Archive for Free Hosting
3 Free Blog Hosting Solutions
Posted by: | CommentsWhen it comes to starting up a blog and finding web hosting for it, many people turn to some of the free services on the web first. Getting yourself established on a free hosting service, before moving up to a paid one can save you some money – if you are willing to trade off some flexibility and features along with it.
Here are three great free blog hosting services that are aimed at advanced, moderate and new bloggers alike.
Free WordPress, for the People
WordPress might offer the best free blogging tools out there today. Not only do they provide the fantastic WordPress blogging script for download, but they also give you WordPress.com – a free place to start your own WordPress powered website, hosted on their servers, for free. If you want to get a blog up, but you don’t want to miss out on any great features – WordPress.com is well worth checking into.
Microblogging (for free) with Tumblr
Tumblr is another great free and easy way to start a blog. It is mainly focused on short posts, like pictures, quotes, short strings of text, links, videos and more. You can also quickly post things from your phone, desktop and email too. There are tons of free themes, and you can do a lot with customization too.
Free Posterous Makes Making Blog Posts Simple
Posterous is a product I have not used much yet, but I have heard a lot of good things about. Here, you can make a post by simply sending in an e-mail. If WYSIWYG editors, HTML and all that stuff just confuses you, Posterous really makes publishing pretty straight forward and easy. So if you know email, and how to send a message and send attachments, you can use Posterous to get a blog started instantly.
Know of another great free website blogging service? Let your suggestions in the comments!
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How to Obtain a Free Web Domain
Posted by: | CommentsAlthough registering domain names is a cheap and easy process, many people simply don’t want to make an investment until they are sure they know what they are doing. Thus, the search for free domain names seems to be ever-present, and there are frequently new providers springing up that offer free web hosting and domain registration service. Unfortunately, many of these “free” service providers are far from free, and almost all of them have a monetary motive. However, there are ways to get websites, and even web hosting for free. The following information should help you get a free domain, or sub domain for free.
Free Sub Domains
Perhaps the easiest way to get your own domain is to register a free subdomain of a larger site such as WordPress.com or webs.com. These sites let you have a domain that is not only free, but also bears their reputable name. For example, a free sub domain at webs.com would look like – freesubdomain.web.com. There are also free hosting companies that offer sub domains like this as well, such as awardspace.com. These free subdomains will register as a real site with Google, and technically it is your domain.
Earning Domain Names
Another way that you can get access to a free domain name is through a rewards based system in which you fill out surveys in exchange for rewards points. There are sites that will let you fill out several surveys in exchange for a domain name. This works because the site that gives you the domain is not a registrar, but rather an affiliate marketer that earns a commission from every survey that you fill out. Thus, after you’ve filled out the survey the affiliate site then has enough to purchase you a domain as the middle man of the transaction. Nonetheless, it is a viable way to get a free domain name.
Using Web 2.0 To Get Free Domains
You can also use web 2.0 sites like blogger.com to get a free subdomains. Blogger.com will give you a blogpsot domain, that in fact will rank quite well in Google in many cases. For example, if you register your blog with blogger.com, your domain would appear as mybloggerdomain.blogspot.com. Since there are so many web 2.0 sites out there, it can be very easy to build a substantial network of web 2.0 properties in a relatively short period of time. Using these free domains you can create a network of sites used to funnel web traffic efficiently within targeted niches.
.Info Domains
Although .info domains are not free, they only cost around a dollar, and provide all of the advantages of a .com site without the higher cost. Surprisingly, many times .info domains can rank just as highly as their .com counterparts. If you purchase a .com domain with Godaddy you will receive a .info domain for free, so it is possible to get free .info domains. You can also get free domains from many web hosts, as many hosts include free domains with their plans.
Choosing the Best Web Hosting Solution for Your Blog
Posted by: | CommentsBlogging has become a common way to publish content and express yourself online. This popularity is reflected in the countless number of new blogs that go up each day. No longer do you have to be restricted on who you to run your blog with because you can easily host it yourself on a variety of platforms. Before creating your blog site and throwing up your first post, there are some important factors that deserve careful consideration.
