# I, too, am starting a website ....



## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

........didn't want to hijack the other thread.

I've looked at Bluehost and Hostgator too, even spoken with supporters via live chat. Both were courteous, clear with their responses and patient with my questioning.

I would like to present an idea I have here and get some feedback on it prior to actually setting it up.

The idea is to go with "several" sites on Bluehost. I want to do the following:

1. Encourage wannabe homesteaders to do it by letting it be known (texts and pictures) how I did it, which includes a variety of homesteading elements from raising dairy goats, training guard dogs to gardening...also adding a spiritual component because I did it all walking by faith.

2. Sell jewelry
3. Sell construction-type toys

I am thinking I could set up one site as the "central" local (like spokes of a wheel) that the other sites are linked to (and vice verse). [I also want to set up a "blog"; just not sure where or how.]

In chatting with the support at Bluehost, (If I remember correctly.) I was told many set up "all three extensions" (.com, .net, .org) so someone else cannot hijack their domain name by using an extension they didn't.

I was, also, told a domain name, once accepted, could not be changed.

Thus, my quandary! I've heard others in here talk of how important it is to choose a "name" that googles well, i.e. actually stipulates what the site does. Like for selling jewelry, it might be some name associated with jewelry. I'm not sure but if I chose a different domain name for each of what I'm wanting to do, that could run into quite a bit of money. 

Now, if I chose my user name here, which I've always liked, i.e. "motdaugrnds" as the center of my wheel and chose other names reflective of what that site would be doing, again that would amount to a lot of money.

Any ideas would be appreciated; and please go ahead and be blunt. I take constructive criticism real well as that is one way I learn.


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## larryfoster (May 15, 2009)

A dot com domain is around $10/year.
.biz , .info etc are less

Unless you become wildly successful, I would only buy a .com name.

I use Namecheap and would never use Godaddy (long story)
For around $5/month you should be able to "host" all you sites

Personally, I would set up all my sites using Wordpress which will take about a minute each. 
Longer to tweak it

Think of the internet as a phone book when choosing names.
You go to the white pages when you already know the name and the yellow pages when you are looking for something

That's why you want the domain name to be descriptive of what you're trying to market.
If your jewelry is a specific style try to pick a name as specific as you can.

Example.
Something like NavahoBeadedIndianBracelets dot com is better than bracelets dot com

Let me know if I can help
Good luck


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

I pay about $23/month for a Homestead account. For that, I get:

1 "dot com" domain name 
10 additional domains at "dot homestead dot com"

The dot com domain name stays the same, but I can change the dot homestead dot com names around as much as I want, instantly. 

For me, it's worth it because homestead is idiot proof :ashamed: and I like having those additional domain names to play around with. For example, when I was job hunting I built myself a very nice webpage with my resume, professional information, etc on it...then I could list that web address on my paper resume and on the online applications I filled out.

Having those 10 extra domain names would also allow you to try out some different names and see which ones get the most traffic before you purchase a dot com name.

I'd recommend that you at least talk to the guys at homestead and see what they can do for you.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I went over to homestead.com to see what it was like. The price(s) for the different plans are competitive; but I could not find out "how" to pay the fees. I do not use credit cards nor do I use bank debit cards. I would need to pay either via PayPal, personal check or postal money order. (I didn't even see anyplace that would take me to a way to communicate with them, either a chat window, email or even phone number. ......

I did find more information but that site wanted me to create an account before I could find out what I need to know prior to creating an account, i.e. can I pay via PayPal, personal check or postal money order AND once I create an account, am I stuck with that account name as my domain name? If so, can it be changed?......found the "chat" option.


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

Homestead charges my credit card every month :shrug:

Maybe you can get a Paypal debit card and run it thru that? I think most hosting companies are going to require a credit/debit card number......


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I contacted that homestead about their hosting a site for me and chatted with one of their people. She was polite, yet it became obvious she was not listening to me. Still I accepted her offer to let one of the people contact me (some type of free help they were offering) saying someone would contact me within 15 minutes. Well, here it is about 24 hrs later and no contact...not anywhere (personal phone or email...nor spam folder). This lets me know that is not a host I want to do business with.


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

When I had my website (a few years back), I used Bluehost and was VERY pleased with the service...quick response times, helpful advice, and infinite patience (which they sorely needed for the website newbie that I was!).

If I were to build another site today, I'd use them again.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I did go over and look at both Bluehost and Hostgator. I spoke with the supportive staff on each site and both were patient and informative. Also, both doable financially if I understand the information correctly. I'ld like to state what I understand each to have said here and ask for help in clarifying it. My confusion lies in what I have underscored.

Bluehost is $3.95 per month, which totals $47.40 for the year and $9.99 per year for each additional suffix. (I'm thinking the first suffix of .com is part of the initial set up, i.e. part of the $47.40 stated above; then additional suffixes such as .net, .org, .biz, etc would be the additional $9.99 each year. Is this correct?)

Gatorhost is $3.96 per month for their "hatcling plan", which totals $47.52 for the year and $12.95 per year for each additional suffixes. (I'm thinking the same as above, i.e. that the $12.95 for .com suffix is part of the $47.52. Correct?) 

Thus, it appears I can only have ONE DOMAIN NAME with either of those hosts but I can have different suffixes attached to that one domain name. The only difference appears to be that Gatorhost provides what they call the " launchpad" that locks all domains by default so no unauthorized changes or hijacking can take place; and Bluehost provides "backup files".

The same staff that told me Gatorhost had the "launchpad" that locks all domains by default so no unauthorized changes or hijacking can take place also told me many people would buy "...all 3 suffixes, i.e. .com, .net, .org..." at the same time so no one else could take their domain name simply by adding a different suffix. This is confusing!

I have no idea how to get a 2nd site (or more) with either of these hosts that would have a different domain name without paying the FULL YEARLY FEE for each. 

I would appreciate help in clarifying this as I'ld like to set something up this year.


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## larryfoster (May 15, 2009)

I believe you can host any number of sites with different domain names under those plans.
You sort of have it right when you say "suffix".

One caution.
I would never, never, never buy my domain name from my host.
Did I say never?

For me, I would never buy anything from Godaddy. I had a bad experience.
I use Namecheap.com


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

motdaugrnds check your PMs


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Thank you both so much. I will do some more checking before I purchase a domain name.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

Have you spoken to Nevada? He hosts homesteading today folks for $12.00 a year. All you have to buy is your domain name, or if you don't want to do that he'll set up a name under his server, Entomy. Or buy one domain name and set up the others under that main name. You could buy one domain name and Nevada knows how to set up other sub domains under that. Not sure if he would charge $12.00 a year per site or what. I recommend you PM him as I'm sure he could help you.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Thanks Belfry, I did see where Nevada offers hosting for $12 a year. (I always thought Nevada was a female...because she took care of that sick lady for so long.)

For some reason, I cannot wrap my brain around what it means to get a domain and set up the extensions; then set up other websites under or with or ??? that domain. I don't understand why this is so hard for me...except that I cannot form the words describing how to do it pictorially.


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