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Digital Grog is Australia’s go‑to tech blog for sharp reviews, digital trends, AI tools, gadgets, cybersecurity updates, and practical how‑tos covering the latest in Aussie technology

Done Deals

Why I chose hostgator for blog hosting

by 6 Comments

Hostgator plans baby hatchling etc and prices

[Post updated 04 June 2022] – I already had hosting with Bluehost , Dreamhost ,  Godaddy  and Pressidium (left) and was looking  for another alternative for one of my Australian blog to get a wordpress webhost . I was searching for one that is good and still cheap for my blog.

With hundreds of different web hosting companies in this industry, choosing the right one can be difficult.  The top three and most recommended web hosting companies at this time were HostGator, BlueHost and DreamHost.[article originally published prior to 2014]

Google Searching on the internet for something, can lead to paralysis by doing too much analysis and so after realising that, I write this post. It can take ages  with so much information overload on the internet by thousands of  bloggers all having their own view of things.

It can be particularly  time consuming searching the  web, when you are searching for a hosting service for blogs/websites, because  the internet is filled with  recommendations  for different website-hosting service providers.

The Servers at Hostgator Hosting

Webhosting is all about quality servers ,where your website lives. HostGator sites are hosted in Dual Xeon servers at Dallas. top-of-the-line Dual Xeon in their data centers at Dallas. The data centers are well equipped and connects to 10 backbone providers. Also, HostGator invest millions of dollars every year in new technologies for better performance. They have about 12,000 servers under management at Houston, Texas in the US.

Yes finding a web host is not an easy task. It is important that you get a good web hosting provider  if you plan to host many blogs or websites on that server. Always look out  for specials on events , but if you cant wait  then below are some deals for you, at this stage I am liking  hostgator  as they have a reputable name  for hosting with wordpress websites  and good service. [Updated I am now with hostgator, godaddy and bluehost  for 10+ years and  a thankful customer to them all]

Hostgator Video Day sale 

Updated deal/discount links below

HostGator’s rich shared hosting packages offer unlimited storage, email, and monthly databases that give business plenty of room to grow. In short, it’s the best service we’ve reviewed for shared hosting packages. As a result, HostGator is our Editors’ Choice pick for shared web hosting services.

Good blog hosting  is hard to find

I chose to do some research   and found “Hostgator” mentioned in many blogs so I decided to research it. First off course is the price factor  and so I checked  their prices for hosting

 

snappy the hostgator alligator

 

I hadn’t really browsed around forums all that much  for hosting before but I knew it would be a place where people were actually talking about why they like or dislike particular hosting companies something and that made a lot of sense.

Prices for Hostgator hosting (2022 Deals)

Here is a list of the pricing for all the shared hosting plans based on a monthly basis.

 

· Hatchling: Perfect for single blog (4.95$/mo)

· Baby Plan: Perfect for multiple Blogs ( 7.95$/mo)

· Business: Multiple Blogs + Private IP + Toll free Number (12.95$/mo)

Special deal 2.95 a month

Choose Your Plan And Get Started Today

By using different webmaster forums to find which hosting companies other people preferred to use, I found out that apart from Bluehost  and  Godaddy and other hosters –  the overall verdict was Hostgator.

HostGator uses cPanel, the most used control panel. You don’t need the help of a geek to use it as its quiet straightforward and simple . It provides everything you need. It is important to have a user friendly interface and these one-click script installers are a boon to all newbies who do not have much experience with these platforms. 1 Click install can help you create a blog in 10 to 15 minutes

The cPanel dashboard is user-friendly and there is a Live chat support available 24/7. You can also contact Hosgtagor on their customer support hotline: 1-866-96-GATOR.

If you are  happy to be more adventurous and choose something other than WordPress for your website, you can also use your hostgator hosting account to install JOOMLA, DRUPAL or MAGENTO (which are all website software similar to wordpress)

Joomla Hosting

HostGator fully supports Joomla, a very powerful and customizable CMS. A wide variety of plugins allow for increased functionality, ensuring your website remains scalable and dynamic for years to come.

Magento Hosting

Start selling online today with your own E-commerce store powered by HostGator and Magento. HostGator’s Business plan gives you everything you need to automatically install Magento, as well as a free dedicated IP and private SSL to accept credit card transactions right from your website.

Drupal Hosting

Develop your website on the Drupal CMS with HostGator! Drupal provides a high level of customization and control over the look and feel of you site. The numerous themes and plugins that are available allow for nearly limitless options.

Features Comparison- Plans and Pricing

HostGator has three web hosting plans, namely the hatching plan, the baby plan and the business plan. The hatchling plan being the basic one which allows you to host only one domain, while the rest can host unlimited domains.

The other good option I liked over here at hostgator was that Customers are not required to sign up for any contract longer than month to month service. They also have Web Hosting With support  24/7 Support Via Phone, Live Chat, and Email!

I also found out that According to Inc. Magazine, HostGator it is the 21st fastest growing private company in America With their current pricing it looks quite good  as well –> Unlimited Domain Hosting Only $9.95 a Month  so I decided to give them a shot.

Here is one of thier recent  promo ad pictures.

