If you’re reading this, you are probably a fan of jewelry, or at least you know that there is some money to be made in the jewelry business. Though this market is quite saturated, if you get your business set up correctly, there is opportunity for you to succeed in this industry. Just know that you are up against some big brands that bring with them customer loyalty, big ad budgets, social media followers, and more. Thus, it can be difficult for small jewelry businesses to break into the big market. However, by finding your niche and focusing on that, you have better chances of doing well. In addition to that, global online jewelry sales keep growing. A 2020 accessories report showed that the watches and jewelry segment of the accessories market is expected to increase by 6.3% by 2025. This is excellent news for those looking to break into the jewelry market. So, while you are entering a challenging industry, you may find that with hard work comes great success, and hopefully some fun along the way. The Easy Parts of Starting a Jewelry BusinessStarting a jewelry business doesn’t have to be all stress. In fact, there are parts of getting this type of business up and running that can be easy to get through. Here are some of the easier things you’ll have to do for your jewelry business. Decide What Type of Jewelry to SellWhen you ask someone what comes to mind when they hear the word “jewelry,” you will get all sorts of answers. Some will think of homemade jewelry. Others will think of costume jewelry. And others still will think of high-end pieces. So, you need to find your niche and decide what type of jewelry you want to sell. This is one of the first steps in the process. Here are a few different types of jewelry you might consider selling: Costume jewelry. This type of jewelry is also known as fashion jewelry and is the type of jewelry people often wear every day. It doesn’t have to be gaudy (even though the term “costume” suggests it). It can be your favorite bright-colored bracelet you wear to work. Or it can be outrageous jewelry you wear to a costume party. Costume jewelry is typically made of out cheaper materials such as beads, wire, plastic, synthetic gems, and more. Costume jewelry is at a much lower price point than other types of jewelry. You can expect these pieces to be under $100. They are made for the everyday customer and can be mass-produced. Costume jewelry pieces are not one of a kind. Handmade jewelry. This jewelry category has grown massively in the last few years, particularly over the last year, as many people have been looking to pick up new hobbies with all the time spent at home. Online marketplaces such as Etsy are a haven for handmade jewelry. Whenever people need unique pieces, they typically head to websites like Etsy to find them. The reason people love Etsy so much is that you are supporting small businesses. Each seller has their own shop, and you won’t find major brands on here. ![]() Also, there is something for everyone on Etsy. The options feel unlimited and can even be overwhelming at times. Often sellers on Etsy will offer pre-made pieces as well as the option for people to order custom items, which is highly desirable. The price points on Etsy range greatly from low-priced to very expensive, as sellers set their own prices on their work. If you are interested in using Etsy to sell your jewelry, we will go into more detail about it below. And if you’d rather opt for running your own website to sell your product, we will discuss that option below as well, and how you can use Wix to do it. Fine jewelry. This category is the crème dela crème of jewelry. Fine jewelry is made of precious metal and gemstones such as gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, rubies, and more. These pieces are high-quality and typically not meant for everyday wear but rather for special occasions. Additionally, fine jewelry has the highest level of craftsmanship and usually is not mass-produced. This type of jewelry consists of investment pieces such as engagement and wedding rings intended to last a very long time. The Difficult Parts of Starting a Jewelry BusinessOwning a jewelry business sounds like fun, especially if you are a big fan of jewelry yourself. However, starting your own business of any kind comes with some challenges, and the jewelry business is no exception. Two of the things you may struggle with as you start building your jewelry business are creating a business plan and building a marketing strategy. Business PlanWhile much of your jewelry business will be creative and inspiring, you can’t get to the fun parts until you take care of the heart of your business: the business plan. Regardless of whether you opt to self-fund or try to find investors to fund your jewelry business, you need a business plan in place. This allows you to calculate how many products and supplies you need, the cost of production, and how you can become profitable. For help on how to write your own business plan, check out our beginner’s guide here or try using software to assist with templates to create a top-notch business plan. We’ve tested and reviewed business plan software to find the top six options at various prices. If writing a business plan is something you feel you cannot possibly tackle on your own, consider bringing in a professional to help you put this plan together. This is a step you cannot skip. Marketing StrategyYou’ve got the ideas for your jewelry business and your business plan in place. Now you need to ensure you have customers so the business is successful. You get customers to buy your product by developing a marketing strategy. To do this, you want to research and gather information from competitors that allow you to develop a strategy covering multiple channels. You should focus your marketing efforts on the following areas: Social media. You can use your social media channels to talk about what sets your brand apart, and post user-generated content to share photos and videos of real customers loving your jewelry. This also presents an opportunity to show how customers can style your jewelry and visualize themselves wearing it. Email marketing. Though many people think email marketing is outdated, it still reigns as one of the best ways to improve customer retention and keep your brand at the forefront of peoples’ minds. The key to email marketing is finding the sweet spot of sending enough emails, but not too many. SEO. This is a free way to get traffic to your website. A great SEO strategy implemented into your products, blog posts, social media, and more can help you show up at the top of search results and drive more traffic to your website. Paid advertising. Places like Google, Instagram, and Facebook are the top choices to run ad campaigns, as that is where the most traffic comes from. Though ads are not cheap, they are proven to help grow businesses. However, that is only the case if you spend a lot of time optimizing your audience to ensure that your ads are going to the right people. For more resources, here is a guide to the top 10 tactics for marketing on a budget, a deep dive into content marketing to drive sales, and a beginner’s guide to general online marketing. Step 1: Pick your nicheBefore diving into your business, you need to decide on a niche. Who is your target audience? You want to be sure to pick one that is viable, and that isn’t too overdone. Understand your ideal customerCreate profiles for your ideal customer so that you can build your business from there. How old are they? What do they do for a living? Where do they live? What is their income? By defining who your customer is, you can be more in-tune with how to attract them and give them what they want or solve their pain points. Step 2: Study the competitionWhen it comes to the jewelry industry, there is a lot of competition. Some companies have been in it for years (like Tiffany & Co.) and have their work perfected. Others are newer to the market and figuring things out as they go. Take your time to research competitors who are selling the same type of jewelry and are looking to attract the same customer as you. Find their price point, what their social media channels look like, read customer reviews, and more to see what you are competing with. With this information, you can build what will make your brand stand out and how your jewelry business is different from others in the market. Step 3: Choose a business nameThis step is more important than people often give it credit for. Your business name needs to be unique enough so that people can remember it, but you also need to make it easy for people to know what you’re selling. Your business name also needs to match your niche as well as your business purpose and goals. TrademarkingOnce you’ve chosen a business name, you’ll want to trademark your entity with the US Trademark Office. You’ll start by making sure that someone hasn’t already trademarked a business with the same name. Once you go through trademark registration, you’ll then be able to buya domain, build a website, and advertise your business. Step 4: Build your websiteWhen it comes to to selling your jewelry, you have a few options. EtsySome jewelry businesses opt to run all of their sales through Etsy. This is one of the hottest places on the internet to buy jewelry, but it tends to be handmade and/or specialty jewelry. Etsy jewelry tends not to be mass-produced, though you can do that here if you want. ![]() Selling via Etsy gives you access to all sorts of tools, including:
The pricing for selling via Etsy is fairly straight-forward:
Ecommerce Website BuilderIf you’d rather have more control over what you put on your website and how you run it, then you may want to opt to build your own website. There are several great ecommerce website builders, but our favorite for something like a jewelry business is Wix. ![]() With the help of this builder, you will have your website up in just a few minutes. This is a significant benefit, as there are many other parts of your jewelry business that you need to focus on. If you have little to no experience in building an ecommerce site, Wix is for you. It simplifies the process so that you don’t have to stress about complications. Some of the great features you’ll get with Wix include:
Wix offers regular website plans starting at $14 per month. But you’ll need an ecommerce plan if you want to accept online payments. The Business & Ecommerce Plans for Wix are as follows: ![]() Wix also offers complete solutions for your brand with their Enterprise options that start at $500 per month. Step 5: Design your product lineNow things really start to get fun as you get to bring your creativity into your jewelry business. With the technical stuff out of the way, you can focus on what products you want to offer. Look at the latest trends and other jewelry designers (be sure never to copy anyone’s designs) for inspiration and get creative! You can design and sell any jewelry pieces you want, and there is an audience for everything. Make sure to wear your designs and get feedback from people to continuously refine your pieces. Once you decide on the first pieces you want to sell, you’ll start producing pieces in larger quantities. Step 6: Choose your manufacturerIf you are handmaking the jewelry for your business, this step won’t apply to you. You will simply continue to design and create pieces to sell on your site. Make sure to take photos in good lighting and from multiple angles for your product images. If you are not making the jewelry yourself, you’ll need to begin researching possible manufacturers to see where you want your jewelry produced. You may opt for something local or choose to go overseas to have it done. Research potential manufacturers in depth and discuss your specific needs with each one you’re considering. Get everything in writing and sign a contract before ever paying anything. Step 7: Start selling!The final step in the process is to begin selling your jewelry! Your marketing strategy will help you in this step, as well as sharing with friends and family that your business is up and running. Pay attention to your customer feedback and continue designing new pieces to sell. via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/how-to-start-a-jewelry-business/
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Want to jump straight to the answer? The best blogging platform for most people is definitely Wix or WordPress with Bluehost Hosting. Building a great blog starts with choosing the right platform—there are only a handful worth considering. You can build a website and host your blog there. This requires a little bit of upfront work, but you’ll own and control your site completely. You have two ways to do this:
If you want to turn a profit blogging, these are your best choices. The other option is to use a blogging platform like Medium or LinkedIn. These platforms combine the reach of social media with the tools you need to craft blog posts. They give you the chance to get your writing in front of more people—but you’ll be at the mercy of an algorithm. That means you’ll be in less control of who sees your posts, how much you can customize your blog, and how you make money from it. There are plenty of benefits and tradeoffs for both routes. To get a better sense of how each of these sites performs, I had my team at Quick Sprout reach out to active users of every blogging platform we reviewed. We got a lot of insight into how and why these platforms work well for different businesses and personal projects. In surveys and interviews, these users shared frank opinions about where these blogging platforms excel–and where their limitations get in the way. In this guide, I’ll break down how to set up your blog and help you pick which blog site, software, or blogging platform is best for you. The Top 5 Best Blogging Platforms and Blog Sites for 2021Here are our picks for the top blog platforms and who they’re best for:
#1. Wix – Best for Beginners Building a Professional Blog
