I would like to welcome HostGator as the new official web host provider of John Chow dot Com. HostGator is a world leading provider of shared, reseller, VPS and dedicated web hosting. HostGator was founded in 2002 by Brent Oxley, who started the company from his dorm room at Florida Atlantic University. Since then, HostGator has grown from a small hosting company with just three servers into a world leading and industry recognized hosting provider with thousands of servers under management. The over four million domains hosted by HostGator make up approximately 1% of the world’s Internet traffic.
What made me switched to HostGator was their rock solid network infrastructure and world class tech support. Their techs were always just a phone call away and their response time was super quick. They helped moved the blog and assisted in optimizing it as well. You may have already noticed how much faster the blog loads now.
HostGator is a WordPress recommended web host and their networks are certified to work with W3 Total Cache and MaxCDN. A blog powered by HostGator with W3 Total Cache and MaxCDN (like this one) can handle any amount of traffic you throw at it.
Get Started with HostGator for 1 Cent Plus Receive $100 Google AdWords Credit
World class web hosting doesn’t have to cost you an arm and leg. Hostgator WordPress hosting plans start as low as $4.95 per month. However, I’ve been given a coupon code that will give you the first month of the hatchling and baby plan for only 1 cent ($5 for the business plan).
Simply order the plan of your choice and enter coupon code johnchowrocks into the coupon field. This will reduce the first month price of the hackling and baby plan to 1 cent and the business plan to $5. I recommend you go for the baby plan as a minimum because it will allow you to host as many domains as you want.
Not only will you get your first month for a penny but every hosting plan at HostGator comes with $100 of Google AdWord credit that you can use to promote your blog. Spend 1 cent to get your blog up and get $100 AdWords credit. You won’t find a better web hosting deal anywhere!
Get HostGator for 1 Cent plus $100 Google AdWord Credit – Use Coupon johnchowrocks
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You fail to mention that HostGator’s network infrastructure is actually the property of SoftLayer since HostGator colocates in SoftLayer facilities. In addition did you know the same datacenter they host their servers in had a large scale explosion just years ago and that almost all HostGator websites went offline.
FYI.
Bam!! hahah, so what do you suggest is better than HostGator but similar pricing?
The explosion you’re talking about resulted in not even a single shared, reseller, or vps customers site going offline. In fact we actually made a good amount of money off that explosion.
It was in an old ev1servers datacenter that we never trusted and for this reason stayed in theplanet’s orginal datacenters. Because of this we never placed any shared customers in it and only put our backup servers at this location. We got a pretty nice SLA refund from theplanet for all the backup servers that were offline for a few days. Another thing to keep in mind is that the explosion didn’t physically damage a single server of ours, just that datacenters network.
And did you know that SoftLayer used to be call The Planet? What’s your point? The bottom line is the network infrastructure HostGator is located at is one of the best in the world. I remember the explosion and I would imagine something like that would put any other web host out of business. But HostGator recovered and is bigger than ever.
I would just research them before making a claim that they have the best or even leading network infrastructure. Aside from their actual servers they do not own any network infrastructure but instead SoftLayer does and the facility they are in is a budget datacenter that has suffered serious issues.
Apple doesn’t own any of their infrastructure either but they seem to be doing OK. Funny thing about SoftLayer. HostGator is housed in their facilities. Yet if you read reviews of HostGator vs. The Planet, HostGator kills them. The Planet was so bad that they had to change their name to SoftLayer. Yet, both companies use the same stuff. What’s the diff? Customer service.
The Planet did not change their name they merged with Softlayer. The Planet was the industry leader in dedicated servers and all other services it provided and Softlayer was its main competitor so they merged.
If you read any reputable reviews on say WebHostingTalk the industry community site for web hosting then you would see the HostGator is well known for throttling sites that have any level of traffic and further that they are known for overselling and offering imaginary things such as “Unlimited” bandwidth. In the hosting industry “Unlimited” anything is pretty much known to be a scam. Reputable hosts have limits and also do not oversell….
I just hate seeing people claim something is one thing when it is not…..
http://www.webhostingtalk.com/search.php
Feel free to do some research on HostGator if you are reading this post.
Apple actually owns datacenters and network infrastructure to include proprietary network appliances and servers.
WordPress does not list them for a reason and WordPress does not have any process of certifying a webhost at all:
http://wordpress.org/hosting/
Hey you gave me a very important information regarding the Hostgator base, and I think it should be always in the basic information to make that more trusty and visible on the readers side.
It happens, but they moved everything in maximum few hours.
Been using HostGator for few years now, never have had a problem.
Hostgator is really building their reputation these days and their support is good one.
But I would recommend to go for the local hosting if you have good option.
I am also getting the local hosting services because they can deal with the problems as soon as possible because of clarified problems and if anything goes serious we can move to the company office door also.
But be aware about choosing the company a trustworthy and market leader in the current scenario to make yourself far away from the day to day short of problems.
Yes I agree taking hosting service from local company is good idea for any serious problem we can directly contact the owner.