DEAL: 20 % off promo On Hostgator


And their penny offer Below

 

[coupon provided  might be outdated – Click image to check latest offer]
Cheap and reliable Web Hosting With Quality Support I have recommended to my blogging friends to host with hostgator and let me tell you, as a web blogger, what a joy it is to work with a hosting service where everything works so well!

More info => for the Geeks On thier servers  and features

Detailed feature list of hostage servers

It does not matter if you take  Linux or windows hosting package , both support word press hosting

Shared Web Hosting – Linux

  • Affordable and basic hosting
  • Hatchling, Baby, Business
  • Linux server only – perfect for WordPress
  • 1 cPanel but no WHM
  • Limited to 1 IP and 1 SSL
  • Private name servers not allowed
  • No branding
  • LAMP = Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP (includes mod_rewrite)
  • Limited to 25% use of server resources
  • 25 simultaneous processes
  • HTTP video and audio streaming only
  • Maximum of 500 outgoing emails per hour per domain (Addon domains count as separate domains)
  • 30 POP/IMAP checks per hour for your connecting IP address
  • HostGator creates weekly backups ($15 to request)
  • Jailed shell access (SSH)

Shared Web Hosting – Windows

  • Affordable and basic hosting
  • Personal and Enterprise
  • Windows server – perfect for ASP.NET
  • Latest version of Plesk
  • Private name servers not allowed
  • No branding
  • Limited to 25% use of server resources
  • 25 simultaneous processes
  • HTTP video and audio streaming only
  • Maximum of 500 outgoing emails per hour per domain (Addon domains count as separate domains)
  • 30 POP/IMAP checks per hour for your connecting IP address
  • HostGator creates weekly backups ($15 to request)
  • No Remote Desktop (No RDP)

Virtual Private Servers (VPS) – Linux

  • Very much like a dedicated server, but costs less and share the resources
  • Root access
  • Install advanced software
  • Customize anything (flexibility in software installations / apache configurations / other custom software like ventrilo and ffmpeg)
  • Use as basic hosting or host others for profit
  • Perfect for multiple e-commerce websites
  • Plans with cPanel or Plesk are managed
  • Plans without cPanel and Plesk are unmanaged
  • Linux server only – perfect for WordPress
  • Unlimited cPanel’s and unlimited WHM’s
  • 1 root WHM (allows selling of reseller accounts)
  • Unlimited potential for IP’s and SSL’s
  • Private name servers required
  • Branding available for cPanel and WHM
  • LAMP = Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP (includes mod_rewrite)
  • Limited to 100% use of container/plan resources (VPS is still limited to a specified percentage of the server, this is not a solution to overly resource-intensive accounts and heavy traffic)
  • Unlimited simultaneous processes
  • Live video and audio streaming allowed (webcams, radio, television)
  • UNLIMITED outgoing emails per hour per domain
  • No POP/IMAP checking limits
  • HostGator creates weekly backups ($15 to request)
  • You can schedule your own automated backups
  • Normal shell access (root SSH)

You might Have noticed that I put presidium as (left) on the top, that is because I am not with them anymore. Thier starting deal is good , but when renewal happens at the high price it becomes unaffordable , but their service is great and they offer a free move of  your website to their servers. Check their current deal here

SEO Hosting

Please contact SEO Hosting directly to find out what their current plans offer.

SEO Hosting now has its own support team!

Visit the SEO Hosting website for contact information, including a new phone number (866-692-9231) and updated chat support buttons.

HostGator staff no longer has access to SEO Hosting accounts and all future support requests should be sent to the new SEO Hosting Support Team.

Best 10 picks for website name registration in Australia

by 33 Comments

UPDATED 01/04/2019:  If you want to “Start a Website”,  a blog or an online eCommerce shop you will need a domain name.  With a website name, you will also need a webhosting account to host your website files and website. The first most important thing you would need to consider is “Do I get an Australian .com.au domain” or do I get a  .com domain.  Website name prices are not getting any cheaper in 2019 and so it pays  to get a cheap webname provider.

digital grog au .com.au buy domains logo Sm

The price factor between .com and .com.au domain names can make a difference, and decide who you go with if you are on a tight budget.  The  Australian .au extensions are generally much pricier. Today there are heaps of  Domain name registration companies that not only provide Aussie domain extensions, but a whole lot of new exciting extension’s to choose from.

Table of Contents

Best Domain Name Providers Online

  1. Godaddy
  2. Crazydomains
  3. Namecheap
  4. Netregistry
  5. Hostgator
  6. Domaincentral
  7. Bluehost
  8. Domain
  9. 1 & 1
  10. Cloudflare


Search Widgets for Domain names

1

What is a domain name and how do you register one?

Let me explain it to you!

In simple terms, a domain or website name is like an online address to your blog or website.

Just like people need an address to get to your house, on the internet they need a domain name  eg.  johndoesblog.com , www.facebook.com  to find your blog or website .

So you can give a person your online address  which is  www.johndoesblog.com – they  then type that in their browser and reach your website/blog ( which is your online address).

