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As you begin considering your new blog, you really need to know how to choose the right blog host.  We have already shared our thoughts on how to choose a blog platform, and we are going to presume you follow our tip to go self-hosted.  When you create a self-hosted WordPress blog, you have to start with a blog host.  These tips help you to make the best choice of host for your blog.

A beginner blogger needs the right tools for the job! Check out our tips for how to choose the right blog hosting service to suit your needs!

How To Choose The Right Blog Host

Figure out your budget.  While we can give you a list of our favorite hosting services, it really does boil down to what you can actually afford.  There are excellent blog hosts that range in price from as little as $3 a month to $150 or more per month.  It really depends on your budget, as well as your needs.  First, however, you need to figure out what you can afford as a startup blog, or what your monthly budget is for an established blog.

Get recommendations.  The best place to go is to your friends that have a self-hosted blog or website.  Next, would be to look at websites that specializing in blogging like this one for their recommendations.  You want to look for more than just comments like, “they are cheap” or “it’s a great hosting service”.  You want real experiences and information on the numbers of pageviews being supported. You will also want to ask about customer service, and find out from those who are recommending a hosting service what types of issues the host has resolved.  These are important factors when you face a challenge later.

Consider your traffic needs.  If you are just starting a blog, you won’t need to accommodate 1 million pageviews per month.  The lowest possible service is most likely to be more than satisfactory for you and your needs.  However, if you have an established blog, you’ll want to compare the cost and support offered for your current pageviews.  You want some wiggle room.

Ask about ease of updating as you grow.  While you may not be ready to go up to the next tier of hosting, you do want to know that when the time comes you can make that switch easily.  That means asking about their upgrade process, as well as learning about the different tiers offered to make sure you will be able to continue easily growing with the hosting service growing with you in the process.

Ask about migration services.  If you have an existing blog, it is important to know about your new host migration services.  This is all about how to move your existing content from a free host like Blogger or from a different host to the new one.  Most reputable companies will offer free or low-cost migration services.  If not, you will need to have a tech person or follow tutorials to do this yourself.  For some, having a professional do it for a few dollars more a year in hosting is well-worth the expense.

When you are looking for a blog host, these are just a few of the things to consider to make sure you are making the best choices for your needs.  No matter what hosting service you choose to use, remember that quality will cost a bit of an investment.