available on the web. The answer is to use a web host to serve your pages to the world.

What is a web host?

A web host company maintains a computer that you send your website files to, and the web host leaves that computer on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year so the world can access your website around the clock. My recommendation for web hosting is SiteGround, especially if your site is running on WordPress.

The Middle of the Road is usually the best!

There are web hosts that are cheaper than SiteGround, and there are web hosts that are more expensive than SiteGround.  I’ve found that you truly get what you pay for when it comes to web hosting (more money = faster page loads).  Like most purchasing decisions in life I believe the best value typically resides somewhere between the two extreme ends of the price spectrum; and this is precisely where SiteGround is positioned.

Avoid the Crowds!

If hosting companies cram too many customers onto a single shared server then websites will load slowly (too few and prices will not be affordable – so this is a balancing act for hosting companies). Although affordable, SiteGround is not a bargain basement host so overcrowding is not an issue.

WordPress

The official WordPress.org website includes only four recommendations for web hosts and SiteGround is one of them! Sites load super quickly on SiteGround because they use all SSD storage, implement native caching and utilize NGINX instead of Apache. wordpress-logo-stacked-rgb Whether you prefer the automated “1-click install” path or you enjoy manually configuring your WordPress installs SiteGround has got you covered.

In the name of transparency I do receive benefits for referrals, but I would not recommend a service that I did not believe in.

About the Author

Brad Schiff

Brad Schiff is a front-end developer, designer, and educator who has been building user interfaces for over a decade. He’s done work for Fortune 500 companies, national political campaigns, and international technology leaders. His proudest achievement is helping people learn front-end web development.

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