You do not have to be a company or organisation to register a  top-level domain extension or a  .com.au domain name. Any individual can register a domain for themselves from less than $1 or $2 for a dot-com domain name (when they are special deals). When they are no discounts or promo offers available, the prices for this can be between the range of $10 and $14 for a year.

The dotcom.au Australia names are just a little bit pricier and can be priced anywhere between $22 to $49  a domain a year depending on who you buy it from – yes Australian domains are a bit pricier and you need an ABN (Australian Business Number) to get one.

In order to register .com.au domain names, as part of the registration process you’ll need to supply either:

  • an Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • an Australian Company Number (ACN)
  • a Registered Business Number (BN)
  • Trademark number

 

2

Should I get  a .com or .com.au domain extension

Your domain name is your website address or URL on the internet.

Domain names are the unique identity for your online Business. They help establish, promote and protect your brand. And they’re where you direct new and potential customers, so making sure your name belongs to you is essential.

Registering a .com.au domain improves local search results and marks your business as Australian. If you are just after starting a hobby website or a personal blog you can surely start off with a cheaper .com extension domain and it would not make much difference to your online presence.

Why is .au or .com.au  domain name important?

  • .au represents the Top Level Domain for Australia and is the preferred Domain Name for all Australians.  Japan (.jp) and Germany (.de) are other examples of TLD (Top Level Domains).
  • Any website that ends in .au is a website built specifically with Australian Internet users in mind, but open to a global audience.
  • .com.au are generally for commercial purposes and can include commercial entities – currently registered and trading in Australia, as well as commercial products and services.

One other way of getting a cheaper domain and still making the website name relevant to Australia is to either get the term/word Australia or Australian in the domain name you are planning to buy and get that as a .com  rather than .au

For example:  If you are thinking of starting a gadget blog – you could name it www.gadgetaustralia.com!  This way while you could be just paying $0.99 cents for a dot.com domain name and still letting people know that your domain is Australian focused. 

In this example even though you are not buying a .com.au extension, the name gadgetaustralia.com clearly shows that its an Australian related domain name and so you can get away with buying a .com at a cheaper price.

The price difference could be cheaper @$9.99 year (99 cents promo price)  instead of  $22 or more for a .com.au extension for a year. However saying that there are some providers that provide both  webhosting + free domain name offers, you can check out our 2019 listing of webhosts over here.

 

Quick Tips to choosing a Website Domain Name

  • Make it Memorable
  • Keep it short
  • Target your audience
  • Don’t use hyphens or numbers
  • Name should be brand-able
  • Keep it Interesting

Use these tips and you will not regret choosing  your website name or brand name for your business.

Most of the prices given below is  for 1 year term unless where specified for a longer term.

Most aussie domain names ending with .au extensions registration  has a minimum registration requirement of two years. This means  if the price is $22 for a year – you will be paying approximately $44 upfront to purchase or register a website name with au extension.

1

Comparison of  10  Australian .com.au and US .com  domain registration providers

Below I have provided short reviews detailing  price and information on some Australian and US based domain name registration and web-hosting companies that primarily provide names for blogs and websites.

"Get

www.godaddy.com.au  (Recommended)

Godaddy is one of the largest domain name registrar and Web hosting provider in the world and has more than 12 million customers around the world. They also cater to the Australian market and is the only US provider to compete with local domain providers  to give a cheaper price for .com.au domains
the go daddy domain discount girls sm

$9.99 for.com
$9.99 for .com.au (as of publishing)

2 year registration required for .com.au domains( regular price$14.99)

Updated Discount Link:

$1/mo WordPress Managed Hosting from GoDaddy!

Activate this link and get $1 per month on order of managed WordPress hosting

Sale/Discount – Coupon code: cjcwph1applied link

Get A$.99 .COM Domains at GoDaddy!

Get a domain name for just a 99 cent with this link. Coupon Code: cjc99com

AUS$ – 30%* off! Get going with GoDaddy!

EOFY Savings – Get your Australian business online with upto 56% off and .com.au domain name.

With this promo code you will save 30% off all your online purchase. If you are small business owner, this is an opportunity for you to order multiple items and save big.  This promo code also applies to basic, deluxe, and advanced plans.

24/7/365, round-the-clock customer care operations and good phone support

"Get

http://www.crazydomains.com.au (Aus)

For 2 years its $12 for.com ( current sale price)
Crazy Domains was originally founded in 2000 and provide services as  a domain name registrar, web hosting and online marketing company$3 for.com

$12 for .com.au
pamela anderson for crazy domain ad

Regular price is $9 for.com
Minimum registration period for .com.au is for 2 years

teh australian crazy domain provider

"Names

http://www.namecheap.com (US)

Namecheap was founded in 2000 and has over 800,000 clients and over 3 million domains under its management. They provide services like domain registration, web hosting packages, secure SSL certificates, WhoisGuard domain name privacy

They are the only provider who actually reduce the price if you register your domain for more years.$10.69 for.com
$14.98 for .com.au Prices get cheaper  a few cents if you register for more years

2 years minimum registration for .com.au domain
* Free WhoisGuard Privacy Protection, a $2.88 value*

when domain is namecheap

"Get

http://www.netregistry.com.au (AUS)

Netregistry since 1997 is Australia’s trusted online provider offering domain names, hosting and online marketing services$12.50 for.com.  They have helped over 500,000 Australian businesses establish themselves online and are well known as a web host and domain name provider.