Total Score: 3.8 ![]() Wix gives beginners a way to make it look like professionals designed their blogs—all without needing to learn code or web development. In fact, our panel of users gave it high marks for ease of use, praising the platform for its usability and a relatively simple learning curve. One user told me, “I think it’s as straightforward as it can get for people with no coding background.” They created their site with ease without running into any stifling restrictions. Another user called out the drag-and-drop editor’s intuitive UI and its tools to create individualized layouts and designs. We jumped in and tested it out for ourselves and found they were right. You can create a blog in just a few minutes. Wix even walks you through the entire process step-by-step if you need it. ![]() They offer hundreds of templates across many different categories of websites. For example, they have templates for travel blogs, simple portfolios, or photography galleries. We love how you don’t need to have any coding knowledge to move assets around and create the blog you want. Another user agreed that Wix offered a very intuitive blog building experience while adding, “If I’m unsure about a certain topic, it’s quick to find it via their support.” Wix offers both live support via a 24/7 callback service (if you’re in the United States) and a massive knowledge base with articles to help beginners out when they’re stuck. But you can also just let Wix’s ADI builder handle most of the dirty work entirely. This tool leverages artificial intelligence to help you build the exact website you want by just answering a few questions. Blogging with WixWix’s blog manager is indeed simple and intuitive, with analytics and SEO built right in. It’s simple to add the basic features you might want on your blog, too—elements like social tools, likes, comments, hashtags, categories, and subscriber forms. ![]() There’s a blog template category, which is a great place to start. Once you have your template selected, I suggest updating the font, colors, and logo to personalize your template and help it stand out from the rest. ![]() Writing a post is as simple as clicking Create a Post, writing your copy, and adding images. You can save drafts or even give other contributors writing privileges for your site. This is all just as easy from a mobile device as from a desktop—no app required. In all, the blogging process is as intuitive and easy-to-use as folks described—but there were also some other additions that surprised me. There are many SEO features you can use, from alt tags for your images and internal links to SEO titles and descriptions (that are different from your post title) and nofollow tags for external links. That’s pretty nice to have right out of the box without needing to install additional plugins or widgets. Just make sure that you update your SEO settings for every post—this is what gets presented in search results and is critical for ranking organically. The resulting post will have a read-time count to show readers roughly how long it’ll take to go through your post (something Medium also offers) and is a great feature to have for readers. We also like the ability to use live chat to interact with your readers in the Wix app. If you build a real community in your blog or are open to answering reader questions in real time—say, about an online course you’re offering or a webinar that’s coming up—then it’s a cool feature. We also noticed how most Wix blogs tended to look great across mobile, tablet, and desktop—something our users said helped them draw in readers. “Since my website runs very smoothly on any device,” said one user, “it made it easier for an audience to browse through my work and contact me immediately.” Cons of Blogging with WixThere are a few downsides to Wix — but even from our panel of users, it seemed their major complaints boiled down to a couple points. For example, the platform sometimes doesn’t play well with mobile devices if you’re trying to do more ambitious scrolling designs, like parallax scrolling. One user said that “my scrolling effect cannot be achieved on mobile so I had to make a simpler version [of my website] separately.” There’s also the matter of the subscription fee that—while fairly affordable—could cause some burgeoning bloggers to cringe (especially if you plan to be more bootstrap). If you plan on recouping some of that money with their ecommerce tools, you’ll still have to account for paying for a pricier plan for that functionality. The panel of users scored Wix fairly low on monetization too—but that’s not to say it can’t be done. Occasionally Wix will feature stand-out blogs that use their platform, and that can lead to new opportunities as was the case with one of our users. “Being featured on Wix did get me some freelance opportunities, and ultimately landed me my full-time job,” they said. Ultimately, we think that despite the downsides, Wix is absolutely worth it for the platform’s ease of use and out-of-the-box blogging features. Why We Ranked It at #1Wix offers the best blogging platform for the vast majority of readers coming to this article (i.e. beginner blog builders). That’s why we ranked it number one: ease of use is such a critical factor for those just starting that we gave it the top spot based on that alone. It offers a wide array of themes that’ll fit any type of blog and website you want to build. You’ll also be able to easily change the look and feel of those themes to make your blog look the way you want it to—no coding knowledge needed. The users we talked to praised Wix’s ease of use and the ability to customize their blogs on the platform. Our own hands-on research verified that. We could create a great looking blog with zero experience with Wix in literal minutes. Imagine what you could do with more time. And if you really want to take the guesswork out of designing your website, you can even let Wix take care of it for you by answering a few questions and letting their advanced AI take care of the rest. Bottom line: We highly recommend Wix to beginner bloggers who want to easily build a great looking blog. Even experienced website builders will find there’s a lot they can get out of Wix. And with tools like its ecommerce functionality and Wix email marketing, you can grow and shape your website to optimize for things like profit and audience growth. #2. WordPress with Bluehost Hosting – Best for Building Highly-Scalable and Customizable Blogs
Total Score: 4.2 ![]() WordPress is one of the most popular blog platforms out there—and for very good reason. It’s a highly-customizable content management system (CMS) for bloggers who want to build out a site for their business. It’s also great if or if you plan to scale your blog for profit. The reason? WordPress is open source. That means they don’t keep their source code a secret. Developers can go in and create widgets, plugins, and other tools to customize WordPress blogs—so you can create any kind of blog you want. One user on our panel, who has stuck with WordPress for four years, describes the CMS as “blogger-friendly” with plenty of SEO features baked in. Their experience is echoed by many of our other users. That said, there is a bit of a learning curve. To get the most that you can out of WordPress in terms of customizability, you’ll need to be more hands on with the plugins and widgets you choose and how you manage the backend. Yes, that means you’ll likely have to fiddle around with html, CSS, and light coding. However, even this is fairly straightforward in WordPress—and it didn’t take long for our users to learn the ropes at all. “With no knowledge of WordPress when I started it was a bit of a steep learning curve but I figured everything out quickly enough,” said one user. “WordPress is very intuitive and if you can’t figure something out, you just have to Google it or check on YouTube and you will likely find an answer.” Another echoed that sentiment. However, they also said that “it’s fairly easy to use” after blogging on the platform for a few days. ![]() The tradeoff is well worth it, as you’re able to get a fantastic website fully customized to your exact specifications. That’s what makes it perfect for creating a website that’s primed for audience growth and profit. One user was also able to promote items for third parties in order to generate even more revenue. “I was able to monetize my blog using affiliate marketing, along with infoproducts like ebooks and minicourses once my audience got big enough,” they said. They were also able to leverage plugins to help them build their audience—and generate revenue growth. “One thing that helped with that was creating an email subscriber list and a newsletter using the Mailchimp plugin,” they added. “It’s a must-have if you really want to monetize your blog.” And, as your blog and audience grows, you’ll be able to continue adjusting your site to accommodate that growth in whatever direction you want to go. Blogging with WordPressConfession time: WordPress is actually the CMS we use here at Quicksprout—so we’re a bit biased. In fact, we’re very biased. If you plan on building out a blog that draws in thousands or even millions of readers—not to mention monetizing it—we can’t recommend WordPress enough… but the panel of users are right when they say it’s a bit tricky to learn at first. At first blush, the blog dashboard for WordPress seems more complex than most. But once you jump in, it’s fairly easy to wrap your mind around. The platform introduced their Gutenberg editor recently, which can make the editing process much simpler. They lay out everything you might need to publish a blog in a fairly intuitive, easy-to-grasp way. I’ve used this new editor before, and I really like how you can drag certain elements of your blog posts and pages to where you’d like them to be in the final published version. The layout is very easy to manage, and finding things like font settings and image inserts is a snap. Sure, it’s not quite like the drag-and-drop functionality as Wix and Squarespace have, since you can’t edit the entire page—but it’s pretty darn close. ![]() I’ve also found that WordPress is incredibly scalable. No matter what you want to build or how big you get, the platform will grow with you so long as you choose the right plugins. Quick tip: Don’t make the rookie mistake of downloading a TON of plugins and widgets. It’s easy to think you need everything and the kitchen sink to make your blog great—but sometimes, less is more. Plus installing a ton of plugins is an easy way to sloooooooow down your page’s loading speed. One plugin we do recommend you get is the Yoast SEO plugin. This is an incredibly popular WordPress plugin that helps you set up your posts to be as SEO-friendly as possible with a few guided steps. It’s honestly a must have if you’re using WordPress. And if you really want, you can start changing the code yourself. Since WordPress is open-source, that means you can do whatever you want with it. If you know PHP or are willing to hire a developer, you can change WordPress however you like. One user put it best: “WordPress gave me everything I needed to create the blog I wanted. It gave me an easy interface to post my blogs, as well as everything I needed or wanted in my blog: a subscription box, an author area; just the look I wanted and the flexibility to change things as needed.” Choosing a HostTo build your own site using WordPress, you’ll need to buy a domain name, get web hosting, and set up your account. There’s more information on our posts about the best web hosting and the best web hosting for WordPress, which is about selecting a managed host that’s designed for WordPress.The quick answer: Go with Bluehost. ![]() Not only is Bluehost one of the most popular web hosts, it’s also ready-made for WordPress. They even recommend using Bluehost as a hosting option. With just one click, you’ll be able to get your WordPress site up and running within minutes. In fact, one user said, “It’s easiest if you opt-in for the one-click WordPress installation and get your domain name through there too. “ Our own panel of users used this exact combination of WordPress with Bluehost to create their own websites. “I’m still using Bluehost after 4 years, for most of my sites,” said a user. “It’s great for beginners due to how the pricing model is structured.” That’s true. The price of Bluehost is specifically tailored to draw in new users starting at just $2.75 per month. That’s incredibly cheap when it comes to web hosting. I’ve signed up for Bluehost using this deal before and was blown away by how much they offered for the price including 24/7 customer support, one-click WordPress install, and a free domain. Bluehost is also great if you’re migrating or switching from another hosting provider. One user spoke glowingly about the host’s easy and painless migration process saying, “The website migration was unbelievably easy! And I really prefer the portal at Bluehost compared to the old place plus the service is better for me.” They also have a stellar customer support team available by chat, email, or phone if any issues come up. “Once I had an issue where my website crashed,” said another WordPress user I spoke to, “and I contacted their chat support and they were able to identify the issue (a broken plugin) and fix it immediately. [I’m] very grateful for that.” Overall, Bluehost is the hosting solution you want to go with if you’re just starting out with WordPress. They work together seamlessly, the pricing structure is incredibly affordable, and you also get things like domain registration for free. It’s a no-brainer. Cons of Blogging with WordPressThe user panel gave me varying feedback about WordPress’s beginner-friendliness. Some said that it was easy enough, while others pointed out that it’s tough on novices at the beginning. “I don’t like how it does take a bit of a learning curve to use,” said one user. Their thoughts showed that WordPress won’t be the easiest option, especially when building your first site. “Sometimes I’d like to have my hand held more through the blog creation process rather than having to look up a bunch of YouTube how-to videos to learn how.” After testing and building sites myself using WordPress, I can say that it takes a bit to get the hang of it—but once you do, you’ll be glad you put the work in. But even if you’re uncomfortable with it at first, it’s still the best option if you’re willing to learn and grow into the role of managing your website site. Another flaw that one of our surveyed users mentioned is that WordPress lacks comprehensive customer support. “I wish there was a help desk that you could contact either by email or by chat,” one user told us. . When I checked, I found that WordPress support amounted to a support forum. After posting a test question on there, it took about two hours before I got a reply back. While the reply was comprehensive and answered the question I posed, it was still two hours—that can be a long time if there’s money on the line with your blog. Why We Ranked It at #2Along with scoring very highly across all criteria, WordPress with Bluehost is a great place to start if you really want to build a blog that will grow with you no matter how big you get. This is especially good if you plan on monetizing your blog and optimizing it for traffic/growth. Eventually, you’ll need to add more resources some other platforms might not be able to offer you. WordPress and Bluehost can do that. Though the panel of users had minor issues with the platform’s learning curve, they all said that they were able to create their ideal blog once they got the hang of it. They especially liked WordPress’s level of customization — with some of them monetizing their websites using the site builder’s many plugins and widgets. Bottom line: Building a WordPress website takes more time than a Wix website. However, the tradeoff is your website is much more customizable (and powerful). And Bluehost makes it easy to host your WordPress site. As such, we highly recommend this combination for bloggers who want to really grow their traffic and/or profit margins. #3. Squarespace – Best for Blog Builder for Photographers, Artists, and Designers
