Tag Archives: Bluehost

Step by step guide to transfer your domain to Bluehost

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One of the most exciting steps when signing up for a new website is choosing a domain. Conducting a domain name search to find the perfect name and registering it makes everything feel official. However, over time you may find yourself unhappy with your hosting providers’ service or realize that your needs have expanded. You might opt to transfer your existing domain name to another provider.

Can You Transfer a Domain Instantly?

A domain transfer is a process of changing your domain registration. You can transfer your domain instantly if it satisfies the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) transfer conditions, which require you to have had your domain for at least 60 days.

What Is the Average Domain Name Transfer Time?

A domain transfer can take anywhere between five to 14 days to complete. The amount of time it takes depends on how fast you meet the requirements and how quickly your current domain name registrar and the web host you’re switching to authorize the transfer.

To have a better idea of the domain transfer process, keep reading for a step-by-step guide on how to transfer a domain.

Step by step Guide

  • Choose a new web host and create an account with the host you want to transfer your domain to. 
  • Review your contact information When you register for a domain, the registrar will ask for your contact information because your new web host will be notifying the administrative contact during the transfer.

If you’re using your domain-associated email, you need to change it to a general or public email address such as Gmail.

  • Update privacy settings with the current registrar – Disabling domain privacy allows the current registrar to view your contact information. You will then need to wait for the WHOIS database to update its records with your details.
  • Update your name servers – Name servers direct the traffic from your domain to the host server. 

If you already moved your website to your new host, it’s best to update the name servers now as you cannot make DNS changes when the domain transfer is in progress.

  • Unlock your domain name – Upon purchase, most domain registrars “lock” your domain to ensure it’s safe from unauthorized changes or transfer attempts. 

Unlocking your domain name is relatively simple — some registrars will let you do so manually, while others will do it for you.

  • Request your authorization code – The last thing you need before initiating the domain transfer process is the EPP (or authorization code). Most registrars send this code via email. 

This step often takes the longest — it can take up to five days before you receive your code.

  • Initiate the transfer – Once you’ve received your EPP code, you’re ready to initiate the transfer. Your new web host will guide you through the process.
  • Pay for the transfer – An important thing to note about the domain transfer process is that some web hosts will charge transfer fees on top of annual renewal costs. Consult the web host you’re transferring to for any related charges.
  • Cancel your previous domain registrar – Make sure the domain transfer is completed, and your new account is up and running before canceling your prior service.

If you’re moving to Bluehost, you can check out this guide on transferring your domain.

Why Your Domain Transfer May Be Taking Long

If your domain transfer is taking longer than the recommended amount of time, you may have encountered some issues, such as:

  • Your new web host hasn’t received the EPP code – It can take anywhere from five to 14 days to receive the EPP code in your email. 

If you haven’t received the code yet, check your domain’s registered email address. If it shows the domain-associated email address, you’ll have to file a Change of Registrant request.

Otherwise, if you’ve changed your email address, check your spam or trash folders. 

  • Invalid EPP code – The EPP code is case-sensitive, so if you encounter any errors, simply copy-paste the code again and make sure to remove any spaces before or after it. 

If it still doesn’t work, the EPP code may have expired, so you will need to request a new one.

  • Domain privacy is enabled – If you’ve already received an EPP code but still experience delays in domain transfer, check whether your domain privacy is disabled.

If your privacy settings haven’t been updated, the registrar will send the domain transfer emails to a Privacy Protection inbox that isn’t easily accessible.

Once domain privacy is disabled, it will take up to 24 hours for the WHOIS database to be updated. Only then can the new administrator receive the domain transfer email.

If you’ve tried the fixes here but cannot find the solution to your problem, visit Bluehost’s domain transfer troubleshooting guide. If you’re not satisfied with your current domain registrar, it’s easy to transfer your domain.

Bottom line

If you’re searching for a domain registrar or a new hosting provider, look no further than Bluehost. Because Bluehost is a trusted global hosting provider that offers a large selection of domain names, including geo-location domains. Bluehost domains offer domain privacy, 24/7 support, and the ability to create a fully customizable website. Sign up for a Bluehost domain today.

