Concerns With Moving To Self Hosted WordPress
Im not gonna lie, I had some misgivings about moving my blog. So Im going to list them as Im sure some of you have similar ones and hopefully alleviate them.
- Id lose my website stats
I was so concerned that Id lose all my hits so far on my blog. I didnt. These are a part of Jetpack, so when I moved and installed the Jetpack plugin, they were there again.
- I wouldnt be in the wordpress reader
This was a huge concern for me, as I know I get quite a bit of traffic from the WordPress reader. Again, this is done through Jetpack, so people can still find me there and I can still use it
- Id lose my WordPress follow button
Hardly anyone signs up by email right? I was so worried that I would lose the button. I didnt. Youve guessed it its part of Jetpack. The only thing that changed was that it no longer pops up on the bottom of mobile as you scroll but I have a few work arounds for that.
- I would lose my likes or the ability to like.
Okay here Ill be honest all my likes prior to migration couldnt be moved to my new blog. It doesnt hinder me much so its not a huge concern. BUT people can still like my posts now. You can still have the like button on the bottom of your posts which I advise you do.
- Id lose my subscribers
The most important one! But yet again these are done through Jetpack! So theres no worries there either.
- Id lose my current theme
Nope! You can keep everything exactly how it is!
- I dont know how to code
Create An Account In Profreehost
Profreehost is the hosting provider that is going to help us make a free website on WordPress. So, to create an account, go to profreehost.com.So to create the account go to profreehost.com.
In the home page, click Register Now.
Now you will be taken to a page where you can register for a new account.
Here, enter the Email address and password to register for an account. Then, click the button with a tick.
You should get the following notification after you fill out your details. It means you need to activate your account. The link to activate your profreehost account will be sent to your email.
Check your email for a message from Free Host with an activation link.
After you have clicked on Activate Account, you will be redirected to your account on Profreehost as shown below.
What Is An Alias Domain
DefinitionAn Alias Domain is a domain name that can be used as an alternate name for another domain.
For example, if you have two domain names pointing to your website, you can map the second domain as an Alias of the primary domain. Website visitors will see the Alias in their URL bar when navigating the site.
Relevance to WordPressWhen you have a WordPress website , you can assign Aliases to your website. However, not all servers are ready out-of-the-box to map domains to a single website and require additional configuration.
Furthermore, your WordPress website needs some extra configuration to map each alias to a specific post in WordPress .
Posts can include any default post type that comes out of the box with WordPress, like Pages, Posts, Products, etc, or any Custom Post Type created by other plugins or themes.
End Goal: Multiple domains on a single WordPress siteAt the end of the day, the purpose of creating an Alias domain on your server is to map multiple domains to a single WordPress installation.
Domain Mapping System lets you handle the mapping of domains to specific posts after youve set up your server properly.
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How To Use Gmail With Your Own Domain Name By Paying For Google Workspace
If youre willing to pay, another way to use Gmail with your own domain name is to pay for , formerly called G Suite.
Google Workspace essentially lets you create an entire Google account with your own custom email, instead of using a Gmail address. This not only gives you access to Gmail with your own domain name, but it also gives you separate access to other Google tools such as:
If you have an organization, you can also set up Google Workspace for your entire organization so that you can all easily share files with one another.
Theres a lot to like about this method. However, the downside is obviously that it isnt free!
There are two ways to go with Google Workspace:
If you want to save money, using the Business plans is the best option . However, because the Business plans are tailored towards teams, its a little more complicated to set things up.
If youre willing to pay a slight premium for simplicity and you know that you wont need to ever add more team members, its totally fine to go with the Individual plan.
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Choosing The Right Name
Choosing a domain name might be difficult, especially considering that the top tips for domains always include keeping it short and easy to type. If you already have a brand consisting of proper English words like Vintage Shoes then the domain name will probably already be taken.
You can find all sorts of tips on choosing a domain name, but it almost always boils down to keeping it short and memorable. This is definitely good advice, but always have a brand strategy in mind as well.
Smashing Magazine has a long-ish domain name, yet it is unlikely that much traffic is lost due to this or that more could be gained by switching to smashingmag.com. Branding is, ultimately, the most important factor. A short and sweet domain name is great, but in the end, what you do with it is what counts.
