Websites
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@cjones Thanks. I do like Squarespace too. Not too many options which is good. Kim
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My biggest concern is I will need to get rid of my email from GoDaddy which is free but is kim@designsbygatto.com.
If you own the domain name designsbygatto.com you will not lose your email address. You need to move to a domain hosting site that also offers email. Weebly I believe does not offer this service but partners with someone else and it is an additional $4 or so per month.
If you go with a full featured hosting service (BlueHost.com. Hostgator.com, etc) email is included as part of the package. I know with bluehost you can create as many email addresses as you want either as a forward to your main email or as a separate email account.
You also want to consider the future. with a full service hosting service you can use your designsbygatto.com web address. But let's say in 6 months you want to have another web site for some other reason, you can add that to your account for a $15/yr domain registration fee and set it up under your same account.
Weebly is very simply to setup but you can easily setup a site through full featured hosting sites as well. You may even be able to import your current site and not have to recreate it from scratch.
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I build and host websites for small businesses, and I like Siteground. The cheapest package is still powerful enough to host a decent website (unlike GoDaddy) and they have free SSL installation (a must these days) and excellent support.
Bluehost, Hostgator, Dreamhost, and others are all owned by the same company: Endurance International Group. I don't know about Bluehost but I have not been satisfied with the other two at all. Prepare to be upsold and have features locked.
While almost all hosting plans include the option to create email addresses, I would set up a separate, dedicated email service to save yourself trouble in the future. Then it is not tied to your web host. Yes you have to pay for it but it's worth it. Google's GSuite is $5/mo ($60/yr), and Namecheap has private email service for $10/yr.
Carrie Copa
https://carriecopadraws.com/ -
@jimsz Hmm. Really. I am so not good at this. I do own the domain, I would be able to keep my email where ever I go? I'm confused on the domain, hosting and email? Isn't domain separate than hosting? I can transfer my domain anywhere I go? I probably wouldn't need another site. I just want design, art, blog, on same website and then the option if I need to sell in the future.
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@carriecopa I would probably want to stick with someone who has been around for the reason, I don't want them to go under and then I have to redesign a site again.
Honestly I wish I never changed my email because I used Yahoo and never had a problem. It was free and never got full. But it had to be designsbygatto@yahoo.com instead. I just did some mailings so not sure I want to deal with changing that.
So is this Siteground like a wordpress site? Do they have easy templates? I need easy these days. I did like the way your site looked but is it customizable to add art, design, blog, contact?
Nice work btw.
Thanks again for all your help.
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@kgatto Yes, Siteground would be a great choice for a Wordpress site. I use a theme that's completely customizeable (Divi). But there's a learning curve to designing in Wordpress (and the free templates are rarely worth it). Because Wordpress is so robust with options, it can be tricky at first to find where everything is (like learning which buttons to use on a remote!) but once you know that it's easy to edit later. I always make tutorials for my clients to help with that.
If you want a more drag-n-drop design site, Squarespace, Wix or Weebly might be better choices. They have limitations but if you want simple layouts they probably have you covered. I think one of these might be the right direction for you.
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@jimsz Hmm. Really. I am so not good at this. I do own the domain, I would be able to keep my email where ever I go? I'm confused on the domain, hosting and email? Isn't domain separate than hosting? I can transfer my domain anywhere I go? I probably wouldn't need another site. I just want design, art, blog, on same website and then the option if I need to sell in the future.
You own the domain. when you go with a webhosting service you can transfer the domain to them or leave it with godaddy. No matter what you do you still have the option to keep your email address.
If you go with a full featured hosting service, everything will be there and you can install wordpress with one simple click.
I like Bluehost but there are MANY hosting services out there. here is an article on whats involved to move from godaddy to other hosting services.
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@sarah-luann an @carriecopa I love both of your sites. I noticed though it still indicates site is not secure. Why is that? I think that is why godaddy is trying to get me to switch to their website builder site. Thanks.
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@kgatto thanks for the heads-up, my site said "insecure" because of a "mixed content error" - there was an old photo with the http:// path instead of the secure https:// path. I fixed it so should have the green lock now!
The builder you use won't matter for site security. The "secure" part comes from buying an SSL certificate so you can use the https:// address instead of http:// . Some services include this, some you have to pay for, but you should have one going forward because all the web browsers are flagging sites as "insecure" if you don't have one.
For personal portfolio sites, the cheapest SSL is all you need. GoDaddy offers it for $70/yr, Namecheap has one for $10/yr, Siteground is free. Just another cost to consider!
Carrie Copa
https://carriecopadraws.com/ -
@carriecopa Thanks Carrie. I see it's fixed. My head is spinning with all this technical stuff. haha Siteground sound good but I may just go with simple for my sanity. I will keep that in mind for the future though. Yes. the ssl is expensive some places, but others included. Thanks again for all your help.
Kim -
Right on! I think Squarespace is my favorite of the DIY options. SSL is included. $14/mo is a fair deal for all their options.
