After three years I decided to change hosts for Technically Easy. For the past three years I was on BlueHost, but recently I have found their service to be sub-par. I found that my site was down more than their 99.9% guarantee, and the performance seemed to be decreasing as well. Also, when I started to use CloudFlare I noticed I had trouble logging into my blog’s dashboard at times. The problems went away when I stopped using CloudFlare.
I had heard good things about HostGator so I decided to try them out for myself and see if what people were saying was actually true. I was a little worried about moving my blog over, but after seeing their service first hand, I’m kicking myself for not doing it sooner.
Signing Up with HostGator
I signed up with HostGator not long ago as I wanted to move my blog from my previous host to a new host. I had heard good things about HostGator, and also like the fact that they have several packages both for small sites and larger sites. If my blog continues to grow, I may need a better hosting package, which HostGator offers.
Signing up with HostGator is easy. I simply entered my personal information and my domain name. When it came to the payment options I was amazed that they accept PayPal for payment. This was great for me since I transfer the income from my blog to my PayPal account so I can pay for things online with my blog income,to make managing my finances easier. By using PayPal I can easily pay for years for hosting by simply using my blog income, and I don’t have to give out my credit card information.
Once I signed up with HostGator I received an e-mail asking for a document that basically identifies me, such as a passport or driver’s license. I scanned in my license and sent it to them, and then waited for confirmation that my account was active.
Issue Resolution
Of course, sometimes things don’t always go according to plan. A few days later I received an e-mail from PayPal that HostGator had refunded my hosting purchase, but neither PayPal or HostGator provided a reason.
I have heard of HostGator’s great support from many people, so I decided to put it to the test with my first issue – the refunded payment.
I went to the HostGator website and clicked on their “Live Chat” link. I don’t like waiting for e-mails, and calling may lead me to be put on hold. With “Live Chat” I was able to get support right away.
After the chat window opened, I was immediately connected to a HostGator representative for assistance. After explaining my refund issue, he asked me to wait so he could look up the reason for the refund.
A few minutes later the representative indicated that the refund was because I didn’t provide proof of identity, which I done a few days later. I mentioned that I sent the information through e-mail. After being asked to wait few more minutes, the representative told me that it was an error on their part, and they did receive the scanned copy of my license.
Within a few minutes, my PayPal account was again used to pay for my hosting package and my account became active. While I did have an issue, it only took about 20 minutes in HostGator’s “Live Chat” to clear up the issue. The representative was easy to talk to, and courteous, and asked if there was anything else that he could do for me.
So far, with my one issue, I saw HostGator’s support first hand and was impressed with out easy it was to get my issue resolved.
Moving Technically Easy to HostGator
Lucky for me, HostGator can do all that for you. They have a form that you fill out where you enter your previous host information, and your HostGator information and they take care of the move for you.
After a few days I received an e-mail that stated my blog was moved to HostGator in a staging area. This staging area is setup to test that your blog is working before you make it live. Once everything looks good, you can just change the DNS records to point to your HostGator nameservers and you should be good to go.
HostGator moved everything that was needed – files, databases, users, and e-mail accounts – for Technically Easy to work properly. While I did have a minor issue because of settings in my WordPress database, but once they were fixed, my blog displayed without an issue.
From the time I signed up with HostGator, until the time my blog was active was a period of a few days. The total amount of time that I was actually working on the move was probably no more than an hour as HostGator handled pretty much everything for me.
Using CloudFlare
The best part was HostGator supports CloudFlare, and there is even an icon in the CPanel for CloudFlare. Since I used the service before, I decided to forgo using the CPanel icon and went directly to CloudFlare to enable the service for my blog.
Since I was on the previous host when I disabled the CloudFlare service, I figured that I needed to update the settings to use CloudFlare with HostGator. When I logged into CloudFlare and enabled the service for my blog, CloudFlare retrieved my new DNS settings and asked to update them. I updated the settings and CloudFlare began to work its magic with my blog once again.
After a few days I checked my response times in Pingdom Tools and noticed the response times dropped by half what it was before enabling CloudFlare. I have also had no issues with using CloudFlare and HostGator as I had with my previous host.
All in all I have been extremely impressed with the service, and support I have received on HostGator. While I did have that issue with the refund, a quick 20 minute “Live Chat” session with a representative sorted out the issue.
If you are looking to start a web site/blog, or looking to change hosts, I highly recommend you signup with HostGator.
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on July 10, 2011 at 12:05 am
Many thanks for this article! I have been thinking to switch with other host too, my contract will be going to expired on mid of Dec. Will definitely look into and move with Host Gator.
Thanks for detailed info, mate!
Sonia recently posted…Hello!
on July 10, 2011 at 2:05 pm
Hi Sonia,
If you want to switch hosts I suggest HostGator. They will handle the moving of your blog for you, so you don’t have to worry about it. Plus, if you need help you know how to get in touch with me
. If you are planning to switch, I suggest you do it a few months before your contract is up to give yourself enough time to have your site moved, and tested before your current contract is up.
on July 11, 2011 at 7:38 am
Sure. Thanks for your advice, mate! I’ll email you soon to ask some details in depth. Thanks for being there, as always.
Sonia recently posted…Hello!
on August 19, 2011 at 2:45 am
Hi there.
Thanks for your article. It’s very interesting. And yes, HostGator is definitely one of the best hosts you can get.
Andrew Walker recently posted…Bar Tables Inc Coupon Code
on September 6, 2011 at 8:17 am
Yes I heard that Hostgator has a good service and way cheaper than the other web hosting companies.
on September 6, 2011 at 2:04 pm
I have been pleased with the service from HostGator. Whether it is cheaper, it all depends on what you are looking for.
on November 28, 2011 at 8:12 pm
We use to have Hostgator as our web hosting and it is truly working great. I’m impress with Hostgator on how it works and provide good service.
Pasquale Sparling recently posted…Black Mold Removal
on November 29, 2011 at 8:44 am
I just started with Hostgator this past year and I am still impressed with their service. I had an issue recently, but it was also quickly solved.
on December 10, 2011 at 7:33 am
I’m glad I begun the right way, with Hostgator as my hosting.
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on December 12, 2011 at 8:30 am
You sure did start off with a good host. I wish I knew HostGator when I started.