What Blog Software Will You Use?
There are many blogging applications available to you, with WordPress, Blogger and b2evolution being among the most widely used. This is all a matter of preference, but it should help to know that WordPress is the most popular of the bunch. Supported by a large community of developers and users, WordPress is highly customizable through a vast selection themes, widgets and endless plugins. Regardless of the platform, you may want to put an emphasis on ease of use as some blogging applications are more complex than others.
Free or Paid Blog Hosting?
When making the decision to set up a blog site, you also need to determine if you want a free or paid hosting service. Free services are abundant and usually do not force you to litter your pages with third-party advertisements like free web hosting offerings. However, there are some disadvantages you should know about. Opting for free blog hosting restricts you in terms of features and control, factors that could possibly limit your potential. If you want to make the most of your blogging experience, it would be best to purchase an affordable web hosting plan that comes with free blog support. Being that blogging has become such a phenomenon, rest assured that these services are plentiful on today’s competitive market.
Finding a Host
If you decide that paid hosting is the best move for you, the next thing you need to consider is the company that will be hosting your blog site. In the past, finding a good web host was a rather tedious process that often left prospective customers worn and frustrated. Things have changed as more resources are now available to aid in your search. There are numerous sites online that provide side-by-side comparisons of companies offering blog hosting services. These sites generally tell you the price you will need to pay for the service and the type of blog supported along with other specifications such as the amount of disk space and bandwidth included in the package. Review sites also make a good source of information, particularly the ones that offer both expert opinions and feedback from real users.
Technology just keeps moving along but it is hard to imagine an internet and World Wide Web without the blog. This medium is here to stay and will likely evolve with improvements that make the experience even more worthwhile. If you can find a web hosting solution that provides adequate support for your specific needs, a blog can give you a viable and near flawless connection to the rest of the world.
Free Hosting Is Not Always The Best Choice
Posted by: | CommentsWith the economy hitting not only the individual but also businesses, many are looking toward free web hosting services to house their online site. For monetary reasons, this looks great on the surface. But going free is not always the best choice and may, in fact, cost your business money in the long run.
Ads
While a company may offer hosting at no cost, they are by no means not making money off of your site. Nearly all free hosting offers will involve advertising placed on your pages. These will be completely out of your control. Some companies try to gear ads toward being relevant to the site topic but this isn’t always guaranteed. Add in the very real fact that your competition may be placed on your web site and this can equal a loss of revenue for you.
No control
Another downside to hosting for free is a severe lack of control. Most free hosting companies do not offer a control panel or an ftp access account to allow administration of a web site. This means you cannot make page changes on the fly or add in programs that may be needed by your business. If you are a retail business, this means no ability to add in a shopping cart or software that helps you control your inventory. Putting a bit of tracking coding is not an option unless you can have access to the page coding. Even attempting to change the look of your web site can be an issue. Some free hosting sites will give you access to templates and a few will even allow some minor changes made to backgrounds. But, all said, you are very limited to what you can do within your own site.
Support
Support is another problem with free web hosting. You’ll be limited to perhaps some online forum areas to ask your questions but you won’t have numbers to call, ticket support systems or one of many options offered by paid hosting. If your business site isn’t working, this can end up costing you a lot of money.
Affordable solutions
Paid hosting these days really doesn’t put a huge dent in your pocketbook. Some hosting companies run specials on a regular basis and you’re sure to find one that will fit your budget. You can find hosting from as low as $3-$5 a month, depending on what your business web site requires. Many of these companies also give a lot of great features for your money – including unlimited web space, unlimited bandwidth and a huge assortment of easy to install programs to get your site up and running quickly.