In 2018, Netregistry became part of the ASX-listed Arq Group and remains owned and run by Australians, for Australians. With offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

$16.95 for .com.au

aussie domain provider netregistry

Net registry has taken over many other hosting companies in this space including Smartyhost, Jumba, AussieHQ, Illsys and Uber.

get smart with smarty host domain registration

australian domain in abottle

uber domain provider australia

"Get

http://www.hostgator.com

Hostgator not only provides cheap hosting but also domains

HostGator.com LLC founded in 2002 is a world-wide provider of shared, reseller, VPS and dedicated web hosting$12.95 for.com
They do not provide .com.au aussie domains. With Hostgator you can get a .com domain and the webhosting for your domain in the same place and in one seamless transaction.

You can also  avail 25% off by going to www.hostgator.com website  via this partner link alternatively use  dg25percentoff  coupon code to get 25% off

the alligator that hosts domains

"Go

https://www.domaincentral.com.au/

Registrations for international and Australian domains

$22 for.com (1 year)
$22 for .com.au (1 year)

Its a bit surprising how Domain Central are so pricey.

Their list of extensions available for registration and  pricing is available over here

pricing

 

"Get

https://www.bluehost.com

 

Bluehost.com  currently has a special deal of $2.95 per month for hosting (until sep 15th)   which will not last long at this reduced rate. The reason  why I added them is their plans usually provide a free domain with hosting, so if you are planning  to start a website – this is a good option to get domain and hosting both in 1 go and get started.

They also have a 1 click install to get a word-press blog started quickly. check out their most current deals here.

Most of the  us providers provide the additional services like url forwarding and cloaking, email forwarding, dns and mx servers records adjusting  for free

blue host hosting for 2016

 

"Get

https://www.domain.com

Domain.com is known for the domain registration and web hosting services since 2000. They specialise in affordable domain names, web hosting, VPS hosting, Email, SSL certificates, web design, and online marketing services and provide free domain services including URL Forwarding, Email Forwarding, Transfer Lock, and Total DNS Management.

Dot.com starts as low as $9.99 a domain name and upwards.

Dotster.com and mydomain.com are listed as affiliate’s under domain.com in the commission junction affiliate program.

Domain.com LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Endurance International Group Holdings, Inc.

domain.com australia

"Get

https://www.1and1.com

1 and 1 is known for their webhosting as well as domain registration services.  The 1&1 Group manages more than 19 million domain names.

1&1 currently offers a wide range of Web hosting products, including email solutions and high-end servers in 10 different countries including Germany, Spain, Great Britain and the United States.

Since it was founded 26 years ago, 1&1 has successfully established its product range in many different international markets. Its products are available in the following countries: Germany, Austria, Great Britain, Spain, France, Poland, United States, Canada, Italy and Mexico.

1 and 1

"Get

Cloudflare has been providing top webhosting companies like Bluehost, Dreamhost and WP engine with their free cloudflare CDN service, but now they have decided to enter the domain registration business.

Pricing :

cloudflare pricing

Cloudflare has decided to enter the business with a wholesaler price point for customers. They say they will get rid of promo discounts and just sell for a wholesaler even low price, rather than upping the domain name price when you need to renew. This is good news for those who are in the website or bloggin business for the long haul, rather than just testing/trying things out.

 

If you are serious about your domain name security, Custom Domain Protection, a Cloudflare Registrar feature available on the Enterprise Plan, is the highest level of registrar security. It protects your organization from domain hijacking with high-touch, on and offline verification of any changes to your Registrar account.

"Yahoo!

https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/

Yahoo small business has got a unique offer where you purchase a domain and get email and hosting free. This is different from what other provider’s offer –where you get domain free with hosting. So this yahoo small business offer certainly sounds sweeter.

In this offer from yahoo, you can register a domain and instantly get a website and custom email at no extra cost or you can you can even get them for free when you purchase Website Builder or Business Mail.

Check yahoo small business domains for more details

yahoo

Can you buy a domain name forever?

Short Answer – No!

But luckily most domain name providers do  have a button in their settings/admin panel that say renew my domain automatically and your domain will renew automatically when 1 or 2 years are over. 

You can also set it to manually renew in your settings so that it doesn’t automatically get renewed on expiration and you don’t want get  charged for another year if you want to dump the domain name.

Most providers will send you and email saying your website name is going to expire and ask you if you want to renew or saying that it is auto renewing prior to expiring.

Domains ending with  .com  or .com.au are not the only options available and people can easily buy .info or .org  or .net .au which are generally more cheaper  than a .com or .com.au domain

 

when you need domain privacy block name address from domain

Privacy is another extra  that one might need to consider  while buying domain,  most domain providers  charge a extra charge for privacy ..so they block out your personal email contact and address from the website if you take the privacy option provide by the registrar.

 

How to Register Your Own Domain Name

If you have a website or blog , you should seriously consider registering your own domain name. So what is a domain name ? A “domain name” is a name like e.g. “www.digitalgrog.com.au/” or “gadgetaustralia.com” which you give to your website , which you can then  use to refer or point to your website or blog.

