Best website for domains and hosting

[GreigR]

Hello,

I’m looking to purchase my first domain names, build my own website and host it.

What’s the best site to use for this, 123 reg, godaddy............?

Thanks

[Muntu]

I use 1and1.co.uk for all of mine. Not a single issue in 10+ years

[jammy-git]

Please don't use GoDaddy or 123reg.

Namecheap aren't bad for domain names, Google Domains have a good reputation, but won't be the cheapest.

Hosting, I recommend Krystal. Install Wordpress, buy a template from ThemeForest.

Or use something like SquareSpace or Weebly.

[otherman]

I think the first key question is who's going to build the site? If you plan to use one of those services auto-builders, then they'll soon lock you into a monthly fee to use it. I like to commission a site build, using peopleperhour or some such, then host the files independant of the those corportate monsters. Currently I'm using hostinguk.net and bestwebhosting.co.uk. I'd also recommend using a host in the country you plan to do most of your business. Better google ranking.

[ReverendCounter]

I would suggest 1&1 for domain purchase (£1 offer tat the moment) and Krystal for hosting.

And I would also avoid godaddy and TSO.

[droopsnoot]

I use 1&1 for my own site and one I look after for a car club, but I'm looking for somewhere else. This year the hosting would have been around £72 per annum, but an offer meant it's down to around £1.20 per month but only for twelve months. I'm keeping an eye here, there was another thread recently where some suggestions were made too.

Like everything else, it seems that staying in one place isn't a good idea in terms of costs - for my site that matters more than five-nines uptime for example.

[jammy-git]

Personally I always put customer service and server security over saving £20 or £30 a year on hosting. In the past I've spent WAY more than that in time trying to resolve issues caused by poor hosting policies.

[Hoofy]

Well, I've used Easily since 1997. It's not the fastest so I wouldn't necessarily recommend them. And I can't currently update to WP 4.9.1 (an issue they're resolving). However, I have used them for about 20 years so they can't be that bad.

TSOHost - used to be recommended on PH and I suggested a friend use them. I manage the site and haven't had any problems in two years. It's very quick. WP updates in seconds (Easily can take 10 minutes). When I first went to update on TSO, I clicked the button and said, "Right, let's go make a cup of coffee while... oh." when the message at the bottom said the update had been completed.

[tribalsurfer]

Signed up with Falcoda yesterday and so far unbelievably impressed, very swift transaction, online chat quickly answered questions. Astonishingly cheap £42 for 3 years.

[VEX]

Please DONT use TSOHost. Used to be good, but the last issue I had took 17days to resolve, but once I got to the MD it was fixed in 30mins.

Had to take to facebook and twitter to get noticed and resolved.

Actively looking to move away again.

[Craikeybaby]

As above, TSOhost used to be great, but they've been taken over and service has suffered. Unfortunately the domain registrar I used has suffered the same fate, so struggling to find a good UK based ICANN accreddited registrar.

[jammy-git]

VEX said:

Please DONT use TSOHost. Used to be good, but the last issue I had took 17days to resolve, but once I got to the MD it was fixed in 30mins.

Had to take to facebook and twitter to get noticed and resolved.

Actively looking to move away again.

I've just moved from Vidahost/Tso back to Krystal hosting. I used them years and years ago and they were very good back then. A designer friend of mine has used them for 5-6 years and raves about them still, so when I noticed things started to go a bit downhill with Vida I moved back. Can't recommend them highly enough. Wordpress sites I've moved across have generally sped up by 50-60%, especially using the Litespeed WP plugin.

[GCH]

Moved from godaddy to google recently..no issues so far and significantly cheaper.

[strain]

used Vidahost for 5 years, lost it earlier last year when websites where being infected all over the place, no support etc.

moved to Guru host and can't complain!

[Xaero]

I moved from Host Gator to A2 hosting last year. HG were fine but price just goes up too often and you never get the same prices as a new customer, when I said I wasn't happy with the price they dropped it by 15%, but going through the process of moving away they got even lower and were virtually matching A2 hosting new customer prices by the time I left in order to keep me, but it annoyed me that they couldn't just give their best price straight away.

A2 hosting have been fine but they constantly send me emails saying my website is vulnerable, needs things updating etc, which I never got with HG, and I find it a bit overboard.