If you’re looking for a deal on a new web hosting package, here are some of the top web hosting offers for Black Friday, Cyber Monday and beyond:

• HostGator: 50% off on all web hosting services. This includes shared hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated servers and Windows hosting! This is one of the biggest sales on web hosting every year but it only lasts one day.

 

• IX Hosting: 55% off the Expert Web Hosting Plan starting Friday, November 23rd and lasting through Wednesday, November 28th.

 

• FatCow: Monthly cost on its regular web hosting package has been reduced almost 15% from $3.67/month to $3.15/month until Tuesday, November 27th.

 

• iPage: One of the best deals as the monthly price has been slashed over 40% from $3.50/month to just $1.99/month from today until next Tuesday.

 

• HostMonster & BlueHost: Take $1 off the monthly price of $4.95 to $3.95 on Black Friday only.

Learn more about all these web hosting companies starting with our Top 10 Web Hosting list.

When it comes to choosing a hosting company, there are a lot of companies and a wide variety of options out there to choose from. These days, in the world of “unlimited bandwidth” and “free set up” so many of these choices appear to be very similar. And in most cases, they are!

Take WebHostingHub and BlueHost, for example. Both services make it incredibly easy and affordable to get online. From unlimited domains and email to 24/7 customer support, many of their services and features are very much alike. But let’s take a closer look to see how one of the oldest companies in the web hosting business (BlueHost) compares to one of the industry’s newest (WebHostingHub).

Features and services:
Both WebHostingHub and BlueHost boast web hosting packages that come loaded with cutting-edge features and services that make it quick and easy to get a great looking website up and running online. Both WebHostingHub and BlueHost provide quality North American-based customer service by phone and live chat, allowing you to get live help whenever needed.

If you’re an existing website owner, you’ll love WebHostingHub’s “no-downtime” transfer process that allows customers to access a temporary URL to upload files, create email accounts, and make sure everything is working correctly before transferring the domain. For those of you who like to DIY, BlueHost supports a robust, dynamic self-help knowledge center that contains close to 300 articles on various web hosting topics

Price:
When it comes to price, WebHostingHub takes the cake with contracts that cost as little as $3.95 per month, for a 36-month contract. The same contract at BlueHost, one of the most reliable hosting companies around, will cost you $5.95 per month. All contracts at both companies come with a free domain name and free account set-up.

Ease of use:
To simplify the task of managing and monitoring your website, both WebHostingHub and BlueHost provide cPanel. Its icon-driven interface is the industry standard in web hosting control panels. It is easy-to-use and easy to learn, allowing you to do everything from review traffic statistics to add new e-mail accounts using the same control panel.

Guarantee:
WebHostingHub is backed by a 90-day full money back guarantee – it’s one of the best guarantees in the industry. If at any point during your three months of service you decide that hosting service isn’t for you, they will give you a complete refund. BlueHost offers a 30-day guarantee.

Conclusion
WebHostingHub and BlueHost are both reliable and practical web hosting options. While WebHostingHub is certainly making noise right now with its affordable plans and easy-to-use features, BlueHost’s 15-year reputation for reliable, practical plans should not be overlooked. Regardless of which service you choose, we wish you luck in your hosting adventures and we hope you find this comparison helpful.

The internet is full of different web hosting companies for people to choose from nowadays. While it is always nice to have options, it can become quite confusing deciphering one from the next. For this reason, it is important you narrow your options down according to what you are looking for. So what are your options you may ask if you are looking for a drag and drop site builder?

The good news is there are a number of web hosting companies that do offer a drag and drop website builder. To help narrow down your options that much more, let’s stick to the top three out there today.

To start, you are going to want to look at Hub, otherwise known as Webhostinghub. This hosting company offers a comprehensive web hosting plan for just $3.95 each month with an industry leading 90-day money back guarantee that helps assure you will not leave unsatisfied.