Registering a www domain in 5 minutes

Generally, there are no restrictions on who can register .com domain name, the period of registration can vary from 1 to 10 years

crazy ads coupons for domains

Buying your own domain name can be a great way to set up your own website/blog and/or personalized email address.

To register a domain name its as simple as doing search on the domain name provider for your name

Go daddy Domain Checker

Do a domain search in godaddy

Example: Say you are going to start a bbq recipe blog, go to the website godaddy.com and in the search button put in bbqrecipe and search (go) and they will tell you if its available or not available  to register ( and also provide you other name options and prices) .

If  the name you want is not available, you will need to try different variations to the name until you get related name and then buy the domain via PayPal or your credit card or other payment options available and this whole process is done in 5 minutes.


Bluehost Domain checker tool :

(Free Domain deal with hosting below )

You can also get our DG blog special offer  for bluehost Hosting  where you get a Domain free ( with an hosting account for $3.49 a month)- Get this deal here.

 

Why is it so difficult to register a Australian domain name ?

While eligibility rules for .AU names can be somewhat of a pain and  a bit more cumbersome than registering top level domains, they do serve a very important purpose – preserving the Australian namespace’s integrity and ensuring it continues to enjoy a solid reputation as one that can be trusted.

Popular Posts From Blog:

Daymm !! Domains Cheap as chips

by 10 Comments

Daymm !! Domains Cheap as chips

Grab them cheap domains while they last, you don’t need to be and internet marketeer, affiliate marketer or  top blogger to make use of this amazing deal !! [ I have now updated links  and coupon codes for latest deals 30/10/2018].

If you are thinking of starting a website  or blog and registering a domain name –  then you can check out our details domain name comparison reviews over  here – but if you just want to read on how we snagged some cheap domain names – read on 🙂

go daddy girls and models with dicount and promo codes

Go grab a www .com  domain for under $2 and start blogging with these hosting deals

TODAY i bought  TWO DOMAINS cheap as chips

1. First domain – $2.62 AUD after applying the 249NUTS  (cjc2off30 -30% off) godaddy discount code

2. Second domain – $2.16 AUD  after I applied the Hinch 199 godaddy discount  ( new coupon  AUS – $1*/ mo hosting!) code

[ Offers may not be still current, but  click on our above  link for latest discount offers available ]

I normally don’t go shopping online in this way but when its less than $3 – where it is normally up to $13 a pop, surely you would be crazy not to grab some if you are in an online marketing business or just about planning to start a blog/website sometime  soon.

Latest Go daddy Promo Codes

The promo code is: 249NUTS (cjc2off30 -30% off)

The promo code is: Hinch199 (new coupon  AUS – $1*/ mo hosting+ domain!)

These promo codes can currently be used only once for a purchase and cant be used multiple times(s0rry)

How to make us of the go daddy promo codes ?

Go to the Godaddy website -> here  [ Current deal $1 domains ]

Search for your domain and add to cart / dont tick mark any add ons you don’t need while purchasing.

On the final check out screen, you will see add promo code or coupon area – add the promo code given above and it will show you how much  the amount is reduced  by, when you click apply button on the promo code area. It will also show you the savings made by applying coupon code like below.

discount promo 0.99 cents domain godaddy deals now 1.19

For more Hosting deals and CUSTOM coupon codes visit our resources page  which will be updated regularly

You don’t need a fat wallet or retailme-not  to take advantage of these offers, just click the link to get a cheap domain today.

Good luck and grab it while it lasts and leave a comment if you got some Smile

[Post originally published on Jul 1, 2014  – updated for 2018]

logo australia

GoDaddy.com

$1.00*/ mo Managed WordPress hosting

Coupon Code: ClickHere

 

AUS – Get a .com.au for your business online. Only $7.95* 1st year!

Coupon Code: Auto Applied-ClickHere

 

Work without boundaries. Up to 50%* off Microsoft Office 365 from GoDaddy!

Coupon Code: cjcoffice

https://au.godaddy.com/business/office-365?isc=cjcoffice

 

GoDaddy Domain Renewal Coupon: Save $10 On Orders Over $50

This promo code is one of the only codes still working for renewals, and is probably the best promo code for domain renewals: save $10 on orders over $50. If you renew your .COM domain for 2 years, you will qualify for the discounted pricing.

 

Coupon Code: ACOSKS65

Save 20% Off a Your Domain Name Renewal:

This coupon will give you 20% off Domain Renewals. This promo code will work for .COM’s, .NET, .ORG, .BIZ and more.

Coupon Code: cjc1off30

SSL Certificates From $59.99/Year:

Make your website secure and get a ranking boost from $5.99 to a $59.99/year  promo plan with this discount code.

Coupon Code for $59.99: cjcssl17

$5.99 Deal SSL Certificate

"Popular

Starting a Technology Blog in Six Easy Steps

Need to get a website started on a low budget – we got your covered. Our exclusive Digitalgrog 56 Percent off Bluehost coupon deal will get your blog started before we can say Blue + host. Choose from a shared server to a high end dedicated server. Our hosting deal at $4.39 / mo AUD will save you up to 56%, which makes it one of the best webhosting deals to get a blog website started this year.

