A good web presence is vital to success. Part of your web presence includes having reliable, easy to use website hosting. Host Gator hosting is one of the world’s largest web hosting companies. It offers unlimited bandwidth, unlimited domains on a single account (with most plans), reliable servers and more.

You will need:

• To know what type of hosting you need
• An idea of what features you need
• A domain name picked out and/or purchased
• A credit card or PayPal account to place your order

Step 1: Decide which type of hosting you need

Host Gator hosting offers 4 types of hosting, including:

Shared Web Hosting: This is the type of hosting most people purchase. It gives you everything you need to get your online presence set up and going.

Reseller Hosting: If you want to sell hosting services through your own hosting company, this is the option you would choose. It’s also a good choice if you need more than one SSL certificate and cPanel.

VPS Hosting: VPS allows for more flexibility in software, installations and configurations. It is a good choice if you have resource-intensive needs such as streaming large media files, sending large amounts of email and so forth.

Dedicated Hosting: This type of hosting is typically used by big businesses. Not only can you sell hosting, but you also have the ability to customize their server settings and environment. Like VPS, it’s also a good option if you have a high-traffic site, large customer database, large amounts of streaming media and so forth.

Your choice should be based on your current and near future needs. You can always upgrade and downgrade if your needs change.

For this demonstration, we’ve selected the Shared Web Hosting because it’s the type most individuals and small businesses use.

Step 2: Choose a hosting plan

Once you know which type of hosting you need, it’s time to pick your plan. HostGator offers three levels for the Shared Web Hosting that we’ve chosen to use.

Hatchling Plan: Hatchling is the smallest plan HostGator offers. It allows you to host one domain with unlimited disk space and bandwidth. Depending on how often you want to pay, you can get this plan for under $4 per month.

Baby Plan: The baby plan includes everything the hatchling plan has but there are no limits to how many domains you can have. Prices start at just over $6 per month.

Business Plan: Selecting the business plan gives you everything in the baby plan plus a free toll-free number, free dedicated IP and free private SSL. You can also choose to use anonymous FTPs. This plan starts at just over $10 per month.

You can find a full comparison chart and purchase a plan here:

Host Gator hosting discount coupon link.

Step 3: Start the order process

Now that you know what type of hosting you need and which plan will work best for you, it’s time to place your order. On the page above, you’ll see three plan options. Select the one you wish to purchase. We’ve chosen the hatchling plan for this demonstration.

Step 4: Enter your domain

Enter the name of the domain that you’ll be using with this account. If you need to register the domain first, enter it into the first box. If you already own the domain, enter it into the second box. Enter a coupon code if you have one then click Continue to Step 2.

Step 5: Enter your billing information

• Double check that the right plan has been selected.
• Using the drop-down, select how often you want to pay
• Choose a username and security pin for your account. This will be your login information.

• Enter your billing information
• Select Credit Card or PayPal
• If using a credit card, enter the card details

• Review your order details
• Select the box to say you have read and agree to the terms and conditions.
• Click Create Account. You will be redirected to confirm your order.

Step 6: Upgrade Your Account

As your business grows, you may find that your existing hosting plan is no longer appropriate for you. With HostGator, it’s simple to upgrade to a better plan at any time.
Before you make the switch, there are a few things you should know.

1. When upgrading from a small Shared plan to a larger Shared plan, nothing major will change.
2. To upgrade from a Shared plan to a Reseller plan, the HostGator team will move your account with your add-on domains intact. However, the add-on domains will NOT have individual cPanel accounts unless you pay extra to have them separated.
3. To upgrade VPS and/or Dedicated Servers, it’s best to contact support to see what changes will be made and how it will affect your business during the transition.
4. DO NOT cancel your old hosting account(s) until you have changed DNS and thoroughly inspected your site to ensure everything was transferred properly.

To upgrade, you’ll need to fill in the upgrade form and submit it to the support staff. The form can be found here: http://www.hostgator.com/upgrade.php

• Just fill in your email address, domain name and cpanel/ftp information.
• Using the drop down, select your current plan and the plan you want to upgrade to.
• Click Submit.

The support team will contact you if they have questions and to let you know the transfer has been completed.