One last note of caution: Make sure not to infringe on any copyrights with your domain name. Nolo has a good read on avoiding trademark infringement when choosing a domain.
Read Also: Shopify Transferring Domain
Read Also: What To Consider When Buying A Domain Name
How Do I Get A Free Domain Name
Nobody really gives out a domain name for free online without getting something in return.
Fortunately, many website builders will offer you a free domain name registration when you purchase, say, an annual plan.
Of course, after that first year expires, youll be forced to pay the fee for the annual domain name renewal. Sometimes, the site will bug you to renew the domain through their own renewal service, which is priced at say, $15 per year instead of the usual $10 or so fee. If thats the case, then dont be afraid to buy your domain through a third party site.
Unless you win a contest, or get a domain through a friend, theres no way to get a free domain name online without paying at least something in return.
Is WordPress Free With Godaddy
You might be surprised to learn that WordPress is actually free with GoDaddy.
Thats right, you dont have to pay a dime to use WordPress on your GoDaddy-hosted website.
Of course, there are some caveats.
First, youll need to sign up for a GoDaddy account and purchase a hosting plan.
Once youve done that, you can then install WordPress and start using it for your website.
However, keep in mind that youll still need to pay for any premium themes or plugins that you want to use.
So while WordPress itself may be free, building a truly powerful website will still come at a cost.
But if youre just getting started, using WordPress with GoDaddy is a great way to get started without spending a lot of money.
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So Which One Should You Choose
If youre creating an eCommerce store, go with BranchBob or Shift4Shop. Theyre both free and come with robust features for you to sell online for free. Although, if you reside in the US, Shift4Shop has a slight advantage as they have more advanced features built-in.
If you just need a beginner-friendly website builder to build a simple website for your business or personal site, then ConvertKit, BigCartel, Ucraft, and Google Site are great.
But if you need maximum customizability, advanced plugins, and blogging features, WordPress is undoubtedly the best tool for it.
How To Use Gmail With Your Custom Domain Name For Free
If you were wondering if its possible to use your own domain with Gmail, then we have your answer. In this article, well show you how to use Gmail with a custom domain for free.
As convenient as Googles email service is, sometimes you need something more to appear professional. A good way to do so is by attaching your own domain to your email. For example, instead of , you could use .
Not only does the latter look more professional, but it can also even help make your email address more memorable. If youre serious about your online business, then you have absolutely no reason to not use a custom domain for your business email.
Also Check: Is My Domain Name Availability
Free Website With Own Domain Is It Possible
Do you wonder if its possible to set up a website with your own domain without any budget investment? There are several ways to do that due to the availability of domain name registrars that provide such an opportunity. The range of platforms to start a free website and to host it for free afterwards is quite extensive as well.
There is one thing, however, you should be aware of. Free web building and hosting services mostly work well for small projects meant for personal use. If you intend to launch a full-featured website with powerful integrations and design customization options, this variant wont make any sense for you. This is because such a domain name wont belong to you and, thus, you wont be able to manage and set it up with regard to your project/business requirements. Hosting a free website with GitHub pages or other suchlike services may be a suitable solution for simple websites, but not for large-scale projects.
If you still intend to host your website for free, you will face the need to pick a domain name zone for your project. Thats not quite easy as popular domain zones like.com or .gov, for example, are rarely provided at no cost. Instead, you can get a domain with less widespread extensions like a generic , a reserved or a second level domain. The latter usually consist of two parts and belong to financial/governmental projects. To get such a free domain, you may contact a domain registrar or a hosting provider of your choice.
Add Domain Id Protection
When you register a domain name with ICANN, you must provide your contact information including your name, phone number, physical address, and email address.
As soon as your domain name is registered, this contact information becomes available to the public unless you pay for domain privacy through your domain registrar. This domain privacy will shield your information from view, keeping your personal information safe from spammers or worse, identity thieves.
Once you’ve got the domain name in hand, you’re ready to find hosting and build your website. Consider a free CMS, like HubSpot, to design your website, strategize for SEO, and create a blog.
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Can I Use My Own Domain With WordPresscoms Free Plan Summary
Unfortunately, you cant use a custom domain with WordPress.coms free plan.
If you want to use a custom domain, youll need to sign up for a WordPress.com paid plan.
However, you do have options. For example, you can either upgrade to a WordPress.com paid plan or you can opt for self-hosting and use a custom domain as well.