Total Score: 4.5 ![]() The first thing I notice whenever I go onto a Squarespace blog is how gorgeous it typically looks. Photography and graphic designs seem to leap off the screen. The blog owners themselves seem to always be artistically-minded folks like illustrators, photographers, graphic designers, home decor experts, and more. Our panel was no exception. They were made up of a website design expert who teaches readers how to make stunning sites, a gardening influencer who frequently showcases mouth watering photos of his homegrown vegetables, and an interior designer who likes to flex their room designs off in gallery posts. And there’s a reason they all chose Squarespace as their platform. The trio rated Squarespace very highly across the board. Each criteria received no less than a 4 on average, and many of the users had glowing words to say about its ease of use and designs. “I think I had my blog up and running within a day,” said the user who runs an interior design blog. Their site frequently showcases captivating photographs of eclectically designed rooms. “Squarespace offers clean, beautiful templates that you can easily tweak.” Their claims are backed up by my own research of hundreds of Squarespace blogs. Each of the platform’s templates is created by their team of exceptional designers—and they all look stunning. ![]() Blogging with SquarespaceEditing your blog—from the contacts page, to the about page, to the home page, to your portfolio, to the actual blog itself—is very easy with Squarespace. Like Wix they have a drag-and-drop tool. And unlike WordPress, users don’t have to deal with an occasionally confusing backend editor. “They have a great What You See Is What You Get builder,” said one user. “That means when you’re building the page, you see what the page will look like as you’re building it.” That user is also known as Paige Brunson. She discovered the wonders of Squarespace years back and loved it so much she created a thriving career helping other people design on it too. She believes that Squarespace’s backend editor is superior to that of WordPress because you can see changes as you make them. “Sometimes, like in WordPress, you’re editing your site in the backend, but then you have to go to the front end to see what it’ll look like when you’re finished,” she said. “With Squarespace, as you’re building the blog post, you’re seeing the changes happen at the same time. And I think that’s really, really useful. That’s one aspect that makes it really easy to use.” ![]() Squarespace also gives you tools to add an ecommerce portion to your blog along with a newsletter integration. That can really help you scale and transform your blog for profitability and audience growth. “There are quite a few built-in features in Squarespace to build your business the way you want like a shop, integrated email marketing, a members area and podcast support,” said another user. “Plus they have many resources on their website about every feature and how to use them.” Cons of Blogging with SquarespaceWhere our panel of users found Squarespace lacking can be boiled down to one word: Customization. While the platform does offer ways to add email marketing, ecommerce, and membership functions to your site, it’s still relatively limited when it comes to overall customization when compared to a CMS like WordPress. “Custom CSS is only available in the Business Plan,” said one user. “It’s doable for my website, I found some great tutorials on the internet for extra CSS customization and I had to buy a sidebar plugin because it wasn’t integrated in my template. For more complex websites this might be a problem.” While Paige is an evangelist for Squarespace, she believes that it could be better when it comes to its mobile customization. “The mobile editor is the thing which my students find the most annoying,” she says. “With Squarespace, building a website takes time [on desktop], and then you have to literally go build the thing a second time [for mobile]. It’s just a lot more time consuming of a process.” Another user also had minor issues with Squarespace’s intuitiveness saying, “It could be more obvious what to perform certain actions. Sometimes you have to hunt and click here and there. Every now and then I’ve accidentally deleted a blog because I’ve clicked the wrong button.” Why we Ranked It at #3Squarespace ranked highly across all metrics, and our panel of users had positive things to say about the platform’s stunning templates and overall usability. However, we knocked it below WordPress ultimately because of its limited customization and—as a result of limited customization—scalability. While you can create a good-looking blog for a decent sized audience with Squarespace, most users might be turned off by the platform due to its lack of features. You also can’t access tools like the Yoast SEO plugin from WordPress. On top of all that, you need to pay a higher price for access to custom CSS. It will cost you a bit more to maximize Squarespace’s ecommerce capabilities, as you need to opt into a more expensive plan. Bottom line: Squarespace offers great looking templates, easy drag-and-drop designs, and an opportunity to show off your art, photographs, and more. Give Squarespace a try today. #4. LinkedIn – Best for Networking with Thought Leaders and Influencers
Total Score: 3.7 ![]() LinkedIn gives you a built-in audience for business professionals of all stripes from HR, digital marketing, finance, tech, and more. Many of them are highly active on the site, frequently sharing thought leadership and articles with one another via their LinkedIn feed. So if you’re interested in establishing yourself as an influencer or thought leader in your business space, the audience on LinkedIn is your bread-and-butter. The platform has a ready-made culture and set of expectations that a business blogger would dream of creating on their own site. The challenge for you is creating compelling and share-worthy content to build a following. ![]() After all, LinkedIn is a social network. Your influence grows in proportion to the size of your network. The more posts you publish, the more connection requests and followers you’ll attract. Since it’s a social network for industry professionals, that makes it a great channel to access prospects and get quick feedback from peers on your articles. You have an opportunity to put your thought leadership in front of everyone from potential clients and customers, to recruiters, to influencers in your field. And, you can turn your audience into partners and customers. Each of the users on our panel leveraged LinkedIn blogging to make key networking connections and develop an audience. “So far, I have experienced getting higher-quality clients through LinkedIn by blogging and writing content on the platform,” said one user I talked to. It might seem painfully obvious, but not a lot of people realize that the platform can be incredibly lucrative if you’re in business. The folks on LinkedIn are typically high-earners. They’re C-Suite executives. They’re industry movers and shakers who want to innovate and build lasting businesses. And they’re willing to pay a premium to the right person who will get them there. Said one user, “I can probably make $1,000 or so from LinkedIn every month indirectly if I really tried.” Blogging on LinkedInCreating a blog on LinkedIn is very simple and just requires a profile. From there, it’s just a matter of clicking on a Facebook-like status button and creating an article. Like Medium, LinkedIn uses that Gutenberg-style editor that’s fairly intuitive. Our panel also found it very usable, with one saying, “The article feature is pretty easy to use. I simply add images, write the text, and publish—and I’m done. No crazy misalignment or formatting issues.” It’s also worth noting that there are differences between a LinkedIn post and article. A post is a smaller update you’d share with your feed and connections. Think along the lines of a quick anecdote or pro tip. They’re limited to 1,300 characters, which is about 5 lines. Articles are longer and more in-depth, of course. They’re something that the broader LinkedIn audience would be interested in reading. A person who reads your article can also follow you from there, so they’ll be alerted when you publish your next article. Any articles you publish will appear in the Articles section of your LinkedIn profile. Is one better than the other? It depends, of course. After all, you might have a great idea for a long-form article that your audience will love. But, one of the users on our panel thinks that the shorter the better. As such, they recommend avoiding making articles entirely. “Go all in on multimedia posts and short status update posts,” said one user. “Do not post full articles here. If you want to get a lot of traction, post the right kind of content and figure out a way to divert that attention away to products or services that you can sell people on.” Cons of Blogging on LinkedInWhile LinkedIn does offer a lot of opportunities for building your brand and creating thought leadership, it lacks in some vital areas. For one, there’s no intuitive way for folks to access an archive of your past articles like you might find in Medium or a normal Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress blog. Instead, the article will live in your Activity feed, which requires you to click on your profile, then your Activity feed, and then scroll down to your article. That’s a lot of work to find just one article. “There’s not great discoverability for people who want to read my past blog posts on LinkedIn in my opinion,” said one user who went on to opine about the lack of a newsletter feature to help promote their blog. That user also had a strong condemnation on blogging on LinkedIn as a whole saying, “Articles notoriously get horrible reach in the feed. Creating an actual blog on LinkedIn, for me, is worthless.” Why We Ranked It #4LinkedIn is a social networking platform first and foremost. Everything else comes secondary to that goal. The same goes with their articles. It’s not a blogging platform per se in the traditional sense—but it can be a very effective blogging tool to grow your network and make connections. And some of our users have made a lot of money by using their blogs to make these connections. “I make money indirectly from LinkedIn. I have to make a post, then throw a link to a webinar in the comments section. Some people sign up and then purchase my course through the webinar later on,” one user explained. But ultimately, it’s not a very effective blogging platform if blogging is all you want to do. We’d recommend going with any of the previous options if that’s your goal and supporting your blog by sharing your posts on LinkedIn. Bottom line: LinkedIn is a decent blogging platform only if you’re using it to support a platform you own, like your business’s website. You can’t directly monetize it, and you’re entirely dependent on an algorithm for reach and engagement. But if you’re blogging about business subjects like management or marketing, LinkedIn is a good opportunity to grow your network and audience. There’s a pre-existing community of people there talking about those topics and ready to read your posts. #5. Medium – Best for Getting a Foothold in Blogging for an Audience
Total Score: 3.3 ![]() Medium is easily one of the most polarizing platforms out there—and it’s certainly the most controversial one on our list. It’s home to bloggers focused on crafting niche content for readers. It’s also where you can find some of the most thought-provoking, incendiary content online. What really makes Medium stand out for writers like our panel of users is their built-in communities of readers. People can browse their vast library of publications, find your blog, and subscribe to it with a single click. You can also submit your own writing to other publications for a chance for it to be published on other Medium blogs. As a result, their content has a higher ceiling for virality as long as you stay consistent with writing. “It’s just plugging and chugging and going,” one user told us. “Even if you have no writing experience, and just want to write, it’s not hard to get started and find an audience.” The ability to tap into a well of readers was a draw for many users—especially after their less-than-stellar experience on another platform on this list. “I definitely recommend not even starting with a traditional WordPress blog,” one user said. “Just go on Medium because it works as a blogging tool and a social media platform. Naturally, there’s going to be a much larger audience there for people to read your work.” Medium also gives you the ability to get paid straight away from your blogs through the Medium Partner Program. This allows writers to get paid for their work based on the amount of engagement their articles get. Some bloggers routinely make six figures a year from their posts—though even Medium is quick to point out that only 7% make more than $100 per year. All this makes it a good platform if you want to find and cultivate an audience of fans of your writing, and make a little bit of cash along the way. ![]() Blogging on MediumThere are two primary ways to blog on Medium:
After using Medium to do both, I can attest to it being incredibly simple to use. All you have to do is click “Write” and you can get started writing a Medium article. The dashboard is a lot like WordPress’s Gutenberg editor, so it’s fairly intuitive. Once you’re finished, just click publish and it’s out in the world. Submitting to other publications is a good way to access audiences. However, you’ll be writing on spec like we said. And there’s a chance they might reject your article entirely. The alternative to that is creating your own Medium Publication which I definitely recommend. This gives you the option to add other writers and editors to your blog, along with the ability to accept submissions. This can really help pad out your editorial calendar with little effort on your part—so you can have access to a stream of content for your readers. One of the users on our panel actually helped found one of the biggest and most popular publications on Medium: The Writing Cooperative. In fact, they currently boast about 226,000 followers on the site and publish multiple times each and every day. “The Writing Cooperative began on Medium in 2014. In some regards, we’ve grown up with the platform” said co-founder Justin Cox. “[…] The Writing Cooperative’s content is often recommended in user feeds, which is a great way to grow an audience.” Justin went on to say that he doesn’t make a living off of the Writing Cooperative, but he and his co-founder are able to generate some income by setting up a Patreon for the publication as well as launching a coaching program for their community. “Everything we do is geared towards supporting and encouraging writers,” he added. You also have the option to accept submissions from other writers when you create a publication. That could be really great to help grow your blog while making connections with more users. Cons of a Medium BlogWhile our panel of Medium bloggers found that the platform was overall easy to use, they had varied perspectives on how it ultimately works to build an audience. One of our users was simply not happy with the way the platform compensates them and signal boosts (or rather, doesn’t signal boost) their content. “Medium did help me grow my audience by pushing my best content towards external promotions and new Medium users, but lately, this has stopped and I presume it is because of the large volume of new writers,” the user said. “When it comes to attracting new readers, I feel like Medium can do a lot more.” They went on to explain how they were also frustrated by the platform’s payment system and the lack of transparency surrounding it. In fact, they even had to go a step further to help better market their blog. “I had to invest money from my own pocket to publicize the publication which I think attracted new readers, but my efforts didn’t really get recognized by Medium,” they explained. Another user expressed a similar opinion in regards to the payment program. “I make a few bucks,” they told me. “It does not pay nearly enough to justify the time and effort I put into writing.” Inherent to the platform’s structure is a very Hunger Games-style of gaining readers and making money. You’re constantly competing against other articles for people’s attention, and fighting against bigger and more established publications. This can be very discouraging for some bloggers—especially if you’re trying to launch a publication for the first time. “Sometimes, even if your article is posted into those huge exclusive publications, they don’t even get much engagement in the first place,” said another user. “So, it’s kind of like you’re fighting for nothing.” That’s some strong criticism that I can’t help but agree with to a certain extent. Medium is a platform for bloggers willing to put in the hours and craft content that people want to read, but it can be very discouraging both at the outset and after you start to gain traction. Why We Ranked It #5Medium is a big player in the blogging space with the likes of former President Barack Obama and A-list celebs like Chrissy Teigen using the platform. Big brands like Patagonia also leverage the site to host their own blogs. It’s a good platform for building an audience if you’re diligent at it and publish consistently—but its lack of transparency when it comes to the algorithm as well as their Partner Program resulted in a lower rank on the list. Bottom line: Medium is a good all-around traditional blogging platform that gives you the opportunity of getting your writing in front of more people. Like our user panel said: It’s a blogging platform along with a social media platform. The downside is that there are limits on how high you can go as a part of Medium. You won’t own the traffic and you won’t be able to do things like sell ad placements, for example, so your profit potential is quite limited. You can use Medium to get a feel for blogging, find your voice, and start attracting an audience. But once you gain a following, you’re better served jumping ship to another platform, like WordPress, that you have full control over. How We Chose Which Products to ReviewWe chose our top five blogging platforms by focusing on four essential qualities:
Tip: You can jump down below for an even more in-depth look at this criteria. We researched dozens of the most popular and prominent blog builders and platforms using the four elements above as a way to judge the blog builder’s quality. This process involved “lighter” research that looked different from platform to platform. For example, we would create a free account with the blog sites and build out a simple test blog page when we could. We also looked at each of the platform’s features and tools across their payment plans if they had them. By doing this, we were able to get a sense of each blog sites’ strengths, weaknesses, and target users. Finally, we narrowed down our list from 12+ to five once we felt like we had a set of products that exemplified each of the criteria in unique ways. This process typically takes one to two weeks to complete. Once done, we moved on to the next step: speaking to actual users for each product. How We Reviewed Each ProductIf you want to know how well a steak is cooked, you don’t ask the cow or chef—you ask the person who ate it. The same goes with blogging platforms: The best way to understand their quality is by talking to actual users. They’re the ones who have hands-on experience with the product, having spent anywhere from hours to years building their blogs. They know what’s working, what they love, and what needs to be improved. To get real reviews from real users, we reached out to users across each of the platforms in order to attain a panel of three users each. In all, we reached out to 116 users in order to gain our results. To verify they were actually users of the blog platform, we:
Once verified, we asked each user if they would be willing to either be surveyed or interviewed about their experience on the blog platform. The questions for both the survey and the interview were identical. They included rating the product based on each of the four criteria below on a scale of one to five (one being the worst and five being the best). We took the average of each user’s ratings to determine the total score. What We Learned on Choosing the Best Blogging PlatformOur biggest takeaway from our research: There simply isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to blogging. A person using Medium is going to be a different blogger than a person using WordPress. The right platform for you is ultimately going to be unique to your needs. However, there are a few elements that we believe are universally applicable when it comes to looking for the right blogging platform. Easy Learning CurveIf you’re a new blogger, you probably don’t want to start out with an overly complex platform. You might feel ambitious and want to learn how to create a big website, but I highly recommend not doing so for two reasons: 1. You’re going to get burned out—fast. It’s easy to bite off way more than you can chew in the beginning. When that happens, you’re going to end up getting tired of your blogging project very fast. You might even abandon it completely as a result. 2. There are much easier (and better) ways to do it. All of the platforms on this list are easy to use, but some are easier to pick up than others. So find a platform that lets you launch quickly, cheaply, and easily. Medium and LinkedIn are fairly straightforward to get started: You just create an account and you can start publishing immediately after. You also don’t have to worry about things like domain names, web hosting, or even page customization with these choices. The platforms take care of all that for you. But if you’re a beginner who wants to own their platform with a personal blog site, Wix is the standout choice. They have the easiest learning curve of any blog builder we’ve seen yet. And the users that we talked to had glowing reviews of their own experience using the platform. “[Wix’s] very intuitive and has great tools to create individual website designs,” one Wix user told us. So if you’re not afraid to get your hands a little dirty, then I highly recommend Wix. They’ll ultimately give you the best combination of simplicity and website power. Niche-Friendly CustomizationPerhaps the most important decision you can make for your blog is what topic you’ll be writing about. This is going to determine your audience, its size, and your ultimate success. No matter what you choose, though, you’re going to want to make sure that your blog allows you to customize its look and feel to fit your topic’s niche. This helps develop your blog and brand’s identity, and create a stronger relationship with your audience. As you can see above, the websites that we reviewed do not all have the same level of customization. For example, WordPress gives you many more opportunities to customize everything, from your website’s colors and article layouts to your domain name and the fonts that you use. If there’s something you can’t do right from your dashboard, you can simply install a plugin or a widget to get it done for you (or get your hands dirty with a little code). Both Wix and Squarespace follow WordPress in terms of customization. Each of these platforms offers thousands of themes you can use in order to choose the exact look and feel you want from your blog. They’re the best option if you want to go for a more traditional blog and own your own platform. Platforms like Squarespace even offer native tools to do things like add an ecommerce store to even further customize your blog. “One of the reasons why I recommend Squarespace to small businesses or bloggers is because you don’t need to go get a third-party plugin to add a shop or to have your Instagram in the footer, or create your email newsletter collection,” said Paige Brunton, the Squarespace design coach on our panel. “It’s really an all-in-one system, which is really wonderful.” Websites like LinkedIn and Medium offer limited customization options, only giving you the ability to change your logo and the images in your blog posts. However, the tradeoff is that they offer better ways to grow your audience. Audience-Building ToolsGood blogging platforms offer you different tools to grow your audience. This could come in the form of SEO tools (to help your posts rank better in search results) or they could help connect you with new readers on their own platform. For example, Medium is a great blogging platform if you want to tap into a large, existing audience and go viral. Be warned: It’s going to take work—and even then, success isn’t guaranteed. You’re beholden to their algorithm and that’s always going to come with risk. “Medium did help me grow my audience by pushing my best content,” one user told us. “But lately, this has stopped […] When it comes to attracting new readers I feel like Medium can do a lot more.” But their algorithm can also help your articles be discovered by interested readers. For example, they might choose to promote your articles and publication on their daily newsletter. Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress have a variety of marketing tools, such as integrations with Google Analytics and SEO dashboards to help grow traffic. In fact, any tool that helps you elevate your search engine rankings can really help turbo-charge your audience building efforts. There’s a reason WordPress’s Yoast SEO tool is as popular as it is. When you focus on getting organic traffic, it saves you money you’d otherwise spend on digital ads on Facebook or Google. Overall, this is great if you want to have a much more hands on, under-the-hood approach to your growth strategy. Platforms like LinkedIn lack these tools. However, they can be a part of a bigger growth strategy by allowing you to make vital connections with influencers and change-makers in your industry. Those connections can really help grow your blogging reach as well. Profit PotentialLet’s be real: You want to make money with your blog. That’s totally fine. In fact, we encourage you to do so. However, the blog platform you ultimately choose is going to have a massive impact on how much money you can possibly make and how you make it. For example, with LinkedIn, you’ll be the most limited in your profit making potential. That’s because the platform won’t allow you to implement typical blog profit-making strategies such as on-page advertising—but you can still make money by promoting things like webinars, ebooks, and online courses. Medium offers its Partner Program that allows writers to earn money on their articles based on “member engagement.” That means if other people read, comment, and like your story, you’ll be paid by Medium on the strength of that. But, you still won’t be able to earn money from advertising. And also, their Partner Program seems to be a fairly difficult way to make a living of any sort. We even had one user tell us that they had to invest their own money to publicize their publication. Of course, you can still use those sites to make money via strategies like affiliate marketing or coaching and other freelance services. But remember: You’ll also be completely beholden to their algorithm for traffic. That means one algorithm change can mean the difference between making money and completely shuttering your business. That’s not an exaggeration either. Algorithm changes have been notorious for shutting down once successful blogs by throttling their traffic. If making money is important to you, then I highly recommend controlling your own platform by building your own blog with WordPress. You’ll be able to fully customize your site and build out your blog to optimize for profit. Platforms like Squarespace and Wix offer native ways of monetizing your blog by giving you tools to add ecommerce stores to your website. However, they don’t boast the same level of customization that WordPress does—and so you’ll be more limited in how you can make money and grow your blog. Wix, WordPress, and Squarespace give you a way of truly owning your blog at the end of the day. It’s your platform, so you can do with it what you will. That way, you won’t have to worry about algorithm changes ruining your traffic and you’ll be able to implement as many or as little profit making methods as you please. ConclusionTL;DR: Here’s our list of best blogging platforms:
While the platform you ultimately choose is going to be determined by your unique needs, you’ll definitely be able to find what you’re looking for using our list above and methodology to guide you. Once you choose a platform, head over to our Everything About Blogging page for some of our very best advice, tactics, and strategies for creating the blog of your dreams. via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/best-blogging-platforms/ Want to jump straight to the answer? The best shared hosting company for most people is definitely Hostinger. Shared hosting gets you the best value per dollar from your hosting. Not only is the web hosting cheap, you’ll get more than enough power for your site. The best hosts don’t feel like they’re shared. That means uptime, speed, and support are so good that you won’t even notice you’re sharing a server with other sites. So which should you choose? I’ve identified the best shared hosting plans on the market today. You’ll save money and avoid problems with your site later. Whether you’re launching a new site from scratch or looking to change hosting providers, you can use this guide to find the best option for your new website.
