2. Selecting a Web Builder and a Host Server
My next concern involved what website building software to use. Going in, I knew WordPress was a popular choice. Other similar platforms include Squarespace, Weebly, Wix, and GoDaddy, among many others. But WordPress stood out because many of the open positions I had come across in my job search had mentioned WordPress. Working with WordPress seemed like another layer of job prep, so WordPress won out.
WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org
Deciding on the software platform was one thing, moving forward with WordPress turned out to be more complicated. I learned that WordPress.com is different from WordPress.org. The two are related but separate. Both are based on the same software program. The former is a service that helps with building a website and offers to host it as well. The latter is the online location where users of all kinds can find free, open-source, downloadable software that you can use on your own—which is compatible with personal servers and several third-party hosts. (WordPress.org is also the hub for a community of contributors and developers who are continually improving the design options and functionality of WordPress.)
Building and hosting through WordPress.com comes with limitations. Using WordPress.org, on the other hand, would provide more customizability and control over the site and full ownership of its contents. I decided to use the free WordPress.org software to create a website that could be accessed through a server to be run on my own or by a host other than WordPress.com.
Self-hosting vs. hosting service
I read up on the options for renting server space from a hosting service versus hosting my own server, basically the difference between outsourcing the job of keeping the site running or doing it myself. Essentially, anyone can employ a regular personal computer to act as a server that can store website files and share them through the internet. From what I read, this option is ostensibly free (in that you pay no fee to a web host), but there are energy and upkeep costs that factor in.
Then, of course, there are the costs of time and effort.
In the end, creating a WordPress website was appealing and seemed in line with my career development goals—but hosting a server seemed like something I’d be glad to leave to someone else.
I would be using a hosting service.
Free hosting vs. paid hosting
For me, price was a factor, but I discovered that so-called free hosting sites may come with ownership concerns—meaning I wouldn’t own my own site, so the host company could change the rules at any time. They could run ads on my site or shut it down without notice.
Even free hosting on WordPress.com is subject to ownership issues. Their terms of service explicitly state that they own the content posted on websites they host. WordPress.com also restricts the use of plug-ins and other customizable components. The free hosting service through WordPress.com was pretty basic, yet it presented a number of upgrades—available for a charge, of course. I found this disappointingly at odds with the origin story of its namesake software as the premier open-source platform for website creation.
Choosing Bluehost website hosting
It seemed safest to pay to have a contract with a reputable third-party host server. My research indicated that Bluehost would be a good option to meet my limited needs. A quick online chat with Michael from Bluehost’s support team answered all my remaining questions: I would, in fact, own my website and its content and data. I would be able to keep my registered domain name even if I left Bluehost—as long as I kept up the modest renewal fee each year (through any domain registry). I could take advantage of an introductory rate that would save me 70 percent on my first year. He even offered to help me with setup. I declined that last offer, so I could see the process myself for the purposes of this article, but I was tempted.
- Choosing a Web Address
- Selecting a Web Builder and a Host Server
- Following Bluehost’s Set-Up Prompts
- Using WordPress Through Bluehost
- Adding and Editing Blocks in WordPress
- Adding Additional Pages (and Links to Them)