What it boils down to
When all is said and done, you need to ensure your business is hosted with a company that you can rely on for support and also one that gives you the needed tools to ensure your online site is a success. This is one time when you do not want to “tighten your belt” or “pinch pennies.” Do a bit of research and find a good, solid hosting company with a price you can afford.
Lunarpages September Newsletter – Back to Web Hosting School
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Do you hear that?
The school bell is ringing, the class is about to start, and we have a new newsletter to do your learning from. What is on the proverbial black board this month? We have a plethora of announcements, news, tutorials and guides for you to use.
- LunarNews: September 2009 – What is the latest news for the month of September? We have lots of web hosting goodies for you!
- Affordable Website Design Packages from Lunarpages – Check out the latest on and about our new web design packages. Get both your design and hosting from Lunarpages.
- SEO Tips: Step Ten of Ten – Keeping it Up – In the last of the SEO-inspired series we will help guide you through how to keep up your good optimization practices.
- Easy Ecommerce with Miva Merchant – Looking for an affordable but powerful ecommerce and merchant solution to combine with your web hosting at Lunarpages? As usual, we have an exclusive partner offer that can help you attain all your ecommerce hosting goals!
- Lunarpages Wants to Hear From You – We want to hear from our customers and get to know what we can do better. Take this survey, and you might get up to one year of web hosting for free!
- 3 Ways to Make Your Business More Efficient – TremenDesk, the hosted help desk application, is much more than just a help desk – it is a tool you can use to make your online business more efficient.
- Video Guides and Tutorials for Google Analytics – Did you know that Google provides an entire video series on how to use Google Analytics? We’ll tell you where you can find it!
- Lunarpages Design Database Survey – We are starting a new web design tutorial database, and we need your help! Let us know what you want to see there, where you want to see it and how you want to see it presented.
- How to Deal with Online Content Theft – Ever had your content stolen from your web site? In this article we will share with you the lawful steps you should take to re-claim your digital copyright.
- Best of the Bookmark Resources – Fresh from the Lunarforums, we have a list of the greatest online bookmarking resources from around the Web.
- Hosting Backup and Restore from the LPCP – Backing up your content from the LPCP web hosting control panel has never been easier. Here is a guide to walk you through the steps to getting that task done.
Don’t make us have to hold you after class – be sure to give us your feedback! We always love to hear what you like and what you learned from the Lunarpages Web Hosting Newsletter. Drop an e-mail to affiliate@lunarpages.com or leave your comments directly on www.web-hosting-newsletter.com.
How to Turn a Complaint into a Feature
Posted by: admin | Comments Comments OffYou do not have to drastically change the way you do business though. If you are successful in one area of business, do not toss it aside to do something else that is more popular. I got a question submitted to me the other day from Matt, which touches on this very topic.
Here is what Matt had to say:
How can a free host become successful?
People are always skeptical when it comes to getting something for nothing, so as long as you give free services – you’ll always have somebody out there dismissing your claims of success because they think you’re a fraud. Thankfully, they might also think we never landed on the moon or one of the muppets assassinated JFK. The fact of the matter is there will always be somebody out there to complain.
My question is, do you have to pick one business plan, free hosting versus paid hosting, or can you have your cake and eat it too? I would suggest you keep your free hosting in place, it sounds successful, and you have happy customers – which is something many web hosts, free or not, can not claim. As a secondary service, roll out a paid hosting solution that offers a few perks over the free version. It could be in features, support or anything else you feel like you could offer a little more of to the people willing to pay for it. Then, once that is in place, start marketing your new paid hosting service to those customers you do have, and let them know that it is an option you are providing for them.
Some might bite at the proverbial worm you are tossing out there, and others may say no thanks. Past that point you can sell your new paid hosting option to the masses using the free service as a way to get your foot in the door, as far as seeing how great your hosting setup is. You might even sell it as you are so confident they will enjoy their hosting with you, you are willing to give it away for free.
Thanks to Matt for the question, and to check out his web site – or maybe send some more suggestions his way, be sure to check out ismywebsite.com.
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