I’m a fan of self-hosted WordPress sites. I think they have a number of advantages when compared to wordpress.com:
- You own the site and it won’t be affected by any changes to wordpress.com
- It will be cheaper in the long run (as it’s difficult to run an effective author website on a free wordpress.com account)
- You can use plugins to link it to your mailing list
- Hundreds of free plugins and themes
- No adverts
But the thing that scares a lot of people about getting a self-hosted site is finding hosting.
I’m going to try to make that easy for you. Here are my recommended hosting providers:
Siteground
Based in the UK, Siteground’s plans start at just a few pounds a month. They have great support and a WordPress installer that means you can install WordPress with one click.
If you use this link you’ll get a big discount for your first year. It’s an affiliate link because I’m a customer, but I’m only recommending them because I’ve been pleased with their service.
Bluehost
Bluehost are based in the US and like Siteground, will give you dedicated WordPress support and a one-click install. They’re one of the providers recommended by wordpress.org.
This link will give you a big introductory discount (an affiliate link for wordpress.org, not me – which helps the free platform stay afloat).