How to Start a WordPress Blog with HostGator in 2023 (Go Where the Pros Host)

So you want to start a blog with Hostgator, right?

Well, great decision!!

Starting a blog is one of the best decisions of my life I have ever made. Blogging will not only give you the freedom to work from any corner of the world but also one of the best legit ways to make money online. 

You know, there was a time when designing and making a website live used to take a couple of days or even months. 

Those days are gone now. To make a blog or website nowadays, all you need to register a domain name, subscribe for a hosting plan, install WordPress CMS (Content Management System), and you are all set to go live within 20 minutes.

Isn’t it amazing?

But choosing a reliable domain registrar and web hosting company could be a confusing task especially for beginners.

As you have already decided to start a blog on Hostgator, now there could be two scenarios.

Either you already have some knowledge about Hostgator or you are recommended by any fellow blogger, friend, or colleague and don’t know what Hostgator is all about.

Whichever the scenario is, let me tell you straight away, Hostgator is one of the leading web hosting providers and you can go ahead with Hostgator without thinking twice.

So in this post, I will be sharing a complete step by step guide on how to start a WordPress blog with Hostgator. 

Let’s get started making your WordPress blog with Hostgator.

But before that, let’s have a quick overview of Hostgator so that any doubt you may have got clear here only.

Hostgator Overview (2023’s Best Web Hosting)

Hostgator is one solution for all your web hosting needs and related services.

Whether you are a beginner searching for easy and affordable hosting, or an established web enthusiast looking for a high-speed scalable hosting environment or dedicated hosting for the ultimate performance, they have got them all.

Hostgator was founded back in 2002 and since then they are helping newbies and pros with their highly scalable all kinds of plans.

In 2012, they were acquired by the Endurance International Group, an IT services company specialized in Web hosting.

Currently, more than 2 million websites are hosted on Hostgator.

Here is the list of services that you can enjoy from Hostgator.

But here, we will discuss about its awesome shared hosting specifically.

Now, let’s try to understand why starting a blog with Hostgator shared hosting could be the best choice for beginners.

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Why You Should Start a Blog On Hostgator? 

For a beginner what matters the most is to get the best services hassle-free at affordable prices and Hostgator does this job perfectly.

Here are a few reasons why you should start a blog on Hostgator.  

1. Free Domain Name

A domain is the first and foremost thing that you need to start a blog or website.

This is the address of your blog that people type in the web browser to access your blog. For example, bloggingbeats.com is my blog domain name. 

Usually, a domain name will cost you around $15 for a year based on the TLD (Top Level Domain).

But with Hostgator, you can get a free domain name. Even the most recognizable TLD .com is included with its shared hosting plans. 

Quick Note: To grab a free domain name, you will have to buy at least a 12 months plan.

2. Free Site Transfers

If you already have a site on any other host then you can bring it on over to Hostgator free of cost hassle-free.

Unlike some hosting providers where you will have to pay $100 or even more to migrate your site to their servers, on Hostgator free site transfers are covered.    

3. Unlimited Data Storage

With Hostgator, you will be facilitated unlimited data storage space even with its entry-level plan whereas most of Hostgator alternatives offer you limited data storage.

So this another good reason to go with Hostgator. 

4. Unmetered Bandwidth

Not only storage space but you will also get unmetered bandwidth. This means you will not be charged according to the amount of bandwidth you use.

5. Unlimited Email Accounts

A business email is the need of the hour. And with Hostgator, you can also create unlimited professional emails (name@yourdomain.com) even with an entry-level shared hosting plan.

6. 99.9% Uptime Guarantee

The best ability is availability, right?

Having a website facing frequent downtime is not worth it at all. 

But if you are going to start a blog with Hostgator then you don’t need to worry about your site uptime as Hostgator ensures your site stays up all the time.  

7. One-click Installs

Hostgator gives you access to cPanel that further allows you the one-click installation of WordPress including Magento, Joomla, Drupal, and phpBB so that you can build happily. 