What $15 can get you for a brand or website logo

Want to create a high quality logo for your company on a low budget ? We have the solution for you, browse our listing of cheap online logo design providers, and create a cheap company or website logo today.

Small Business Bday Sale + Bluehost Australia Hosting 2018 Deals

by Leave a Comment

"2018

"Get
"Get

Black Friday Special at Bluehost.com! ONLY $3.45 for 36 month term on the Basic plan, plus a free domain name!

"jeff"

"Blogger", "Dfrog"

Bluehost Small Business Week deals

Small business week has special deals being offered with  shared hosting package at lowest ever price ever @ $3.45/month. That means you will be paying approx only $41.4 for one year of unlimited premium hosting for WordPress.

Small business week ends soon. The pricing is below.

Starter:
36 months: $3.95
24 months: $3.95
12 months: $4.95

Plus:
36 months: $5.25
24 months: $6.95
12 months: $7.95

Pro:
36 months: $13.25
24 months: $15.95
12 months: $18.95

As a blogger, I always wait for Small business week  the BDAY SALE, because this is the time of the year when I can do bulk shopping at a discounted price.

Small business week is here and Bluehost has just launched incredible hosting offers for you!

Bluehost hosting 2018 discount for Small business week

 

Hi Readers,

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Bluehost is one of the top choices for WordPress shared hosting, and they are officially recommended by WordPress team for hosting WordPress blog.

Bluehost offers shared hosting, Cloud hosting, and VPS hosting.

 

Here you can create the content that will be used within the module.

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For more webhosting, software, Gadgets and other deals check out our entire list of black friday deals over here and here. Happy bargain hunting!

Shopcred launches in Australia as the online shopping rewards market heats up

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A new player Shopcred , has entered the Australian cashback market only a month after the launch of Asian behemoth Shopback.

Shopcred-launches

 


Positioning itself as a shopping community, Shopcred is helping bargain hunters and stores connect through the use of new technology that enables their community to earn rewards in a range of innovative ways.

 

These new technologies include rewards for sharing and posting deals, getting upvoted deals, along with cashback, promo codes and deals for over 800 online stores including Australia’s favourite retailers like Catch, Uniqlo, Cotton On, Virgin Australia, Menulog, ASOS and Bonds.

 


With these innovative ways to earn rewards, Shopcred are hoping to differentiate themselves from local competitors Pricepal, Shopback and Cashrewards who have recently raised funding Shopback made news last year when they raised $32 million in a funding round including backing
from Blue Sky Alternative Investments.

 

Australian based competitor Cashrewards also just completed an external funding round that yielded a $5.25 million investment from Partners For Growth.


Shopcred have seen the rise of influencers and are working with Aussie retailers to reach the ever-growing influencer audience. In return, influencers and customers can receive cashback for their purchases and rewards for their interactions, such as sharing with their followers on Facebook or posting found deals on the Shopcred website.


“Our unique technologies help retailers reach new influencer audiences and encourage the community to share and engage with retailer brands and products” explained Glenn Harvey, one of two co-founder of Shopcred.


Across Australia, loyalty program sign-ups have increased significantly as retailers see the ongoing benefits of rewarding customers for their loyalty. Deal and cashback sites like Shopcred reward customers with discounts and cashback to as much as 50% off. Particular retailers, such as telco and insurance providers, can offer one-off cashback bonuses of as much as $50 for signing up on long-term plans.


With Australians spending $21.3 billion yearly online and the arrival of same day postage, Aussie’s are heading online for the best bargains and rejecting physical stores of the past. Consumers are realising they can get a better deal with the use of promo codes and now cashback that are released regularly by the online retailers.

Throughout the past 5 years, deal sites like Ozbargain have recorded a significant increase in members, as have promo code websites like RetailMeNot and overseas cashback sites like Ebates.


Australia isn’t the only place that has taken a liking to cashback deals. Recently, Samsung announced that their mobile wallet, Samsung Pay, will allow users to get cashback when they regularly spending with their wallet. They’ve partnered up with stores including eBay and Walmart where users can earn about 5% cash back when paying with the wallet. This cashback can then be can be used the next time they pay with their Samsung Pay wallet.


Another big player, Citi, are giving their customers 2 percent cash back on all purchases, 1 percent when you shop and 1 percent when you pay your bill. Customers won’t be restricted as they are with other reward programs where users need to make purchases at affiliated retailers.

With online spending increasing by 18.6% since 2016, the future looks bright for Shopcred. “Over the next few months, we’ll be onboarding many more retailers that impact the everyday spending of Australians” an excited Harvey told Digital Grog.

   “We’re working hard on creating unique ways to reward our members. This and gaining a better understanding of their shopping preferences will be where our next investment will be”


Mobile users are also in their crosshairs with the imminent release of a rewards app. “The rewards app will make for a smooth deal finding and earning cashback experience for our mobile users. In Australia, it’s definitely an emerging space that is underutilised in the deal and rewards community.”