Compare the Top 9 Best Shared Hosting CompaniesAfter extensive research, these are the nine shared hosts I recommend:
Read on for in-depth reviews of each one. #1. Hostinger – Best Web Hosting for Tight Budgets
Hostinger offers one of the most affordable hosting services I’ve seen. In fact, their plans start at $1.39/month for their Single Shared Hosting plan. Their most expensive plan is their Business Shared Hosting Plan that’s just $3.99/month. Yes, you read that right. That’s rock bottom pricing. The catch? These are promotional rates. When you renew, the price jumps up—but it’s still just $2.99/month. To lock in the lowest price, you have to sign up for 48 months, which stretches out your discount as long as possible. And when you renew, it’s still going to cost less than most other shared hosting. Alongside that unbeatable pricing, Hostinger promises a 99.9% uptime guarantee and their site speed is more than serviceable. Here’s a peek at Hostinger’s plans, with pricing for a four-year upfront commitment: Single Shared Hosting – $1.39/month
Premium Shared Hosting – $2.59/month
Business Shared Hosting – $3.99/month
All plans come with managed WordPress, which is an excellent inclusion if you want to use WordPress as your CMS. That means even with these low, low prices, you get one-click WordPress installation, the WP Starter site building wizard, auto updates, and a lot more. If you’re looking for a decent shared web host on a tight budget, Hostinger is a fantastic option. #2. DreamHost – Best Shared Hosting That Leaves Room to Grow
DreamHost offers cost-effective shared hosting without sacrificing performance. There are actually three big reasons why DreamHost stands out to us:
DreamHost’s interface is user-friendly and their plans are quite affordable, coming in two flavors: Shared Starter – Starting at $2.59 per month
Shared Unlimited – Starting at $5.95 per month
The Shared Starter plan is the best option for brand-new websites. You get plenty of site storage and five subdomains. The biggest downside is that email accounts from your domain aren’t included, but you can add that option in checkout. Personally, I recommend the Shared Unlimited plan. It comes with added benefits I like, such as email accounts bound to your domain, unlimited subdomains, and unlimited SSD storage. Both plans come with WordPress pre-installed, a WP site builder, and a free SSL certificate. DreamHost guarantees a 100% uptime rate. If they fail to meet that promise, you’ll receive compensation for every hour of downtime, which is up to 10% of your next pre-paid renewal fee. They also offer a 97-day money-back guarantee. In my experience, 30 days seems to be the industry standard, so DreamHost really stands behind their product by tripling that period. For those of you who already have a WordPress site, the DreamHost experts will migrate the site to your new account for a $99 fee. If you fall into this category, I strongly recommend taking advantage of this service. No matter what, go with DreamHost if you’ve got lofty goals for your site’s future. #3. Bluehost – Best for Creating Your First Website
Bluehost is a favorite of ours at Quick Sprout, ranking high on our lists for best web host, best VPS host, and best dedicated host. While there are many reasons we like them, the reason we often recommend them is because they’re the perfect option for beginners. With their one-click WordPress install, intuitive dashboard, and award-winning 24/7 customer support, they’ll hold your hand through the entire setup process. That means zero development or web design knowledge needed. Just sign up and go. You’ll have a website up in less than 20 minutes. That’s why we highly recommend them if you’re creating your very first website. Pro tip: If you need even more help, be sure to check out our article all on how to create a website. They offer four different plans: Basic – Starts at $2.95 per month (renews at $7.99)
Plus – Starts at $5.45 per month (renews at $10.99)
Choice Plus – Starts at $5.45 per month (renews at $14.99)
Pro – Starts at $13.95 per month (renews at $23.99)
My pick for most folks is the Choice Plus plan. With a starting price point the same as the Plus plan, it’s worth paying a few extra bucks per month when it comes time to renew to keep site backups and domain privacy. But if the extra spam protection and dedicated IP is enough for you, the Pro plan is a great value at the price point, too. Bluehost is also highly scalable. With just a few clicks, you’ll be able to switch plans easily. So, if your site is brand new and you’re not planning to prioritize traffic for a couple of years, then you can definitely get away with the Basic plan for the time being. Bluehost’s pricing plans are straightforward, but they will charge you for add-ons. To get the best possible rate, then, you need to lock in your plan for 36 months. That’s another reason why I lean toward Choice Plus over the Plus and Basic packages. Even if you’re paying a little extra for resources that are going unused right now, it’s worth it for when your site eventually scales. It will only end up costing you an extra $30 per year to go with Choice Plus over Basic for the first three years. That’s a great price for a reliable shared hosting service. Try Bluehost on for size today with their 30-day money back guarantee. #4. A2 Hosting – Best Shared Host for Sites With a Need for Speed
A2 Hosting is one of the fastest shared hosting services available on the market today. That’s all due to their powerful servers that offer the best loading speeds and uptime rates. If you’re looking to deliver content swiftly to your audience, this is the hosting plan for you. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of their four shared hosting plans: Startup – $2.99/month
Drive – $4.99/month
Turbo Boost – $9.99/month
Turbo Max – $14.99/month
For those of you who have a need for speed, the Turbo plan will be best for you. It’s probably the fastest shared hosting plan offered by any provider on our list. A2 is already known for its speed, and Turbo is their top-of-the-line shared plan. While it ends up being $20.99/month when you renew, it’s still cheaper than some of the other high-end plans we’ve looked at. Overall, A2 Hosting is priced in the middle range compared to the competition. You can also check out my full A2 Hosting review for more on their other features and plans. Furthermore, A2 Hosting offers free site migrations on all of their shared plans. Other providers charge an added fee for this service. They have excellent customer support and a money-back guarantee, which are helpful bonuses. Tap into A2 Hosting’s turbo-charged shared servers today to feel the thrill of speedy loading times. #5. InMotion – Best Shared Hosting for 24/7/365 Customer Support
InMotion Hosting is a fantastic option for anyone who loves—or knows they’ll rely heavily on—quality customer support. Seriously. Take a look at any reviews from them. Nine times out of ten they’re going to mention their support—and for good reason. InMotion boasts an incredibly responsive customer support team that’s available at all hours of the day. You can reach them via chat, phone, email, or through your customer portal. They can help you in case your site experiences any issues like cyberattacks or if it crashes. They’ll even help you migrate your site if you need it. They also have a fantastic knowledge base in case you want to take care of things yourself. You’ll be able to learn about anything from transferring a current domain to setting up Mac Mail, Outlook, or email on your phone. InMotion has three shared hosting plans for you to choose from. Lite – $2.49/month
Launch – $4.99/month
Power – $4.99/month
Pro – $12.99/month
Unlike other plans we’ve seen, InMotion’s entry-level plan offers hosting for more than one website, unlimited disk space, and unlimited email. This is a great value for the price. The Launch plan is the best option for beginners. Power is made for small business websites, and the Pro plan is made for developers and growing businesses. Like we said before, though, compared to some of the other providers on our list, InMotion really stands out when it comes to their customer support. This is definitely something to keep in mind as a new website owner. For those of you who decide to go with the Pro plan, you’ll get a 99.9% uptime guarantee. If InMotion fails to deliver on that promise, you’ll get credits toward free hosting. Speaking of credits, InMotion’s Launch Plan—and all the other plans higher than it—come with $150 in free advertising credits, which can be very useful for a new website. It’s a great way to gain some exposure through popular search engines Go into your web hosting knowing that you have a helping hand all the way by choosing InMotion. #6. HostGator – Best Shared Hosting for Building Your First Ecommerce Store
HostGator gives you everything you need to create an online store and start selling products. Their ecommerce site builder is simple and intuitive and they also sweeten the deal with $150 Google Ads credit to help get your marketing off on the right foot. For further customization, they give you cPanel access, which isn’t always an offering among shared hosting providers. That means you can customize your online store to your heart’s desire by installing plugins and tweaking settings. Their plans are as follows: Hatchling Plan – $2.75/month
Baby Plan – $3.50/month
Business Plan – $5.25/month
Note: HostGator often offers flash sales—so the price might actually be even lower when you visit their page than what we have here. Both the Baby and Business plan come with unlimited domains, while the Hatchling plan is for a single domain. The Business plan comes with added benefits like a free dedicated IP, free SEO tools, and a free upgrade to Positive SSL. I love the value they offer. The new customer rates are definitely on the lower end of the spectrum, but the renewal rates aren’t too expensive. Plus, you can lock in the introductory rate for three years. If you’re considering HostGator, I’d recommend the Business Plan. Yes, even for beginners. It’s not often that I pick the top-tier pricing as the go-to plan for everyone. But, with HostGator, I think that the value for that plan is the best. The add-ons that come with the Business Plan are worth the higher pricing. Ultimately, it’s still less than $15 per month, even after you renew. In addition to 24/7 server monitoring, 24/7 live chat and phone support, HostGator also has more than 500 video tutorials and nearly 700 help articles if you want to learn how to do things on your own. They also offer pretty solid cloud hosting. Get your web store started on the right foot by choosing HostGator for your hosting. #7. SiteGround – Best Host for When Your Audience Grows Big
SiteGround is a great choice for growing websites because each plan gives you different options depending on your monthly visitor load. They also offer unmetered traffic with every single plan. That means you don’t have to worry about how big your audience gets or how many people you have coming to your website. You can get a spike in traffic and not see your resources throttled or your price jump at your next bill. Beyond that, SiteGround makes it easy to scale up to a bigger, better plan if your site’s newly massive audience becomes the new normal. Here’s a brief overview of SiteGround’s three shared hosting plans: StartUp – $4.99/month
GrowBig – $7.99/month
GoGeek – $14.99/month
If your website is brand new, you probably won’t be getting 10,000 monthly visitors for quite some time. But with that said, I’d still recommend the GrowBig plan over the StartUp option. The GrowBig plan comes with on-demand backups and a free site transfer. That’s an important feature for those of you who are switching to SiteGround from another hosting provider. The StartUp plan is for small, simple websites that are expecting tons of website site traffic. I’m sure the majority of you won’t fall into this category, but if your needs are super simple, it’s a still-solid offering from SiteGround. GoGeek comes with three levels of super-caching, advanced priority support, white-label and client management services, and pre-installed Git. There’s a plan for everyone in SiteGround’s shared hosting, so get started with them today to be ready for when your site blows up in popularity. #8. iPage – Most Affordable Shared Hosting for a Customizable Online Store
iPage offers a very straightforward pricing plan with just one plan for shared web hosting. For real, it’s dead simple: Their plan costs $1.99 per month when you sign up and $7.99 per month when you renew. Overall, this definitely puts them in the running for the best cheap web hosting. But iPage’s standout features are a highly intuitive ecommerce store builder that comes with $200 worth of ad credits to use on Google or Bing. That’s more than even HostGator gives you. They also offer a ton of unlimited features like disk space, bandwidth, and domains. It’s easily the best deal when it comes to creating an online store. Even though they offer low prices, iPage has great features like:
That’s a lot of “frees” and “unlimiteds” for such a low-cost plan. Overall, iPage is best for smaller websites and stores. Think stores where you’re only selling 1-5 products. Be aware, they do charge extras for things like site transfers, but that’s expected for a low-cost web host. Get with iPage to host your ecommerce store on the cheap. #9. GoDaddy – Best Shared Hosting for Bundling Domain and Email
GoDaddy is a popular and well-known brand in the hosting industry. They’re an excellent option if you’re looking to bundle a great email service and domain with your hosting. In fact, that’s why we included them in our best domain registrars, too. Their email service is especially great if you already use Microsoft for your email provider. It’s worth noting that Microsoft 365 is only offered for free in the first year—though you can cancel your automatic renewal at any time. GoDaddy offers three shared hosting plans. Each one is made for different types of websites. Economy – $4.49/month