The Truth About Website Hosting Costs

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Every website needs a hosting plan. Some plans start below $1 per month. Others are over $2,000 per month! To make matters even more complicated, there are more than 300,000 web hosting providers on the market today. Trying to find the best web hosting plan for your site without overpaying can feel like an impossible task. 

This guide will teach you the truth about web hosting costs. We’ve identified the top costs associated with web hosting and how to evaluate those costs as you’re shopping around. By the time you finish this post, you know what you need and what you should pay for a hosting plan that meets your needs.

Web Hosting Type

The type of web hosting plan you select will have the most significant impact on the price. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but generally speaking, here’s the order listed from cheapest to most expensive:

  • Shared web hosting
  • Cloud web hosting
  • VPS (virtual private server) web hosting
  • Dedicated web hosting

Depending on the hosting provider, cloud hosting and VPS hosting might be switched. There’s a significant price gap between each type of web hosting. The starting price of a dedicated server is roughly 20 times higher than the shared starting rate. 

Unless you’re expecting huge traffic surges out of the gate, the vast majority of new websites should stick to a shared plan. That’s the best way to save some money, and you can always upgrade down the road as your site grows. 

Contract Length

Generally speaking, you’ll need to commit to a longer-term contract to get the lowest possible rate. This is one of the best ways to save money on web hosting costs, especially as a new customer. 

Depending on the provider, plans are typically offered in 12, 24, 36, and up to 48-month contract terms. Month-to-month web hosting isn’t very common. So expect to commit to a year, at a minimum. 

Renewal Rates

Locking in a long-term contract also helps you avoid renewal rates. It’s standard practice in the web hosting industry for providers to offer low promotional rates and then jack up the prices when your contract renews. 

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like they aren’t upfront about it. But most people don’t think about the costs they’re going to incur three or four years down the road. Some providers double, triple, or even quadruple your rate upon renewal. 

Hosting Resources

Every web hosting plan allocates a certain number of resources to your website. While this might vary slightly from one provider to another, here’s a basic overview of what to expect:

  • Bandwidth – How quickly your server can transfer data. 
  • CPUs – Central processing units to handle all the requests on your site. 
  • RAM – Short-term memory for processing multiple requests simultaneously. 
  • SSD Storage – The maximum allowed size of your website.

Setup Fees and Site Migrations

Most web hosting providers offer free setups. This is especially true with entry-level packages, like shared hosting plans. However, if the provider needs to take in-depth steps to get you started, you might incur some setup fees. 

Setup fees are more common at the dedicated server level, where providers need to physically add hardware components based on your plan requests. 

Domain Registration

Normally, I wouldn’t mix domain registration and web hosting. It’s usually in your best interest to get your domain name from a domain registrar and your hosting package from a web hosting provider. That said, new websites can bundle the two, especially through Bluehost. All new Bluehost customers get a free domain for one year with a web hosting subscription.

It’s cheaper long-term to get your domain directly from a registrar. Bluehost’s domain renewal rates will be a bit higher. But overall, the added cost is pretty marginal. Most new website owners will just find it easier to bundle everything under one roof, as opposed to using different platforms for a domain name and hosting plan. 

Security

There are a handful of different security measures that should be added to your site. I’m referring to things like network protocols, spam filtering, malware scans, firewalls, and more. But you can get additional security directly from your web hosting provider. 

At a minimum, every web host should be offering you a free SSL certificate. That’s become an industry standard, and I wouldn’t recommend any host that charges an extra SSL fee. 

Managed Support and Server Maintenance

Managed web hosting has become increasingly popular over the years. The term has different meanings depending on the plan and provider you’re using, but in short, a managed web host will take care of all the server operations behind the scenes. This typically includes setup, maintenance, server monitoring, support, updates, and more. Alternatively, high-traffic websites could consider a managed WordPress plan. 