8. Free SSL Certificate

SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. 

An SSL certificate will encrypt all the data transfer between client and server thus it prevents unauthorized access of data being transferred over communication channels.

With Hostgator, you will get free SSL that will show your visitors you take security seriously.    

9. Free HostGator Website Builder

With each Hostgator shared hosting plan, you will also get HostGator’s drag and drop website builder for free. 

This will help you (seasoned pros and novice users) to design a new website (even e-commerce) quickly and easily with mobile-friendly templates and drag & drop facility.  

10. 24/7/365 Support

Customer support is not only the backbone of any company but also a peace of mind for its customers. 

Hostgator offers 24/7/365 support that includes both phone support and chat support.

Moreover, you can use Twitter to take their help, massive knowledgebase to find answers, and the Hostgator blog to learn all the related stuff.   

11. 45 Days Money Back Policy

Customer Satisfaction is HostGator’s first Priority!

If you do not get satisfied with HostGator during the first 45 calendar days for any reason, they will give you your money back without asking a single question. 

12. Hostgator Penny Offer 

Last but not the least, Hostgator also offers a one-month free trial hosting so that you actually hands on their services risk-free.

To avail the Hostgator free trial for one month, you will be charged only 1 cent ($0.01) to prevent fraudulent activities.   

You can also check my exclusive post on Hosting Trial No Credit Card Required. 

So, all of these features make Hostgator a perfect package for beginners and can be availed by just spending $2.75/mo.

That being said, nothing could be so perfect that we cannot find even a single flaw.

The single limitation with Hostgator shared hosting plans is that they do not provide you automatic backups. 

And to avail daily automatic backups, you will have to buy a Hostgator addon (CodeGuard Basic security) which starts from $2.0/mo.

But for me, this limitation can be easily overcome by installing a WordPress plugin like UpdraftPlus.

Apart from this, I don’t think there could be any reason not to go with Hostgator.  Now let’s go through the simple steps of making a blog on Hostgator.

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How To Start A WordPress Blog with Hostgator in 2023   

Hands down, hereby presenting you with an easy step-by-step guide on how to start a WordPress blog with Hostgator.

Step 1: Choose a Hosting Plan

Simply click here that will navigate you to the Hostgator’s shared web hosting plans page. 

It will look like this;

As you can see in the picture above, Hostgator offers 3 different plans for its shared hosting.

1. Hatchling Plan ($2.75/mo)

This is the entry plan which allows you to host 1 website with unlimited data storage and unmetered bandwidth.  

This plan will cost you $2.75 per month included with a free domain name for a year.

2. Baby Plan ($3.95/mo)

This is the mid-level plan for which you have to pay $3.95 per month.

The difference between the Hatchling plan and Baby Plan is that the Baby plan allows you to host unlimited sites whereas the Hatchling Plan allows only one website.

3. Business Plan ($5.95/mo)

This is the most advanced plan that will cost you $5.95 per month. This plan will additionally facilitate you with – 

Now you must be wondering which plan you should choose?

Here is the simple answer.

If you are looking forward to making only one website and don’t have any plan to make multiple websites yet, then you can just go with the Hatchling Plan.

Even if you are just getting started learning how to start a blog, then also choose the Hatchling Plan.

If you think you’ll make more than one website in the near future, then just go with the Baby Plan.

If you want to build a high-performance site then you can opt for the Business plan.

Final Verdict: If you are a beginner and looking forward to starting a WordPress blog then I would highly recommend you go with the Hatchling plan only. 

So click on the Buy Now button under the Hatchling plan.  

Step 2: Choose a Domain Name

The next step is to choose a domain name for you.

If you already have a domain name then you can tap on I Already Own This Domain and simply enter your domain name.

Else enter a relevant new domain name and search for its availability.

As soon as you enter any domain name, it will start searching automatically whether it is available or not.

You will be presented with the search results showing domain name availability and other recommendations.   