Deluxe – $7.49/month
Ultimate – $8.49/month
As you can see, all of the GoDaddy plans are affordable. There’s something for everyone on this list, and it’s very straightforward. If you’re starting a simple blog from scratch, you can get away with the Economy plan. You always have the option to level-up if you need more resources. GoDaddy will actually send you an alert if you’re getting close to exceeding things like your memory or CPU. That way you can stay on top of things. Read my full Godaddy hosting review here to get a deeper view into what makes them work. For those of you who have a small business and expect heavy site traffic, you’ll be better off with the Ultimate plan. They’ll give your site the processing power you need to succeed. Knock out hosting, a domain, and email service in one fell swoop by going with GoDaddy. What Is Shared Web Hosting?Since the majority of you are probably new website owners, let me take a moment to explain exactly what shared hosting is and how it works. With a shared hosting plan, your website will be hosted on the same server as other websites. This means that you’ll be sharing (hence the name) server resources with those other sites as well. That’s the reason why shared hosting is so cost-effective compared to VPS hosting or dedicated hosting plans. Shared hosting is like renting a bedroom in a house with other roommates. You have your own room, but you’re sharing supplies and resources in the house. If one of your roommates has a bunch of friends over and they eat all of the food or use all of the soap, there won’t be anything left for you. This is the major downside of shared hosting. If another site on the same server has tons of traffic, it can slow down the loading speed on your website. Shared hosting is an entry-level service offered by most web hosting providers. How to Find the Best Shared Hosting for YouSo how do you find the best shared hosting? When it comes to any type of hosting, the two most important factors are always going to be:
These are vitally important no matter what type of hosting you’re looking for—so we’re not going to spend much time talking about this. Why? Most web hosts are fairly similar in this regard. They need good uptime and speed in order to be any good to begin with. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for VPS hosting, shared hosting, or dedicated hosting. You need solid uptime and speed. So, reliable uptime and speed doesn’t necessarily help us decide what the best web host is for common needs, other than eliminating hosting options that flat-out don’t make the cut. That’s why we’re going to take a look at the other factors we believe are very important when considering shared web hosting. Below are the criteria that we used when creating this list. Use it for your own research to help guide your ultimate decision: Set-It-and-Forget-It Web HostingIf it’s your first time building a website, it’s easy to be intimidated and frustrated by the process. That’s why you want to find a provider that makes web hosting a breeze for you. In fact, it should be something you don’t really have to think about at all once you set it up. That’s why we love options like Bluehost so much. They make it incredibly easy for beginners to create a website, especially with features like one-click WordPress installation. InMotion’s Launch plan is also another beginner-friendly hosting solution that we highly recommend. They’ll walk you through the entire setup process and, by the end of it, you’ll feel like a pro with your very own website. If you do want to get more hands-on with your host a bit more, you’ll want to find a host that gives you an easy-to-use and easy-to-navigate platform. This is another area where Bluehost shines. High-Traffic Hosting CapacityIn the ideal world, you’ll get a ton of traffic to your website right off the bat—but the reality is it likely will take you a while to get there. When you do arrive, though, you’ll want to make sure that your web host can manage your heightened traffic load. Luckily, all of the shared hosting providers on this list can manage a decent amount of traffic —some of them do so better than others, though. For example, web hosts like Bluehost and HostGator give you unmetered bandwidth. That means you won’t get penalized (in terms of a poor visitor experience or additional fees) when you have a flood of traffic coming to your site all at once. As we mentioned before, though, shared hosting is a fairly entry-level hosting solution. If you see your website easily attracting at least 200,000 monthly visitors, you’ll want to upgrade to VPS, cloud hosting, or a dedicated server to handle this routine strain on resources. This is also an area where you’ll want to take a look at the uptime assurances of each web host. Most all of them will offer you uptime in the neighborhood of 99.99%. Some, such as Hostinger, will refund you for any time your website goes down due to a spike in traffic. Though you want your website up as much as possible, it’s good to see a web host put some skin in the game in order to assure you that they’ll work to keep your site up and running—and they’ll compensate you generously if they can’t. Customer Service at a Moment’s NoticeCustomer support is something that is sneakily important when it comes to web hosting. After all, you don’t ever want to need it. But, when you do, you’ll want it to be the most helpful and comprehensive support you can get—especially if your website is making money for you. When researching your shared web hosts, take a look at what each host offers for customer support. Some questions to consider:
Customer support isn’t just about calling someone up when something goes wrong, either. It can also come in the form of tutorials, guides, or user forums to help answer any questions you have. It could also be the tools available to build and support your website. For example, iPage offers an easy-to-set-up ecommerce integration that works great if you’re creating an online store. Plans for When You’re Ready to Upgrade Your WebsiteShared hosting is often seen as the entry point for a lot of websites. It’s an easy way to get a site live even if you have no experience with building a site or using a web host. If you have bigger goals for your website, like becoming a wildly popular destination, creating an ecommerce store, attaining boatloads of leads, or a combination of all these things, you’re going to eventually want to upgrade your host. VPS hosting is a common step up from shared hosting, as it provides servers with more resources to work with. If you eventually get to the point where you’re drawing in millions of readers each month, you might want to consider getting a dedicated host. Virtually all of the hosts on this list offer an easy way to take the next step up from shared hosting. For example, Bluehost offers both VPS and dedicated hosting for when you’re ready to really level up your website. DreamHost offers cloud hosting, as well as managed WordPress hosting. Each one of these hosts have a dedicated customer support team that’ll help you easily upgrade your hosting service—and, often, you don’t have to worry about a lengthy and painful migration process because it’s still from the same company. Double win! What Type of Website Do You Want to Build?The right web host for you also largely depends on what you’ll actually be using the website for. If you just want to build a single website for a portfolio or information about your business, each of the hosts on this list can easily handle that for you. But if you want to, say, open an online store, we highly recommend you use a host such as iPage. They give you a free online store, PayPal integration, and tons of other ecommerce features. GoDaddy also offers an online store builder along with their hosting and domain plans. You’ll be able to easily create a great-looking store on their site with just a few clicks. If you want to get into blogging, DreamHost and Bluehost are great solutions. They offer great WordPress integrations to help get your blog up and running and attract tons of new readers. Consider what you want to do with your website and see what each host has to offer for your goals. ConclusionIf you want a good starter host that doesn’t skimp on power, start by looking at Bluehost. You get unmetered bandwidth, great speed, and even an unlimited number of websites on three of their four plans. Looking for the same but worried about the resulting site migration? A2 Hosting offers powerful hosting plans and top-tier assistance with migrating your sites over to their servers. If site speed and performance is on your mind with an eye on needing more in the future, choose the host that will best scale with you, SiteGround. Granted, overall cost and fitting hosting into your budget is going to be on a lot of your minds. Some of you may want rock-bottom prices; others are likely looking for the best value for the price point. The best bang for your buck is definitely DreamHost. You get feature-rich hosting (especially for WordPress sites) starting at just under $1 per month. Those looking for the cheapest plans in shared hosting should look at Hostinger and iPage. If you want to keep the cost low but can’t afford to skimp on support, InMotion and HostGator are the providers to put at the top of your list. Want to keep your options as open as possible without having to comparison-shop several hosting providers? GoDaddy has the widest variety of shared hosting plans to choose from. via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/best-shared-hosting/ Want to jump straight to the answer? The best dedicated hosting plan for most people is definitely BlueHost. A good dedicated host will have a major impact on the performance of your website. If you’re pushing your current hosting setup to the limits, you’ll really appreciate having a server of your own. So will visitors to your site who get a fast, flawless experience. But with so many options to choose from, it can be difficult to pick the right one for you. That’s why we’ve researched and narrowed down the best dedicated servers with every type of website in mind. So no matter what you’re looking for, I’m confident you can find it on this list. Top 9 Best Dedicated Hosting Plans for 2021
Read on to learn more about each of my top picks for the best dedicated hosting providers for 2021. Reviews of the Best Dedicated Server Providers and Dedicated Hosting PlansThere’s a few things to understand about dedicated hosting in order to make an intelligent purchase. But if you already know what you’re looking for, it’s time to dive into the best plans on the market today. We always keep this list refreshed, so you can be sure that the information is accurate and up to date. #1. Bluehost – Best Overall Dedicated Hosting Plan
Bluehost offers dedicated hosting plans that are some of the most cost-effective options that you’ll find. Bluehost gives you the best value while still providing exceptional service. There are three dedicated server plans for you to choose from. Here’s what they look like: Standard Plan
Enhanced Plan
Premium Plan
The standard or enhanced plan is more than enough for most websites. However, there’s plenty in the premium plan that is worth the extra cost for dedicated hosting. All dedicated hosting plans from Bluehost come with a free SSL certificate, free domain for one year, and 24/7 customer support. For those of you who are more advanced and want to make custom installations to your server, Bluehost gives you full root access as well. I doubt you’ll need it, but Bluehost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. So you can always back out in the first month if you change your mind. #2. InMotion – Best Dedicated Web Host for Small BusinessesInMotion offers a great dedicated web hosting solution that’s perfect for small businesses. They offer some of the best technical and customer support I’ve seen in a web host. While some of might not think that’s too impressive, customer support is actually a massive selling point. Why? Simple: Customer support is like a fire extinguisher. You never want to need it. But when there’s a fire burning down your house, you’ll be damn glad you have it. Their support team is available through live chat, phone, and email. It doesn’t take long to connect to an agent either. Their uptime and loading speeds are also top notch. For uptime, you’ll be looking at around 99.99% rates on average. Your loading speed will be equally nice as InMotion is known for their speed. Plans for unmanaged dedicated hosting start at $99 per month. This is attractive price-wise, but I really only recommend it for knowledgeable systems admins and developers who are comfortable troubleshooting server issues. The prices for a managed dedicated server aren’t too bad either—but they certainly aren’t the cheapest. When you renew, expect the contract to be considerably higher. While managed servers cost a bit more, it’s worth it for business owners that don’t have a lot of experience managing servers. InMotion will take care of all the backend work for you. Paying an extra couple bucks each month to get a managed plan will cost a lot less than hiring an IT professional. Overall, it’s a solid dedicated web host I’d recommend to small businesses purely due to their customer support. #3. HostGator – Most Reliable Dedicated HostingHostGator is arguably the most well-known web hosting provider on the market today. They have exceptional uptime rates, also making them one of the most reliable web hosts you can choose. However, their loading speeds fall a bit short of industry averages. With that said, the dedicated server plans offered by HostGator are definitely ones that you should take into consideration, especially if you’re looking for a more affordable option.