Package Extras

Every web hosting provider makes an effort to sign you up for as many different services as possible. Navigating through upsells is just part of shopping around for web hosting. With that said, you can skip the vast majority of add-ons and upsells offered by web hosts, especially the ones that aren’t directly tied to web hosting. 

Downtime

Downtime is an indirect cost of web hosting. It’s not something that you’ll see on your bill.

But every time your site goes down due to a server crash or network error, it costs you money. The type of website you have and your monetization strategy will dictate exactly how much money you’re losing. 

You can use uptime monitoring from Pingdom to see how different web hosts stack up with each other. 

Don’t just look at an uptime guarantee from a hosting provider and assume you’re in good shape. Those guarantees typically come with all types of contingencies. If they fail to meet the uptime agreement, you’ll just get credit off of a future bill. 

Always look at reviews to see what real people have to say about the uptime reliability of different web hosting providers. Frequent downtime can be costly long-term. 

Conclusion

Your total cost to host a website will depend on several different factors. I’ve identified the top ten costs associated with web hosting above. As you can see from this list, it’s fairly easy to keep hosting costs low if you understand what to look for. 

Bluehost is a favorite way to save money on web hosting. So if you sign up with them, you’re on the right track. You’ll even get a free SSL certificate and free domain name.

How to create an E-commerce website using WordPress in 2021?

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WordPress has devoted plenty of blog space to helping small business owners rapidly set up their sites and create engaging content to push them to the top of the search engine page. But for those who want to create an e-commerce site, the process can be a bit more intimidating — especially for those who are new to the realm of online retail.

Even if you don’t have extensive coding skills or fully understand all the jargon associated with selling your products or services online, you can still build a great e-store and connect with consumers everywhere in just a few simple steps.

Steps on How to Set Up an E-Commerce Store on WordPress

Step 1: Choose Your Web Hosting Service

If you don’t already have a reliable web hosting partner, that is an excellent place to start. With a full-service host, like Bluehost, you can get your domain name and choose the ideal package for your business goals.

When you choose your web service, you’ll also need to decide whether to use a standard extension — like .com or .net — or a new Top Level Domain (TDL), such as .coffee or.NYC. Keep in mind that your domain name is more than just an online name — it can impact your credibility and competitive status for years in the future.

Step 2: Choose Your E-Commerce Platform for Your WordPress Store

Magento, Shopify, and WooCommerce are some of the top e-commerce platforms recommended by tech experts. If you decide to use a hosted online business solution like WooCommerce, you can simplify your setup process and get your domain name from the same vendor. Look for options that are intuitive, adaptable, and scalable so that your software will accommodate your growing business rather than having to switch platforms as your customer base expands or you add new items to your product portfolio.

Since 39 percent of all online stores use WooCommerce (more than any other platform), it’s obvious that they know what they’re doing when it comes to helping e-retailers manage their inventory. WooCommerce already comes with PayPal, Bankers’ Automated Clearing Services (BACS) for direct debit and credit, and cash on delivery. And if you want another payment gateway, they offer several extensions. It’s easy to adjust your shipping methods too.

Step 3: Build Your New E-Commerce Site in WordPress

Because you don’t need any coding skills or a lot of time to build an online retail store with WooCommerce, we recommend this software to our small business owners. WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin, and we offer special services and pricing for our customers.

1.Install WordPress Plugin

Here’s how to install it:

  • Log in to WordPress and navigate your way to the Administration panel.
  • Select “Plugins” then “Add New.”
  • Search for WooCommerce — just type the full name and hit enter. You can view specs such as the ratings and description if you want more information before installing the software.
  • If you are sure this is the software solution for you after reviewing the details, click the “Install Now” button.
  • Answer the pop-up “Yes.”
  • Wait. WordPress will complete the installation. You’ll receive an on-screen notice when the install is complete.
  • It’s just that simple. The built-in wizard walks you through the process step-by-step so you don’t miss any vital pages, like product pages and shipping and taxes info.
  • After you’ve installed the plugin, you’ll have the option to set up and create the necessary pages.