Cashback through Shopcred can be obtained at over 700 stores, here’s some of the top Aussie stores we’ve picked:


ASOS
Cheap and high end fashion, ASOS stock over 70,000 branded products from around the world. Next day delivery is available on a huge range of products.


Menulog
Menulog offer a huge variety of food across Australia at over 8000 restaurants. Menulog also offer a loyalty program and exclusive discounts to get repeat customers.


Catch
Catch pretty much sell everything! They currently have over 13,000 branded products from a huge range of categories including clothing, electronics, books, beauty products and even mobile plans.


Uniqlo
Japanese fashion retailer UNIQLO provide hundreds of basics in a range of colours. Their stock includes tees, jackets, hoodies, tops, jeans and pants.


Booktopia
Booktopia sell a huge range of books, ebooks, magazine and stationery items. With a warehouse in Sydney, holding more than 500,000 books, Booktopia are able to ship within 48 hours to Metro areas.

Top picks for Blog Website Hosting for Australians in 2019

by 92 Comments

Post updated for 2019. Now I do know, that there are some good aussie web hosts in Australia , but if you are starting out with a new website or blogging site and need some cheap hosting  then it would be wise to do research before buying your webhosting.

I have used a mix of aussie hosts and US based web-hosting providers  in my list below and prices for blogging software and web-hosting can certainly differ a lot between these hosts.

US web-hosts can be quite competitive and affordable compared to some  of our local Australian companies.

I posted this price table below in 2017, but prices and features have been regularly updated. [ This post was updated on  09 January 2018 ]

Affordable Wordpress Hosting in Australia

I got this question asked to me on this blog ..

“I am planning to start a blog, most likely using the wordpress  blogging platform and  I am looking for a good web host (Australian preferable since most of my content will be for Australians).

– I have received many similar questions  since then –  so I decided to do this post

wordpress hosting for australia by go daddy 

I have purchased .com.au domains from smarty host (local aussie provider –now netregistry) when I started my bloggin journey,  they used to provide a website hosting service as well which i never tested out .

Net-registry are pretty  good  with their domain names service, however if you want to compare Australian web hosting prices against the  US based providers. Some of the US based  providers are definitely more affordable even with domain name prices(check my blog post where I recently bought .au domain name from Godaddy at a nice discount price here).

Godaddy also sell SSL certificates which help you secure your website and get https in your url (this help in ranking your website). Their custom plans also feature SSD hard drives now.

Below, I will also include smarty host(netregistry) in my comparison chart  for Australian + US hosting providers packages.

Dedicated servers are not listed  as they are more pricey and only shared plans which are affordable  have been featured here for bloggers and beginner websites .

I will rank them in order of my ratings  and preference with the best at the top of this list  as per my experience with them, except for smarty host  who I don’t  use for hosting  but just domain names – who is right at the top.

I have been using the rest of the Hosting companies mentioned for the last 10+ years while blogging. Some of these hosting plans listed below, also offer a bonus free domain name.

Australian Vs US hosting Comparison for blogs and websites

To keep it simple I have just added four columns  – Click the discount link  below to claim the most current discounts
[ninja_tables id=”5733″]

Step 1 –  Choosing the Hosting Platform

Most popular blogging platforms Overview

  • WordPress 60% 60%
  • Joomla Drupal more 20% 20%
  • Wix Weebly Squarespace 20% 20%

The figures in bar counter diagram are figures from self hosted managed CMS  platforms aggregated from online resources.

The below figures in circle chart are for websites from data  received  form survey done online.

"Wordpress

WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world and is used by nearly 75 million websites. According to WordPress, more than 409 million people view more than 23.6 billion pages each month and users produce and whopping 69.5 million new posts every month. It also powers more than 25% of the world’s websites.

The first thing  to do when you are starting your  own website rather than hiring a website designer or  web developer, is to  get the WordPress platform to build your website.

This platform is regularly updated  to keep you safe from hackers  and upto date with the latest version of wordpress.

I say this because I have also used Joomla and Drupal  website builders which are good content management systems, but they are not as good as the WordPress platform in ease of use and flexibility to customise as per your needs.

The ranking above is based on  my use of these service providers based on price, reliability, affordability, up-time, features, ease-of-use, server speed and overall support.

There is always the option to use premuim  Australian Web Hosting from good companies like rackspace or crucial, but budget shared US hosting is OK if your are just starting  a blog or website.

You can also get an .au domain name and still use US Webhosts  to host your Australian webpage.

Above in the chart –  Under features, I have updated the ones in green as essential things bloggers would  like to have in their hosting plan  and the ones in bold black font are the highlights /features of  that hosting provider

I have also written more detailed reviews before  for some of these web-hosts which can be found below

What is shared hosting?

Shared web hosting is what most people mean when they refer to “web-hosting”.  It simply means that many customers’ websites reside on a single web server, and that the server’s resources (CPU and RAM) are shared among every customer account on the machine.

Shared Plans is cheap because many people share one server.

one click install for wordpress

Most shared hosting plans  listed above offer free quick install scripts like above in the pic and sometimes also offer free design templates for your webpage,  Free domain email, FTP, $100 google adwords bonus   and Facebook advertising coupons etc.