There are countless benefits that come with this hosting company including unlimited space, unlimited transfer, a free domain forever, and the ability to host an unlimited number of domains. Most importantly, it offers an easy-to-use site builder with a drag and drop capability to create web pages without any difficulty. No matter how experienced you are, the finished page will display exactly the way you design it.

The next hosting company to take a look at is BlueHost. It has the reputable image of being named the Most Reliable Web Host of 2012, which speaks volumes to the kind of service you will receive. You will receive full-featured web hosting for $4.50 a month through this company. It also offers a free domain forever, unlimited space, the ability to host an unlimited number of domains, and a free site builder.

HostMonster offers an easy-to-use drag and drop website builder that is also known as a WYSIWYG program. This stands for “what you see is what you get.” By the time you wrap up with the design, you will be amazed as to what you have created.

The final hosting company worth checking out that offers a drag and drop site builder is GoldPuma. GoldPuma offers full-service web hosting packages that start as low as $3.95 per month. This is easily one of the lowest cost personal web hosting plans on the web you will find while still receiving a reliable and trustworthy product. And as requested, it does have a site builder that will help you create a masterpiece with little experience whatsoever.

Search for more blog posts on drag and drop website builders.

From affordable pricing and reliable customer service to robust site features that are easy of use, HostMonster and BlueHost share a lot in common – including the same mailing address and CEO, Matt Heaton! BlueHost has been around a couple of years longer than HostMonster – BlueHost was founded in 2003, HostMonster in 2005 – making it slightly more established and a larger network.

The two web hosting companies are so similar in their features and benefits, that it makes the task of choosing between the two darn near impossible. To assist you in the decision making process, let’s run through their similarities as well as their subtle differences to determine which service will best serve your website needs.

Pricing
Whether you choose a 3, 6, 12, 24 or 36-month package, your contract costs for both HostMonster and BlueHost are virtually the same:

o 3 or 6 Months – $9.95/month
o 12 Months – $4.95/month
o 24 Months – $3.95/month – special
o 36 Months – $3.95/month

Both services are currently running a special on a 24-month contract. At just $3.95 a month, regardless of whether you choose HostMonster or BlueHost, you’re getting one of the most best deals available in the market today. HostMonster and BlueHost also typically charge a $30.00 set-up fee and $10.00 domain registration charge. Both of these fees are waived if you choose a 12, 24, or 36-month contract.

Update: In February 2011, HostMonster & BlueHost changed its minimum contracts to 1 year. HostMonster now charges $4.50/month whether you purchase a 1, 2 or 3 year contract, and BlueHost charges $4.95/month. There are no set-up fees and a free domain still comes with every package.

Features
Many features of the two web hosting companies are the same. Both HostMonster and BlueHost use cPanel, the most popular web hosting control panel out there. Both services offer Fantastico and a wide selection of free software and scripts; allowing you to easily

o Design and manage your website
o Start a blog or forum
o Open an online store
o Conduct polls and surveys
o Host your own videos
o And much, much, more

Both plans offer “unlimited” domain names and ample email accounts for any small business – however, BlueHost caps its email accounts off at 2500. Both have shopping cart capabilities, spam filters, streaming audio/video options, and MySQL databases. FrontPage extensions allow you to customize your website with both companies. Both also offer basically unlimited bandwidth and disk space.

Security
HostMonster and BlueHost both employ the most current industry best practices to ensure optimal security. Both use SSL and encryption to secure any information exchanged between your customers and your website. HostMonster and BlueHost also provide SSH or Secure Shell Access, which means you have a secure channel to use when making changes to your site.

Reliability
Both services use the latest servers to make sure your website loads quickly for visitors. They also support a variety of features in its data center to keep your website performing at its best, including multiple power supplies and a 24/7 technical staff.

Customer Service
Customer service is a critical component of a web hosting service – both HostMonster and BlueHost have strong reputations for fast and friendly support. Both companies offer:

o 24/7 Phone support that is based in the United States
o 24/7 Live chat
o Guarantee wait times of two minutes or less for phone support

Both services support a library of self-help articles and video tutorials.