Other WordPress E-Commerce Plugins

  • Shopify
  • BigCommerce
  • WP Easycare

2.Create Your Pages

This is as easy as clicking on the “Continue” button.

3.Configure Shop Locale

After you create pages, define your locality so the system can display info in the proper terms. In this step, you answer basic questions about currency and measurement language (i.e. kilos or pounds, dollars or euros, plus package dimension guidelines for domestic and international shoppers).

4.Set Up Shipping and Taxes

The shipping and tax screens let you define tax rates and shipping and handling policies, including any domestic/foreign limitations related to product sales. If you haven’t got a clue what tax rate to charge, don’t stress. WC has an intuitive feature that offers suggestions on your locality, and you can always go back and tweak the details later.

5.Configure Payment Gateways

Here you’ll establish which payment gateways to offer your customers. You can select from standard options like C.O.D., ACH (bank transfer), and Paypal, or non-traditional payment options by installing add-ons immediately or later. And that’s it! At this point, you can either tell WooCommerce to set product data and generate your first product pages or add individual products manually. We recommend that you review this Torque article if you are planning to build out your product pages or you want to get a peek at the wizard screenshots before you start the onboarding process.

Step 4: Customize Your E-Commerce Store

Installing the software means you have officially “built” a new online store, but don’t stop now. It’s time to customize your store to deliver high-quality content and a stellar user experience to drive sales. Check out the following resources for tips and suggestions to help you build out your store to attract — and convert — a steady stream of customers.

  1. Test all links — pretty bells and whistles are pointless if site users cannot navigate smoothly to the checkout page.
  2. Consider using site-promoting products, like the WC Showcase that help you get your site noticed in a sea of competitors.
  3. Leverage tools like LiketoKnow. that drive Instagram users to your site. Not familiar with this marketing tool? Watch this short video that covers the basics in less than 2 minutes.
  4. More than 8 out of 10 consumers trust online reviews as much as referrals and recommendations from friends and family. Make it easy for consumers to leave reviews on your site and share your content.
  5. Add social media buttons to your site. Pew Research found that nearly 75 percent of all online adults use social media daily. Twitter has more active users than the entire population of Indonesia. Facebook has almost as many users as the population of China (about 1.37 billion people).

Don’t forget to add Google Analytics to track user behavior & create a blog for your WordPress Online Store to help drive traffic to your store.

Bluehost – Hosting Features and Affordable Results

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Bluehost is dedicated to getting your idea online. Whether you’re a blogger, a small business, web designer, or developer, Bluehost has something for you. Bluehost enables small businesses to create an online identity by equipping them with the right tools – domain hosting, marketing tools, recommended SEO keywords, analytics dashboards, and more, all at affordable prices, appropriate for small business budgets.

There are lots of hosting providers on the market today. But what makes Bluehost stands out?

More Than Shared Hosting

Bluehost provides nearly every web hosting service that you could need including advanced hosting like VPS, dedicated server, and managed WordPress hosting. They handle the technical details, like updating plugins, updating the core, handling security, and optimizing performance.

Hosting Features

Bluehost provides you with more than what you can normally expect from hosting plans.

Here are the top Bluehost features:

  1. Easy-to-use
  2. Dozens of site tool add-ons
  3. Free site builders
  4. Free domain-specific email addresses
  5. 99.99% uptime
  6. Technology to support fast page load times
  7. Cloudflare integration 
  8. Free SSL certificate.
Affordable Results

The good news is that some critical digital marketing services can be commoditized and delivered at valuable costs. That’s a core part of Bluehost’s strategy.

These are some of their services:

  • Websites: You can use their easy Do it Yourself(DIY) site builder to create your own or you can get their design pros to build a site for you.
  • SEO, advertising, social media marketing, and local business visibility: Bluehost provides professional marketing services, including creating content for your site. You can get monthly consultations with a marketing professional. And they measure progress so you can see your Return on Investment(ROI).
  • Technical support: In-house professional experts for 24/7 help and support includes video tutorials, guides, and more.

So, if you have a business website, or need one, Bluehost is a solid web host that’s worth checking out.