If you’re a book author (as opposed to authors of other types of publications) and looking for web hosting, there are some additional factors to consider. While web hosting for other types of artists may also be adequate for you, I would encourage you to take into account the following items. I have a number of friends who are authors, and in corresponding with them, I’ve been able to determine some of the key features they’re looking for. Choosing a web host that saves time and allows them to focus more on their writing, editing, and proofreading instead of getting their website online would be the general primary goal.
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Shared Hosting |
| 9.9 | Check PriceRead Review |
Best Beginner Hosting |
| 8.1 | Check PriceRead Review |
Best Green Web Hosting |
| 9.8 | Check PriceRead Review |
Budget WordPress Hosting |
| 9.5 | Check PriceRead Review |
Max Speed Zone Technology |
| 9.9 | Check PriceRead Review |
Affordable Managed WordPress |
| 9.4 | Check PriceRead Review |
Here are some of the specific website requirements for authors:
For example, if you’re an author that doesn’t currently have blog but want your own website to promote your books, you’d probably be best off with one of the quick-start web hosting options that can create your site with minimal effort from you. Or, say you currently have a blog on WordPress.com but now you want to have a blog with your own domain name with a WordPress.org standalone website, then your best bet would be to look for a quality WordPress hosting plan that allows easier conversion from WordPress.com to WordPress.org.
With so many web hosting options available, I’ve divided our recommendations into separate categories that best matchup to the above requirements. Keep in mind that there is some overlap when it comes to hosting plans that include the features above. And, there are multiple options for each category.
If you’re looking for the quickest and easiest way to get a website up and running for promoting your books, the good news is that these days you can opt for a website builder instead of going with a traditional full web hosting plan. Now, there are some trade-offs, so you may want to get a hosting plan after all. But if a quick and easy website is your goal, here are two of my favorite website builders.
Bluehost offers an excellent opportunity to combine the simplicity of a website builder together with the power of WordPress. If you’re interested in using WordPress but thought it might be too difficult or time consuming, I highly recommend you check out Bluehost. They provide two different methods (e.g. site builder, wizard) to create your WordPress websites.
Hostinger’s AI Website Builder is an alternative to Wix that is great for faster website creation. The AI technology incorporated into the Hostinger site builder really makes creating your new website quicker and easier.
While website builders like those at Bluehost and Hostinger can speed up and simplify the process of creating your website, you may be looking for a more complete marketing platform to promote and sell your books. In that case, check out the sections below.
WordPress is by far the best blogging platform available. Whether you’re looking to start a new blog or convert say a WordPress.com blog, there are some excellent choices for hosting. Many authors already have a blog with Blogger or another free blogging site. If you’re currently using WordPress.com, the logical upgrade is to get your own domain and utilize the WordPress.org software to create a separate website just for you. In these cases, you’re best off with a web host that specializes in WordPress hosting. There are plenty of choices here starting from web hosting companies that simply provide access to the WordPress software together with excellent customer support, all the way up to managed WordPress hosting plans that will do most of your maintenance tasks while providing expert WordPress support staff.
For WordPress website hosting, SiteGround and GreenGeeks are two of my favorites.
While SiteGround is probably the better known WordPress host, GreenGeeks is a sponsor for WordCamps all around the world. And with GreenGeeks, you’re not only getting great WordPress hosting features, but you’re also helping to save the environment with their 300% renewable energy green web hosting.
Like SiteGround, GreenGeeks also provides excellent website performance and very responsive customer support. While GreenGeeks doesn’t include some of the advanced features you get with SiteGround, it is less expensive.
Many authors are currently selling their books through amazon—sometimes even offering free download promotions. With your own website, you can certainly include links to your products on Amazon. If you’d also like to provide sample downloads or want to utilize other multimedia files, then download speed becomes even more important.
It’s often difficult to measure web hosting speeds for everyone. But location does play a significant role in download speeds. Ideally, you want your server to be as close as possible to whoever is downloading the material from your website. Content delivery networks are now playing a big role in decreasing download times—however purchasing a web hosting plan that includes a CDN will usually cost much more. As an alternative, you can look for a web host with multiple data centers.
InMotion Hosting employs their Max Speed Zone Technology with data centers on both the West and East coast that can greatly reduce file download times. I’ve used InMotion for years and have never had any problems with speed. A2 Hosting is another excellent choice as they specialize in fast website hosting and WordPress. Their hosting plan includes a content delivery network, and their optimized hosting environment can speed up your website by reducing your page loading times.
Both InMotion and A2 Hosting offer multiple data center locations you can choose from. And with A2 Hosting, you can actually test your upload and download speed before you sign up. Just go to this page and select the data center you want to test out. You can try downloading and uploading. It’s a great way to find out which data center to choose if you’re not sure.
Once you get your website up and running, you may decide that you need additional marketing tools to increase your book sales. Well, you’ll be happy to know that there are an increasing number of software platforms that not only allow you to quickly and easily create your website, but also include everything you need to effectively promote and sell more of your books.
For example, with GetResponse and Constant Contact, you not only have the ability to create websites, but you also get email marketing and opt-in forms to build your email lists. And with GetResponse, you can also create landing pages and sales funnels for even better sales promotion.
If you happen to write about diverse subject areas, you may want to setup separate websites. If you’re looking for web hosting to handle more than one site, check out my article on the Best Web Hosting for Multiple Domains.
Since you’ve put in a lot of work to author your books, it makes sense they deserve to be promoted from your own website. Having your own site can give you and your work greater exposure and more professionalism. And, no matter how simple or sophisticated your website needs to be, there are plenty of excellent choices out there to purchase quality web hosting at all price levels.
| Web Host | Best For | Try It Now! |
|---|---|---|
| Optimized Page Speeds | > Try Now | |
| WordPress Hosting | > Try Now | |
| WordPress Website Builder | > Try Now | |
| Website & Marketing | > Try Now |
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Thanks for a great article, Michael! I've linked to it from my blog post about how to choose a web hosting company - https://www.helpingauthorsonline.com/how-to-choose-a-hosting-company-for-your-author-website/
Hi Debbie. Thanks!