Bluehost Review for Hosting a Blog

Bluehost Review 2018 – Hosting a Blog through Bluehost

This is meant to be an honest Bluehost review based off my experience using it for the past year. Bluehost is a hosting option that bloggers and websites can use.

You can sign up below at packages starting at $2.95/month. *This is an affiliate link.

Did I have issues?

Yes.

• Admittedly, I had a few issues at the beginning.
  • This was with verifying my domain name and an issue with (I believe) features I had included that did not mesh well together and/or with my theme. However, while these things made me feel a bit hesitant to write a review, or to contact Bluehost much, I have come to realize that they were clouding my judgment from all the other features.
• Bottom line: I do not expect anyone considering starting a blog, or switching to a hosted blog platform such as with Bluehost, will have the issues that I did. In fact, I have talked to many people that did not have any.
• So I am telling my issues to give a fair perspective. But I do not think they should impact your decision.
• Additionally, these were resolved. I would not be writing this if I did not.

Bluehost Review – Pros

• WordPress Integration
  • Which, among the many features it already includes, soon it will have even more ways to make building pages simple and intuitive.
• Free domain name for the first year
• SSL (allows for having a secure https site which has MANY benefits)
• Plug-ins that have SO many features to make building the custom website you want.
• Many themes to choose from (and a lot of free ones) so you can find the perfect look for your blog or website.
• Space for more content which means you do not have to limit pictures too much to keep your site running at a nice speed.
• Options for selling content and/or services.
  • For example, WooCommerce, PayPal options, and more can make collecting payment a breeze.
• More affiliate program options.
  • For some affiliate programs and ad programs, it is a must to have a self-hosted site. If you get around one that has this in their terms and are able to generate some income, you run the risk of losing it for violating those terms.
• Support via WordPress.org and Bluehost’s dedicated support team. You can reach them by call and chat 24/7.
• Better, more comprehensive, and easier means to track traffic statistics, such as through Google Analytics.
• MANY SEO features.
  • Install plug-ins or use programs that help you improve and understand optimizing SEO for your site.
  • You can see features such as what search terms are drawing in visitors, which pages or posts have high bounce rates (and which ones get a lot of hits), page load times, suggestions for improvement, and more.
  • Some SEO programs are included with select Bluehost plans.
  • Others can be obtained through plug-ins.
• Backup options to save your hard work and keep a copy of your blog saved in case there is an issue.
• Security features.

Resources

• This article by Bluehost is a great overview of starting a WordPress blog: https://www.bluehost.com/blog/wordpress/how-to-start-a-wordpress-website-bluehost-9262/.
• You can also check the Bluehost blog on blogging! It has many helpful articles on the topic of blogging: https://www.bluehost.com/blog/category/blogging/.

Note: Use my link (see banner below; *affiliate link) to get your package at a discounted price, starting at $2.95!

Is self-hosting only necessary for bloggers that want to monetize their blog? NO.

With so many features, back-up, security options, ways to customize the content and layout of your site, support, space, and more, it is not just limited to bloggers seeking to monetize their blog. Although it is a wise option for those considering it!

Final Thoughts

So here is a way to integrate a PayPal donation button….

Want to help me with my blog costs and other self-employment pursuits???? I would be super grateful and you can using the button below!!!

[wpedon id=”1697″ align=”center”]

Any donations are certainly appreciated and can help me cover the time and costs of running a blog, as well as general efforts with self-employment/freelance. However, I take no offense if you cannot make a donation. That is okay! Hopefully this gives some people ideas on a way to incorporate it.