Bonuses
Every new web hosting account receives a free domain, free domain privacy service, and free set-up provided you choose a 24-month plan or more. Each new customer also receives $100 in free marketing credits for use with Google and Yahoo Search Marketing to help you get more traffic. Both services offer a no-questions-asked 30-day money back guarantee.

Conclusion
When it comes to affordable, robust, reliable, and secure web hosting, you really can’t go wrong with either HostMonster or BlueHost. Really the only difference between the two companies is that BlueHost has been around a little longer (2 years), making it a little bigger network. We hope this helps you make your decision as you choose between these two top 10 web hosting companies.

99.9% network uptime and an “anytime” guarantee make BlueHost a very reliable web hosting company.

If you have been in the business of creating and managing websites for long, you have probably experienced this scenario: You work long hours getting your website ready to go. After searching, you come across an affordable host that is offering some nice freebies. You upload your site, only to find that almost weekly the site is down for one reason or another.

Read the full BlueHost Review

Soon your traffic drops, because customers stop coming to a site that they know is “always going to be down.” Your dreams for your website are lost because the host was not reliable. One way to keep from falling prey to this scenario is to host your website with BlueHost, one of the web’s most reliable web hosting companies.

Long Company History

BlueHost is one of the oldest web hosts out there. They have been hosting websites for ten years. Their reputation over those years has grown so that they are now considered the most reliable hosting provider.

Why So Reliable?

BlueHost’s reliability lies in its hardware setup. The latest servers are used at all times, and the hardware is upgraded whenever necessary. This means your website will load quickly and will remain live. The technical staff works 24/7, monitoring the network for problems that they quickly fix. The host facility also uses multiple power supplies to keep the computers up and running, even if facing an electrical outage. They perform regular, secure backups so no information is lost.

Reliable Customer Support

While the backups and power supplies are an important part of reliability, customer service and support is almost equally important. If you cannot get a quick answer to your problem or question, your site will not be beneficial to you. With BlueHost, both phone support and live chat are available 24/7. The phone support is handled with United States centers, and customers wait two minutes or less to talk to a representative. If you would rather just email your question, the help ticket system works quite efficiently. BlueHost also provides its customers with an in-depth self-help center that provides informative articles about web hosting.

Other Features

Of course, having a reliable host with excellent services is not important if the product is not up to par. BlueHost would not have earned its excellent reputation with a less-than-ideal product. The list of features BlueHost offers seems endless:

• MySQL databases
• IDN support
• SSH security
• Shopping carts
• Spam Assassin
• Fantastico
• cPanel
• Front Page Extensions
• 2,500 email accounts
• TikiWiki content management program
• Unlimited domain names
• Web blog software

Plus many more features to ensure that a BlueHost account has everything you need to create a customized website to help you reach your target market.

In addition, BlueHost offers new customers some nice freebies. The domain name is free, as is domain privacy service. Free set-up is possible with a longer contract. All new contracts get $100 worth of search engine marketing credit, allowing them to start an AdWords or Yahoo! Search Marketing account without much out-of-pocket cost. A full refund is available for 30 days, so you have nothing to lose if you are looking for a reliable, proven host for your website.

Watch out for hidden set-up fees, especially on short-term contracts

Website hosting services are typically not that expensive. For less than $5 a month, you can host your website on a secure, reliable, feature-packed server. What few know, however, is the actual cost of getting your site up and running can be quite a bit higher. That’s because some web hosting companies will charge you setup fees. These typically range between $40 and $60, which is a decent amount of money to pay just to get your site live. You can avoid this fee, however, if you know which companies to choose.

Compare Web Hosting Plans with No Set-up Fees

Many web hosting companies are now dropping the setup fee if you sign up for a long enough contract. They do this to ensure your loyalty over a few years, encouraging you to go for the longer contract rather than the month to month option. If you find a host that has enough features to carry your website few a couple of years of growth, this is a great option for you, because it saves you a lot of money at the outset, which is typically when you need to save money the most since your website has not yet begun to earn any for you. Here are a couple of hosts that offer free setup fees.

