Want to save money on your small business website, and do it yourself? Awesome! Here’s what I use:
- WordPress.org – Love it. 32% of the web is running WordPress software – from tiny blogs to major news sites. (Think of WordPress as an operating system like iOS or Windows, but for websites.) I know some people have a website with Google Sites, or Wix, or even WordPress.com, and that’s great. But when you get your own plan on a web host and run WordPress software itself (open-source), you have complete control to install whatever themes and plugins to customize your site. WordPress.org software is open-source and free… but you need to buy a domain name, and find a web host to 1-click install WordPress on their server so the internet can see your website.
- 10dollar.ca – I use 10 Dollar.ca to buy and manage my domain names. Cheap annual prices and free domain privacy. When I first started with them, domains were only 10 dollars, but with inflation, now Canadian (.ca) domains go for $11.55 and regular (.com) domains go for $14.96 per year. (See Current Prices) I’ve been tricked by a few domain registrars out there that offer a great first-year sale price, and then you get stuck with extra fees (for privacy) and renew your second year at a much higher annual price. I have 24 domains registered with 10 Dollar.ca. Easy to use, easy to manage, and easy to set up your domain for G suite, or Cloudflare, or other stuff.
- Bluehost Web Hosting – I started using Bluehost over a decade ago to power my classroom websites. I still use it today for little projects (like Macy and Daddy.com) because you can quickly set up a WordPress site for only $3.95 per month. (Psst, I don’t use them for my domain name. Double Psst – even though they say unlimited, there’s a fine-print, and they’ll throttle your website if you have too many visitors at the same time…)
- WP Engine – I’m currently using WP Engine for my major projects and client sites. Webhosting for a single WordPress site costs $35 per month, but they provide all of the Genesis Premium Themes for free, as well as 3 environments. (So, I can show clients their site on a password protected “development” environment, while their “production” site is live and unchanged to the world.)
- Cloudflare – I use Cloudflare to protect my websites. So, basically, I buy my domains at 10dollar.ca, point them to Cloudflare’s servers. Cloudflare then points to my webhost where WordPress runs. Basically, Cloudflare does some mojo magic to provide faster websites and protect me from internet threats. For my current needs, I’m on their “free” plan, which makes me happy. (They have a pretty video here that explains what they do.)