Self-hosting your WordPress site your site is something you should seriously consider from the get-go if you want to use a custom domain.
Self-hosting will not only give you more control over your website, and it can also be more cost-effective in the long run.
So if youre serious about using WordPress with a custom domain, self-hosting is the way to go.
However, if youre just getting started and dont want to spend any money, WordPress.coms free plan is a great way to get started, just dont expect to be able to use a custom domain on it.
Besides, you can always upgrade to a paid plan later if you really have your heart set on a custom domain.
Add The Domain To Profreehostcom
To add your domain to profreehost.com, open your Profreehost cPanel.
Under domains, click on Aliases.
Now enter the domain name that was registered with Godaddy.
Now to move your website to the new domain you need to add these DNS addresses displayed in GoDaddy.
So, lets copy the DNS servers.
And then go to GoDaddy,
Click on DNS.
Then scroll down and go to nameservers and click Change.
Click Enter my own nameservers .
Here, paste the copied nameserver details into these two blocks and click Save.
You have now successfully added the nameserver details. Once youve added, these details go back to your control panel.
Now, click Add Parked Domain.
As soon as you click this button, your new domain will be added to ProFreeHost.
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How To Make A Free Website On WordPress
It can get quite overwhelming for beginners to create websites on their own. But, trust me, its not hard at all!
With the advent of technology, anyone can make a free website on WordPress, without having to spend any money or time.
So, to help you get started here is a complete step-by-step guide on how you can make a free website on WordPress and make it live on the internet.
Lets get started, shall we?
We are going to make a free website on WordPress in just two parts,
Choose A Hosting Plan And Sign Up For Bluehost
As we discussed earlier, all Bluehost hosting plans come with free custom email domains. So to start with, head over to Bluehost and click on the Get Started Now button.
On the next screen, youll see details of the available Bluehost plans. All of these plans will let you create an email domain for free, but you should consider all the other features to make the best pick for your needs.
Click on the Select button under your desired plan to continue.
Next, well be creating your new domain name.
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How To Register A Domain Name For Free
Looking for a free domain name? There are several domain registrars, website hosting providers, and website builders offering free domain names, typically with the purchase of another service or with no cost but some customization limitations.
Wix is a popular drag-and-drop website builder that allows you to register a free domain name with the stipulation that it includes Wix’s name as well. This means that although you get your domain name for free, it will read yourdomainname.wix.com. This is a trade-off to consider when registering a domain name for free.
Best For
Wix is a great choice for first-time website owners who are looking to start a small personal brand under the Wix subdomain. You can eventually upgrade to a custom domain if you end up enjoying Wixs platform. We dont recommend it if youre planning to blog regularly, as there are better choices out there, such as WordPress.com.
Like Wix, Weebly offers a simple website builder with a free domain name that will appear as yourwebsite.weebly.com. You will have limited access to the site-building features, but you will save annual fees for domain names. This is a great option for temporary or basic websites.
Best For
Best For
Bluehost is an excellent option for small-to-medium business owners who want to choose a custom domain and choose their own CMS. With Bluehost, you can opt for any CMS platform, including CMS Hub, WordPress , or even Joomla.
Best For
Connect Your Account To Gmail
Now youre ready to go ahead and actually use Gmail with a custom domain. To do so, were basically going to configure Gmail to send and receive email for your custom email from earlier.
First, log in to the Google account that you have and click on the Cog icon in the top right and go to Settings. Now, just click on the Accounts and Import tab at the top.
After that is done, scroll down and look for the Check mail from other accounts section. Here, click on Add a mail account. Well now enable forwarding from your custom mail address to your Gmail.
Doing so will make a new window pop up. Here, just enter the custom mail from earlier in the Email address field and click on Next. Then click on Next once more on the new page that appears.
Now, this is where the earlier information from Mail Client Manual Settings will be used. In the Username field, just enter the username provided there. Just enter the Password of your mail below. Under POP Server, enter the data from the Incoming Server information field.
For the Port, you can just use the number under the POP3 Port field. Also, remember to check the Always use a secure connection when retrieving mail option. Finally, click on Add Account.
After that, just click on Next to keep going and fill in the Name field of the new page. Once you do that, click on Next Step.
This will send a confirmation email to your custom email address. You can close the window and move on to confirming your email now.
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