Hostgator have the greatest online support i have ever seen. Unless you feel better to talk in person or the phone, that is not an advantage for local hosting companies. Their advantage is that if you have local customers they cam reach your website at a higher speed.
In my opinion, one of the easiest Wordpress installs out there. I love the 24/7 tech support and they actually have live operators…what a concept. I have never had a problem either.
Their clients increasing in hundreds multiple.
John you are having great way to earn more and more money.
Can you believe that godaddy don’t have live support ?
Didn’t seem that long ago when you switched to Bluehost… why the sudden switch?
I was never at Bluehost. It was BlueFur. They got bought out and went downhill. Then I moved to Amazon and that proved to be a disaster. HostGator has been awesome so far and I’m not the only one who thinks so. I’m sure more customers will be chiming in here with their reviews.
Ah, I see…you had their ad up under ‘Blog Sponsor’ before so I thought you were with them…
Yeah we noticed speed also increase.
Since you have good number of readers so we will get all report soon about hostgator and their suport, even if your blog down for few seconds.
John now adding comments are more fast … nice and wise move.
Bluehost is the worst host but don’t know why people think that they are one of the best hosts.
One of the best host around..
Cheers,
Jorge
They are also providing great offers as well …
Whole webmaster community enjoyed their Black Friday deal
I’m thinking about switching to them as well. Maybe after a year because I just renewed my hosting for a year.
Where you hsot your websites right now ?
Alternatively you could create an affiliate account and get your own coupon plus a commision
the 1 cent discount is nothing new.
Yes these kind of hostgator will provide their own as well.
John create something new from your creative and business mind.
Host gator is a famous brand name on the internet today.It could be due to the alligator banner
Comeon … this is basically because of their quality support, great marketing.
Did you see the smiley on my comment ? Yup you can see their banners almost anywhere in the cyber world.
All the brands take some time to make the position at what they are, doesn’t matter what is the banner about.
It is because they eat up the competition
)
Thanks John! You have been an online inspiration!
November has been my first time blogging and I’ve even made my monthly report too!
Once again, Thanks John!
Hey congratulation for that Fernando.
Wish you best of luck in your blogging career.
I didn’t know you used HostGator. I’ve been with HostGator for acouple of years now and have had no problems with them.
They are good in solving problems.
John, Have you ever wondered about putting your sites onto a cloud, like Amazons cloud?
I was on Amazon Cloud. Didn’t work out.
Aahh … amazon loose best client.
You are still hosting your photos on flickr … if I am not wrong.
Yes, I still use Flickr for images.
And I think you are quite satisfied with their performance, because you are with them for quite a long time.
He said in a comment that he was with Amazon for a while but it was a disaster. I think that Amazon is providing you only the servers and you have to set up everything manually.
I use ServInt, it’s a real webhost, not one of those discount webhosts. Starts out at $50/month, but you get real service and they live up to their promises.
Those $5 and $10 a month hosts overpromise and under deliver, it’s part of their business model.
$5.00 or $10.00 are good if you are starting your first blog.
Remember no one is going to afford $50 at the beginning of their blog career.
This is not correct people invest thousands of $$$ for their first blog.
I was thinking of switching over to them. They have a good reseller program. It seems like they abandoned their Windows hosting plans since they no longer advertise for hiring IIS people.
If you have not than switch to them.
You missed the golden opportunity. They were giving 50% off on black friday.
They are still there, but you need some time to find them.
HostGator is the best in my opinion. I have tried almost all the top hosting companies out there and HostGator beats them all in every department. The best thing about HostGator is their uptime and customer support. The reps at HostGator know their stuff unlike other hosting providers.
Yes if you are into service industry than quality of your service and after sales support is the back bone of your business.
If you want to expand than give your all strength to this segment.
John,
Awesome stuff! Thanks for sharing! I have a HostGator account and am really happy with them. My blog, however, is on BlueHost (I like to diversify my hosts so if the host goes down, not all of my sites are offline at one time). Question: I feel like I’m starting to outgrow the standard hosting package and was wondering what you’d recommend if I want to get more speed?
All the best,
Ian
I would look at the HostGator VPS servers. http://www.hostgator.com/vps-hosting/ The coupon code johnchowrocks works on those as well.
John which one you have selected.
I am sure you are having dedicated server … ??
I am on a Level 9 VPS
But domain tools shows you are on a SoftLayer Dedicated Server
I am with Hostgator for only two months and haven’t seen any downtime or faced any problem.
BTW, John, which plan you took? Shared or VPS or Dedicated?
I am sure he is on Dedicated.
There is absolutely no way John is on a shared server. Take a look at his Compete statistics. This website wouldn’t fit on a shared
Reference: http://siteanalytics.compete.com/johnchow.com/
Exactly which plan are you using,John? I believe JohnChow.com can be only hosted on a dedicated server
Yes I also believe that Johnchow dot com is on dedicated server of hostgator.
I believe JohnChow.com can only be hosted on a dedicated server
I found out that by using Hostagator you can make money as well, lot’s of other stuff doing the same but I had bad experience promoting them!!!