Company Overview – Shared Hosting Plan Providers for  Blogs

Bluehost.com

Bluehost’s fast and reliable website hosting gives you everything you need to get your website online quickly. Bluehost is a web hosting company owned by Endurance International Group

Key people in bluehost –  Matt Heaton (Founder, CEO 2003-2011) Dan Handy (CEO 2011-2015) Mike Olson (CEO 2015-present)

They have servers in Provo, Utah, USA. Bluehost’s uptime is just about perfect (99.98%), well over industry standard which is around 99.90%.  Prior to last 6 months

"Bluehost

Hostgator.com

HostGator recently launched their new, premium hosting called HostGator WordPress Cloud.

Founded in a dorm room at Florida Atlantic University by Brent Oxley, HostGator has grown into a leading provider of Shared, Reseller, VPS, and Dedicated web hosting. HostGator is headquartered in Houston and Austin, Texas, with several international offices throughout the globe.

HostGator has been around since 2002, originally founded by Brent Oxley before being acquired a decade later by Endurance International Group (EIG).

"Hostgator

Godaddy.com

Bob Parsons the founder of godaddy is a serial entrepreneur. He sold his first company to Intuit, Inc. in 1994. Three years later Parsons started Jomax Technologies, renaming the company GoDaddy in 1999. In 2000, GoDaddy became an ICANN-accredited domain name registrar. Designated CEO Now: Scott Wagner (Jan 1, 2018).

They have many different kind of plans. While Deluxe and Unlimited WebHosting Plans support and host unlimited Web Sites, owners of single plans may experience periodic decreases in performance once they more than 400 Web Sites.

"Godaddy

Crucial.com

The Sydney-based company has focused on delivering a better experience for customers, with the roll-out of an industry first concept; Managed Google Apps.

Crucial’s roots trace back to a student bedroom in Bondi in 2003 where the company was first formed, and its headcount currently sits at 20 employees before the AVS buy.

"Crucial

Hostmonster.com

HostMonster has been providing hosting solutions to thousands of business and personal web sites since 1996. Our internet hosting package helps businesses and individuals get high-powered service at a fraction of the cost.

Features

  • Unlimited disk storage
  • Unlimited domain Hosting
  • Free drag and drop builder
  • cPanel Account Control Panel

Hostmonster Deal

Hostmonster : GIMMEMORE Coupon Code

Some of the links on this blog are affiliate links  an I might earn a commission from it ,  rest assured  the review is honest and written from my own perspective. The Webhosting features and pricing are as current at the time of writing and links when clicked will update to the most current advertised or discount deal.

I hope, I have helped you in  choosing a good hosting provider to get started building your website.review of wordpress themes

After getting your domain and hosting sorted , there is just one more thing  left  to complete the picture  and  make it all come together , which is your blog design and look.  A good professional looking wordpress theme is essential for people to get attracted to your blog and also trust and like you blog.

Check out my review post on some of the wordpress theme providers I have been using for a long time.

You can use the free google advertising coupons  to boost your website in Google search to get more traffic to your website

Digitalgrog.com.au is a affiliate partner to most of the Hosting services and some other blog related promotion services that I have listed here on my blog and I use, which means that in addition to using their service, we also receive a commission for referring new customers. Digitalgrog is  a Bluehost/ Hostgator/ Hostmonster/ Godaddy /Dreamhost/Ipage affiliate partner and we also have purchased accounts with these services

To be fair, though, we still use these services even if we weren’t an affiliate. We don’t recommend any particular host just because we’re an affiliate (every company offers a similar affiliate program), we recommend certain services because they are the best or better more reliable option. Plus, because we’re a partner, these providers offers a special price for Digitalgrog.com.au readers. Get your hosting today and get started.

Because we’re a partner, Bluehost offers a special price for digitalgrog.com.au readers: only $3.95 a month  which includes a domain name. We already have our godaddy $1 special  offer  listed above i.e if you are looking for  a cheaper deal.

Links provided above in the table  will take you to  the latest updated promo and discount deals. Feel free to pick which host suits your budget or preference and good luck to your new start 🙂

Some local reviews  ( from whirlpool.com.au)

.com.au, .net.au, .org.au Domain Names

NameScout

I found the cheapest provider to the public at only $59.99 per domain (2 years registration included – I  think this is pricey ), they had a really nice site, great functionality (they create redirecting email address’ on their servers that randomly generate so you don’t get spam from who is lookups which is awesome).

Only downside was their customer service, not only they don’t answer emails on weekends, they operate from Barbados, so if you send an email during the day you tend to not get a reply till early the next morning (e.g. 2 am). (Quote: eXtreme)

GoDaddy!

The cheapest I found was which was $7.95 US (on special) but normal price was $8.95 which is still great, and they offer the same management features as most other registrars. Only downside is they have a fair bit of ads on their site (no pop-ups), but since you barely ever visit your registrar it is no problem. I found registration very easy and they customer service was excellent. (Quote: eXtreme)

NameCheap

Namecheap is good: $8.88 US a year for .com, .net, .org and SSl certificates (https in your domain name)
Just registered 2 domains with them – no problems so far. (Quote: pcpowerplay)

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