HostMonster – Lots of Features for a Low Price

HostMonster is one of the most affordable options out there. It offers excellent features such as nearly unlimited disk space and bandwidth, unlimited email accounts, the possibility to have unlimited domain names pointing back to your site, and service that is based entirely in the United States. In addition, HostMonster has built in features that make it easy to set up your website for ecommerce functions. The security is excellent, protecting both your information and any information customers share with you via the website. It offers customizability through Fantastico and Front Page extensions, and MySQL databases allow you to track and store customer information.

HostMonster charges a $30 setup fee and $10 domain registration fee. However, if you sign up for a contract that is 12 months or longer, you do not have to pay these fees. This makes HostMonster a good choice for those looking to avoid these fees, because many other companies require a 24-month contract to drop these fees.

Read the full HostMonster Review

BlueHost – Dropping Fees on a Reliable, Established Host

BlueHost has been around for a while. They have been hosting websites for over 10 years, and through that time have earned the reputation as being one of the most reliable hosts in the industry. They may not be the most affordable, but when you learn how to eliminate setup fees, the price becomes more comparable to the competition.

BlueHost offers 2,500 email accounts, customizability through Fantastico and Front Page extensions, IDN support for international customers, United States support, MySQL databases, and the ease of the cPanel website management program. Like HostMonster, BlueHost charges $30 for setup and $10 for domain registration. Again, these fees are waived if you have a 12-month or longer contract.

Read the full BlueHost Review

The key to avoiding setup fees and domain registration costs is to purchase the right contract length with a company offering to waive these fees. With all of the companies that do offer to waive these fees, you should not have to pay them at all. Take the time to shop around for the best web hosting provider for your individual needs, and you will find one that waives setup fees.

Having a hosting provider that offers U.S. based customer service ensures that you will be able to understand the representative you are speaking with. This eliminates unnecessary problems that occur when you spend the majority of your time on the phone with the service department trying to understand each other. Here are four of the top 10 web hosting companies that all offer U.S. based customer service.

HostMonster

HostMonster is often labeled the most valuable host. It has a fairly low price, just $3.95 per month with a 24-month contract, but packs its packages with features. The host’s software is quite user friendly as well, which makes setting up your website simple. What’s even better, all phone support is based in the United States. You do not have to have a certain contract to get this. In addition, phone support and live chat are available at all times, and wait times are around two minutes or less for phone support.

FatCow

FatCow also has a low price and excellent set of features. Everyone pays just $3.67 per month and gets the same set of features. A one to two year contract is required. All customer service is based in North America. However, FatCow realizes that some customers simply have to have U.S. based support. As such, they offer a service upgrade for $3.95 per month. With the upgrade, customers receive faster service that is entirely based in the United States. In addition, live chat is always available, and the help ticket system is quick to respond to written requests for service.

BlueHost

If you are looking for reliability, BlueHost might be the company for you. This web hosting provider has been offering their services for over 10 years. They have built an excellent reputation in the industry for their customer support and features. They are also known as the most reliable web hosting provider. They are not the cheapest, but if reliability is more important to you than price, this is the company to consider. Like HostMonster, all phone support is based in the United States. You will wait two minutes or less to talk to a customer service representative, and support is available at any time. Live chat is also available if you prefer to get support online.

InMotion

InMotion has web hosting packages designed for the business owner in mind. Features like Google Checkout and MySQL databases make this the ideal host for setting up a business website. All customer service is United States based, and it is available at any time. Live chat is also available to InMotion customers.

The key to getting U.S. based support is nothing more than finding a web hosting company that offers it. You do not necessarily have to pay more for this service. Remember, as you shop for a host, keep all aspects in mind, including the reliability and ease of access of the company’s customer service department.