Like what kind of bad experience you have …
May be those can also help me to improve my hosting business as well.
Yeah!! I’d like to know your experience too.
I am promoting them since last 6 months and they are paying me well.
How much ?? Abhik
So Hostgator get now a big player under their belt.
Interesting …
They have many big names under their belt and now one more important name added in that list.
Nice one John! Hostgator is a great company! If any newbie wants to get on board, he or she should go for Hostgator.
Yes Hostgator is the first choice of every new bie.
Many big players are also recommending hostgator and since all new bie visit their blogs to get idea hence kingdom of hostgator expand more.
With that they are also providing great support.
I’ve had more luck with Lunarpages, if I had to pick one host it’d be them.
That being said, I do love Hostgator. I just don’t like their cPanel that is loaded with ads and offers. It’s annoying to work around their ads when I already pay them monthly for hosting.
Hostgator is really a great company and been using them for about a year now.
John we have noticed revolutionary change in your footer as well.
I guess they aren’t loading due to the configuration of W3 Total cache…
Or may be they intentionally removed.
W3 Total Cache shouldn’t be affecting it. Looks like it was intentional. Are we getting the old footer back, John?
I liked it because it showed recent comments. Even if we don’t get the older footer back, can you have a recent comments widget in the sidebar?
Well hostgator is awesome but their dedicated starter is too costly.
John,
I have about 10 different web hosts. Host Gator has always been fair to me. I guess my question is how much down time you have experienced?
I’m sure you have a dedicated server, so you have a different story. But on their shared server there will be times where my site is extremely slow or inaccessible. I’ve only had them for a month so far, so hopefully this was just a coincidence!
I got the 50% black Friday deal. You absolutely cannot beat that! They will probably have another deal soon so keep your eyes open!
nice hosting, good prices
You have not to go anywhere else if you wants the best and #1 hosting around the world, just choose the plans as required in your business from Hostgator.com
You are right Hostgator is the No.1 Hosting company but I don’t think that No.1 is always the best one.
Because I know a host which provides the exactly same thing but their price is less than the half of hostgator.
I have to agree a lot of you that Hostgator.com is the best for web hosting. I have tried all or most of them and just recently one of my friend joined Hostgator for his website and he loves it.
Hostgator is the best Webhost in the world and one can fully depend on then for their stuffs.
the baby plan is ver interesting
hostgator, its low cost, i like it!
I have a shared account at hostgator and they host my site with another 200 websites on the same IP. I tried the godaddy economic plan and on the same IP only 5 sites were hosted.
I have my site hosted on HostGator, love the service.
Btw, i’ve noticed that your websites have a high rate of failure right now. Let’s say if i reload a page 10 times, 2 times it tells me that the operation could not be completed
Hostgator has super great service. I have several sites with them. I do have a larger site that I want to transfer from Godaddy to Hostgator but wasn’t sure I’d lose some of my rankings in the search engines because of this.
Godaddy said that when I change servers, I change IPs and Google notices these changes and that it may affect my rankings in the serps. Is that true? Was the transfer seamless for you guys?
I think they said you that only to stay with them. Well, that may be even a small drop of a stagnation if you are rising right now, but the effect should be temporary. Google may be alerted for few days as he think that the website changed hands or something but google ranks the urls, not the IPs. Be aware that hostgator has a great support but it is slower.
I used hostgator for three months for only 3 cents.
im with hosting 24, anyone knows that host
Hostgator is my favorite webhost. They have quite good plans and affordable prices.
I had my websites at GoDaddy and constantly had to work on the sites to try to get them to run faster. Every time I called support they told me I had java script issues and it wasn’t the servers.
I changed to Rochen Performance Hosting (where joomla.org hosts) and my Joomla sites have screamed and I suddenly became a better webmaster overnight!
This site has had a substantial improvement as well since John switched to Host Gator, so I would say that’s proof enough.
I’ve used HostGator for years with minimal issues. Currently I probably have 25+ sites hosted through them including some dedicated servers for larger projects. Very highly recommended.
Hostgator has been one of the best web hosting companies around. Nice step there John.
Ya but they’re not in the hosting business, are they?
So who is the winner of this hosting debate … ???
Well perhaps not directly….. but…
http://www.apple.com/server/macosx/features/web-hosting.html
It would seem John is losing this debate… Seems like a marketing ploy in exchange for free hosting.
I think john is using some plugin that gives automatic approval to the comments if you have got previous comments approved manually, and they are aware about you are not a spammer.
Thanks John, appreciate it. I will definitely give that a look, and appreciate the coupon code.
All the best,
Ian
It’s not a plugin. It’s a setting. The first time you comment it has to be approved.
d3so can you please tell me what is the setting and where it is ? I also what to enable that.
General settings in wordpress.
You certainly knows how to digg deeper and deeper.
Well done …
Many people here in India do not understand the accent of American easily.
So this can be also a vital reason.
I always believe that there is nothing better than to have local hosting provider.