Here are some pro tips for choosing a domain name.

Quick note: At the end of the domain search result, you will see a checkbox with the heading Add Domain Privacy to (your domain name) costing $14.95/yr.

Simply uncheck it as being a beginner you don’t need it   

Step 3: Choose a Package Type & Billing Cycle

After finalizing a domain name you will have to choose a package type and billing cycle.

As a beginner, choose Hatchling in package type and 36 months billing cycle as this will cost you $105.35 only including taxes.

If you select a 24 months or 12 months billing cycle then it will cost you 3.45/mo and 3.95/mo respectively.

So select a 36 months billing cycle to save maximum.

Step 4: Create your Hostgator Account

Next, you need to create your Hostgator account.

Simply enter your email address, choose a strong password, and provide a security PIN.

Step 5: Enter your Billing Info

Enter your name, phone number, address, and payment type.

You may provide a tax exemption ID (if you have) top save taxes. In my case, I got an exemption as I provided my GST number. 

Step 6: Uncheck all Additional Services

By default, two services will be check marked. These are extra add-ons and as a beginner, you don’t need them. This way you will be saving around $50.

All you need to uncheck them and go ahead.

Step 7: Enter a Coupon Code

Next, you will see a coupon code box. 

Here a default coupon code will be there that will help you to save you straight 60% on shared hosting plans.

So, you don’t need to do anything from your end. 

Step 8: Review Order Details

Next, you just need to review your order details.

You can double-check, we have selected the Hatchling plan for 36 months at $2.75 per month. The estimated tax is $6.52 that brings the total cost to $105.35

All the details are correct and we can proceed further.

So checkmark the Terms of Service box, hit the checkout now button, and you are done with registering a domain name and web hosting plan for your blog.

You will also get a confirmation email from the Hostgator team having your password to login to the Hostgator control panel (cPanel). 

Step 9: Install WordPress

Now, the final step is to install WordPress onto your site so that you can start blogging right away.

For adding WordPress to Hostgator, go to HostGator’s Customer Portal.

Login to cPanel by providing your email address and the password you received in the confirmation email from the Hostgator team.

Once you successfully logged into the Hostgator cPanel, you will see a number of sections such as My Account, Billing, Hosting, etc.

Select the Hosting tab and click on Get Started with WordPress Today. 

As soon as you click on the Get Started with WordPress Today, you will be navigated to a page called QuickInstall.

This page will look like this;

Do ensure your domain name is selected in the Application URL section. Leave the box black after the slash.

Checkmark the Enable Auto Upgrades box. Then enter the Admin Email, your Blog Title, and Admin User. 

Lastly, input your first and last name, and click on the Install Now button.

You’ll be able to see WordPress installation progress. 

Once the WordPress installation is completed, you will see the above window. 

Here, you will get all the information needed (your username, and a randomly generated password) to access your blog WordPress dashboard.

Simply go to the https://yourdomain.com/wp-admin, sign in, and start writing blog posts.

See, how simple and easy it is to start a blog with Hostgator. It will hardly take 20 minutes of yours. 

So, what are you waiting for?

Start a WordPress blog with Hostgator today and show the world what you have got.

Also Read:

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FAQs

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Final Thoughts on Starting a Blog with Hostgator

So this is how you can start a WordPress blog with Hostgator in 2023.

Trust me, Hostgator with a free domain name, free migration, free SSL, unmetered bandwidth, 1-click WordPress installation, 99.9% uptime guarantee, and 24/7 customer support at $2.75 per month only is the best choice for beginners.

So don’t wait for tomorrow, the day that never comes.

Get a domain name and hosting plan today and start your dream blog with Hostgator right away.

If you still need any help related to the Hostgator WordPress blog setup, do let me know in the comment section or via email.

I will be very happy to help you out.

And if you found this WordPress Hostgator tutorial helpful, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family so they too can learn how to create a blog using HostGator.

Till then, Happy Blogging!!