If you compare that to the other plans we’ve looked at so far, HostGator is priced just slightly above Bluehost, but significantly lower than SiteGround. So for those of you who are looking for a dedicated server in that low-to-mid price range, HostGator fits the bill. The HostGator dedicated server plans offer 8 GB, 16 GB, and 30 GB of RAM, respectively. If you compare that to the other plans we’ve reviewed, it’s a great value for the price. HostGator has unmetered bandwidth for all dedicated servers, which is another added bonus. Overall, if you want a dedicated server that’s a step above the lower pricing tiers while still delivering exceptional uptime and quality customer support, HostGator has you covered. #4. A2 Hosting – Fastest Dedicated HostingA2 Hosting isn’t as well known as some of the other web hosting providers on our list. But they still offer some of the best dedicated servers on the market today. If you want blazing fast speed, look no further than A2 Hosting. In addition to the great performance of their hardware, A2 Hosting has a wide range of hosting options for you to choose from. This can’t be said for every other provider out there. Here’s an overview of the pricing, features, and benefits of their dedicated hosting plans. As you can see, A2 Hosting has a dedicated server plan for everyone. They offer unmanaged hosting and fully managed hosting options at an affordable rate. Their Core Flex Server is fully managed and still provides root access to website owners who want that added level of customization. I always like to recommend products and services from companies that stand behind what they’re selling. That’s why it’s always nice to see a web hosting providers offer something like a 30-day money-back guarantee. A2 Hosting takes that promise to an entirely new level with their anytime money-back guarantee. Now, there are definitely some stipulations here. I’m sure you can’t use the service for a year and then call and ask for a refund. According to their site, accounts canceled within 30 days of use will get a full refund. Accounts canceled after 30 days will be refunded a prorated amount of the unused service. There are even stipulations about how refunds will be issued for requests after 120 days. While I’m not anticipating that you’ll want to cancel your plan, it’s nice to know that it’s an option and you’re not locked in if you’re unhappy. Overall, A2 Hosting offers competitive pricing, service, support, and performance for their dedicated servers. #5. Liquid Web – Best Bundle Packages for Dedicated Hosting PlansLiquid Web is another lesser-known web hosting provider. But their servers, performance, and support earn them a top spot on our list. Pricing for these hosting plans falls within the same range as SiteGround. So it’s a great choice for those of you who are looking for a higher-end plan, without breaking the bank on unnecessary features. Here’s an overview of the dedicated hosting plans offered by Liquid Web. Intel Xeon 1230 v6
Intel Xeon Silver 4108
Intel Xeon Gold 6130
As you can see, there isn’t an upgrade in terms of storage or bandwidth from the Silver to Gold server plans. The biggest difference is that the Gold server has 16 cores, while the Silver server only has 8. The Gold server can be used for big databases, large SaaS companies, and virtualization on your website. If you’re going to use Liquid Web for dedicated hosting, I strongly recommend that you take advantage of their bundle pricing. Take a look at the value bundles and compare it to the specs that I’ve listed above. As you can see, you get significant upgrades without spending too much more money. The value packs include all of the recommended add-ons at a more reasonable price than purchasing them individually. So if you were willing to spend the $499 on the Gold package, you can double the RAM and bandwidth for just another $50 per month. It’s well worth it. All Liquid Web dedicated servers include:
Another great benefit of Liquid Web is their transparency. Plans are month-to-month and rates won’t increase upon renewal. Click here and use coupon code QUICKSPROUT to get 40% off 2 months of any Liquid Web hosting plan. #6. SiteGround – Best Support for Dedicated HostingIn addition to the quality and reliability of their server features, SiteGround makes our list because they have exceptional customer support. They’re quick to respond and they’re incredibly knowledgable. This makes it ideal for relatively smaller sites that want to transition to a dedicated server. Easy access to friendly support is crucial during this process. That’s why they’re ranked so highly. There are three dedicated server plans for you to choose from: Entry Server
Power Server
Super Power Server
All dedicated hosting plans from SiteGround are fully managed. They set up your server, keep its software up to date, and monitor the server 24/7. They offer instant help if any issues come up. While the Entry Server isn’t cheap, it still offers a good amount of bandwidth, RAM, and speed for an entry-level plan. The storage is a bit on the low side, which makes the Power Server my top pick of the three. With the Super Power Server priced at more than double the monthly rate of the Power Server, it’s not likely that most websites will need that much storage. #7. Media Temple – Best Dedicated Hosting for Enterprises and ResellersMedia Temple is a very unique offering on this list. As such, they’re not going to be for everyone. In fact, their dedicated plan starts at $2,000 per month. They’re also made specifically for enterprise-level hosting. So even if your small business website generates tons of monthly traffic, you should look elsewhere for a dedicated server if you’re not at an enterprise level. Media Temple offers both managed hosting and self-managed hosting plans. With a whopping 128 GB of RAM, you’ll be able to run complex tasks on your site. Dynamic content, CMS, and high volumes of traffic won’t slow you down. These dedicated server plans are best for enterprises who plan on reselling. You’ll have enough power and control to rent space your clients on one server. If you want to save some money, Media Temple offers discounted rates for long-term contracts. Annual plans start at $20,000, which is essentially two months free compared to the month-to-month rate. Two-year contacts and three-year contracts are priced at $38,000 and $54,000, respectively. Again, these dedicated servers are not for everyone. But for those of you who have agencies and plan to resell your server space, this will be your best choice. Cheapest Dedicated Hosting PlansThere are a few more cost-effective hosting plans that are worth considering if you’re looking for a great rate. While these options are suitable, they each fall short in certain areas, which is why I grouped them in a category of their own. #8. AccuWeb HostingThe dedicated hosting plans offered by AccuWeb start at just $80 per month. Along with a great rate, you’ll also get great service. AccuWeb works with you to create a dedicated hosting service that’s perfect for your business’ exact specifications. You’ll get a server in a location that’s close to where you are based. AccuWeb has servers located in the US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, the UK, and other areas throughout the globe. For those of you who like lots of options, AccuWeb has the most dedicated server choices on our list, by far. There are six different single-processor dedicated servers that you can configure, and nine dual-processor dedicated servers. That’s 15 different options! A few other features they offer:
While pricing for some of these configurations starts at more than $300 per month, the entry-level server pricing at just $80 per month is best for those of you looking at low-cost options in this category. I consider AccuWeb Hosting a “cheap” dedicated server because their uptimes and loading speeds are inconsistent. So you’ll have to weigh the cost compared to the performance when making your decision. #9. HostwindsFounded in 2010, Hostwinds is another lesser-known option on the market. They have dedicated server plans starting at just $79.50 per month as an introductory offer. I like Hostwinds because their dedicated server plans are super easy to customize. Directly on their website, you can configure things like:
All dedicated servers are fully managed, have nightly backups, and 24/7 server monitoring. Similar to AccuWeb, Hostwinds doesn’t have the best uptime and loading speeds. But with that said, it’s still a suitable option to consider for low-cost dedicated hosting. What is Dedicated Hosting?Dedicated hosting plans provide a dedicated server to a single client. This means that you won’t be sharing your server resources with other websites. You don’t get this benefit with a shared, VPS, or cloud hosting plan. Dedicated servers are essentially the top of the line in web hosting. Since you won’t be sharing resources like RAM, CPU output, and bandwidth, you can expect superior performance on your website. It’s arguably the best form of web hosting. But it’s also the most expensive. Who is Dedicated Hosting For?A dedicated hosting plan is ideal for larger organizations or websites with high volumes of traffic. If you own a local restaurant or small business with just a few thousand visitors per month, you don’t need a dedicated server. You’d be better off with shared or VPS hosting. However, if your website has upwards of 50,000 or 100,000+ visitors per month, you should consider a dedicated hosting plan. Dedicated servers make it easy for you to scale your website as well. Traffic isn’t the only thing to consider. There are other types of services, such as cloud hosting, that can accommodate scalable site traffic. Dedicated hosting plans are for businesses that want complete customization and flexibility of their server functions. That’s why large ecommerce businesses and enterprises typically choose a dedicated server. Websites that require strict security, such as ones that involve medical data or financial information should be using a dedicated server. Finally, dedicated servers are for websites that can afford it. While most of you can find some great cost-effective options, there are dedicated plans out there starting at $1,000 or $2,000 per month. ConclusionSo what’s the best dedicated hosting plan? It depends on what you’re looking for. My guide has something for everyone. What’s best for you might not be best for everyone else. And when it comes to dedicated servers, there is no shortage of options to choose from. Instead of spending hours searching for the best one, find what you need in my guide above. Our top overall pick is Bluehost. With them, you’ll get exceptional service and reliability at a palatable price. If you’re looking for speed and performance above all else, take a look at HostGator (which provides excellent uptime) and A2 Hosting (which delivers exceptional site speeds). The size of your business may dictate the best fit for you. Larger operations should shortlist Media Temple, which is also a top choice for site resellers. Need scalability or a degree of customization to your dedicated hosting plan? Liquid Web offers a great array of add-on packages, bundles, and features. Small businesses will be well-served by looking into InMotion for their combination of great performance and customer support. Speaking of support—if that’s your the top feature you’re scouting for, SiteGround’s unparalleled customer service should make them your top choice. If your small business is looking to fit dedicated hosting into a constricting budget, then take a look at our top choices for cheaper plans, AccuWeb and Hostwinds. via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/best-dedicated-hosting-plans/ Background checks are an essential part of the hiring process. It’s easy to skip it — but if you do, you might end up hiring someone who ends up hurting your business and brand. So if you’re running a business, you need to be doing this as well. But where can you get a background check done? Are all background checks the same? Compare Quotes From The Best Background Check Companies Get matched up with a background check service that fits your specific needs. If you run a quick Google search, you’ll learn that there are countless types of background checks offered by hundreds of different services. It’s tough to figure out which ones will actually give you the information that you’re looking for. That’s I want to show you the top background check services on the market today, and help you decide which one is the best for your business. The 5 Best Background Check Companies
In a market flooded with background check services, there are really only five companies that I would consider using as an employer. I’ll explain the pros, cons, and pricing of each service below. #1 – Intelius — Best for Unlimited Background Checks
>> Compare Quotes Intelius is slightly different compared to other background check services on this list. That’s because they’re not necessarily targeted towards businesses. Instead, they’re for normal everyday folks who just want some information on people. However, an employer could still use this service to find information about a prospective hire. Intelius allows you to search for names, phone numbers, and addresses for free. It also shows the person’s age and a few associated cities. Of course, the results will be limited with the free service. To get the most out of Intelius, you’ll need a premier account. These reports include:
With Intelius, you’ll pay a fixed monthly fee to run unlimited reports. Memberships are month-to-month and cost $29.95. You can try your first month for a discounted rate of $14.95. The price of Intelius is definitely appealing, but the reports are limited compared to other companies. If you have a large business that runs tons of background checks, you could use Intelius as a way to pre-screen candidates before running a more thorough report. For example, the $29.95 per month fee could save you money in the long run if you avoid wasting upwards of $100 on extensive reports. A red flag on Intelius would be enough to narrow down your candidate pool. Then you could always run a full background check through another platform. #2 – GoodHire — Best for Flexible Pricing and Intermittent Use
>> Compare Quotes GoodHire is one of the most popular background check services for small business owners. It’s also used by some larger and well-known companies like Tuft & Needle and Draft Kings—along with 75,000 other orgs that rely on GoodHire. 72% of GoodHire customers say that these background checks are faster than other services that they’ve used in the past. One of the reasons why GoodHire is such an excellent choice for small business owners is because of the flexibility in their pricing. Since a small business owner doesn’t hire as frequently as a larger organization, you won’t have to pay a monthly fee for background checks. For example, if you plan to run less than 25 background checks per year, they only charge for each report. Only need five checks? Just pay for the five. It’s that simple. The cost of a background check depends on how much information you want to find: Basic
Standard
Premium
As price increases, the background checks become more extensive. GoodHire also gives you the option to add-on other screenings and services like:
GoodHire provides additional assistance for drug screenings and healthcare sanctions as well. At the end of the day, they have nearly every type of background check that a small business owner would need before hiring someone. One downside of using GoodHire is that they charge a one-time setup fee to verify your company. This cost might be tough to justify if you’re only running a couple of checks per year. But if you plan to use the service at least a dozen times or so, it’s worth it. The add-ons can also drive up the cost of your checks. So if you need lots of add-ons for each background check, it might be worth requesting a custom quote from their sales team. #3 – B&B Reporting — Best for Next-Day ResultsB&B Reporting has offered great background check solutions for 20+ years. On average, they turnaround reports in less than 24 hours. B&B Reporting also has a 19% criminal hit ratio, which is above the industry average. They accomplish this by using the latest tech. This cloud-based platform makes it easy for you to order and review background checks online. Each background check is completely customized. Choose exactly what types of records you want to search for or verify, and the price will vary based on those inquiries. Unlike other background check services on the market today, B&B reporting does not require a monthly minimum or charge you for an initial setup cost. The B&B Reporting technology allows you to send electronic consent forms to applicants to initiate the process. They also have an intuitive dashboard that shows you the status of candidates and reports at a glance. With B&B Reporting, you can run background checks for:
If you need it, they likely have the info you’re looking for. One downside: pricing isn’t transparent. To start running background checks and get a quote, you need to fill out a form online to discuss your screening program with a sales agent. For prices, you need to be verified by B&B Reporting. Then you can receive a quote. #4 – Accurate — Most Affordable for Small Businesses
>> Compare Quotes Accurate is a simple and straightforward way to run background checks for your small business. Though it’s advertised for small and medium-sized companies, I recommend it to microbusinesses (1-9 employees) and companies with very small teams. That’s because you pay per report and can add on other searches and verifications such as Motor Vehicle Reports and License Verifications a la carte — and for just $9.95. That’s an ideal payment format for smaller teams with niche requirements and checks to make. Accurate is affordable and does not require any monthly minimums for background checks. They are FCRA compliant, which will help you avoid lawsuits while screening employees. To get started with Accurate, you’ll need to register your account, e-sign their agreement, and get approved before you can start ordering reports. This company does charge a one-time setup fee to verify your business. Once you’ve been verified, you can order the following reports: Basic
Standard
Premium
As you can see, these plans are very similar to the ones offered by GoodHire. The biggest difference between Accurate and GoodHire is the add-on options. Accurate doesn’t offer as many add-ons, but the add-ons they do offer are cheaper. GoodHire’s add-ons typically start at $14.99, whereas Accurate begins at $9.95. All of this makes Accurate a better choice for smaller businesses that don’t need features like international employment verification. But this does make Accurate a bit more limited than some of the other options on our list. #5 – Verifirst — The Best for Property Management Companies
>> Compare Quotes Verifirst offer a wide range of services including:
All these options are great, but I’d prefer to use Verifirst for niche-specific solutions. Their tenant-screening services stand out the most to me. It’s great no matter if you own one investment property or run a larger property management business. They’ll help you get the best information on your tenants. If you’ve been managing properties for a while, you know that renting a unit to the wrong person can be a costly mistake. Not only are you putting your property at risk, but this decision can also result in thousands of lost rent, legal fees, and turnover costs. Verifirst offers specific background checks for tenant screening. These reports include:
In addition to the actual reports, Verifirst makes it easy for you to manage applicants and view everything online. You can access this web-based platform 24 hours per day and grant access to an unlimited number of users. This is perfect for those of you who run a property management business. Furthermore, Verifirst integrates with popular property management systems that you’re already using. The also offer complimentary pre-screenings of an applicant’s income and analysis of their assets. This gives you a good idea of who your applicant is before you even run the actual screen. Verifirst lets you run multiple screenings simultaneously, which is ideal for joint applications or leases with co-signers. All pricing on Verifirst is custom. So you need to contact their team to get started and learn more about the rates for running reports. Overall, Verifirst is the best background check company for tenant screening. But I’d look for other options if my business was in another industry. How to Find the Best Background Check ServicesCompare Quotes From The Best Background Check Companies Get matched up with a background check service that fits your specific needs. You might have your own unique needs in background checks. However, there are specific sets of features everyone should keep an eye out for. This is the methodology that I used in this guide. I’ll explain why each one is important as you’re narrowing down your choices. Types of Background ChecksBackground check companies offer a variety of services depending on what you’re looking for. Some are intended for personal use, connecting with relatives, or finding information about your neighbors. None of these are really useful for employers. When running a check on potential hires, these are some of the most common types of searches you’ll want on the report:
Depending on the type of business you have, you might also want to run motor vehicle records, or various international screenings. Turnaround TimeBasic information like identity verification is usually instant. Other reports such as licenses verification and employment verification can take a few days, depending on what you’re searching for. Understand how long it takes for reports to come in. Tip: It shouldn’t take weeks for a report to come in. In fact, it should just take a few days at most. You don’t want that much time to pass, as it extends the hiring process longer than it needs to be. Company SizeThe size of your business is crucial when looking for a background screening service. Smaller companies obviously don’t run checks as frequently. So as a small business owner, you should find a service that doesn’t require monthly or annual minimums. Very small businesses don’t always need extensive reports either. A basic identity verification and criminal check is usually sufficient. If you’re a large business though, you’ll need the kind of background check service that can meet your needs and the amount of checks you need to make each quarter. Initial Setup and New Background ChecksIf you’re running a background check for the first time with a new service, you might need to get your business verified before you get started. This process is easier with some services compared to others. Sometimes you can just sign up online, but in other instances, you’ll need to request a quote and speak to an agent to get set up. In some cases, you’ll need to pay a one-time setup fee as well. Once approved, look for background check services that make it as easy as possible for you to run a new search. Companies like B&B Reporting let candidates e-sign consent forms, which speeds up the process. Report AccuracyAccurate reporting is probably the most crucial part of the background check process. It would be terrible if a report came up clean, but the person actually had a criminal history. This is something you need to know about before hiring someone. It would also be bad if a report had an erroneous flag on an otherwise fantastic candidate. All of the companies in this guide have been around for years, which should help you rest easy when you’re running reports. But it’s always a good idea to check and see what databases they are using for screenings. ConclusionBackground checks are common practice in the hiring process. As a business owner, this is something that needs to be taken seriously. Of the five I’ve reviewed above, each one fits neatly into different organizational needs. If you’re constantly running background checks (perhaps because you’re on a hiring spree) or simply don’t want to worry about running into a monthly limit (or incurring charges because you’ve exceeded it), go with Intelius. On the opposite end, organizations who run background checks infrequently but need a reliable provider would do well to choose GoodHire. B&B Reporting is the top choice if you need a quick turnaround on your checks. They’ll get you results in 24 hours. For organizations on a tight budget, Accurate is worth your consideration for affordable background checks. And those who work in property management or otherwise have to screen potential tenants should home in on Verifirst, my top choice for running background checks for that specific purpose. Compare Quotes From The Best Background Check Companies Get matched up with a background check service that fits your specific needs. via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/best-background-check-companies/ Sometimes, it’s not enough to simply outsource your payroll or find software that will help you manage HR tasks. That’s where PEO (professional employer organization) service providers come in. These companies handle a lot of routine company tasks, taking them off you and your team’s plate. PEO providers take care of things like running payroll, managing benefits, filling paperwork, and other HR or HR-adjacent elements. Any business that needs some help in these departments and finds a good PEO service provider will reap the benefits of lots of saved time and money. Whether you’re interested in hiring a PEO service for the first time or looking to switch providers, we’ve reviewed the top PEO options out there. We also have some tools below to help you to help you find the best option in your location. Compare the Best PEO CompaniesThere are 957 PEO companies in the USA! Find out which one is the best match for your specific needs. Enter your zip code below to begin. 9 Best PEO Service ProvidersThere are countless PEO services available on the market today. Some PEO services are industry-specific, while others are intended for businesses of a certain size. Finding the best PEO provider for your business can be challenging if you don’t have any guidance. I want to help. That’s why I’ve broken down the nine best PEO service providers. Read about them below. I’ll cover the features, benefits, costs, as well as any drawbacks.
Compare the Best PEO CompaniesThere are 957 PEO companies in the USA! Find out which one is the best match for your specific needs. Enter your zip code below to begin. #1 – CoAdvantage PEO
In business for more than 30 years and working with businesses of all types in all 50 states across the USA, CoAdvantage PEO is one of the best PEO companies in the industry and has the experience to take on practically any challenge your business might need to deal with. CoAdvantage currently serves more than 90,000 employees and works with more than 4,500 clients, and they continue to grow regularly. CoAdvantage is a full-service PEO and can provide all the usual services you might expect. Specific service categories include but are not limited to:
What makes CoAdvantage PEO stand out in our eyes are the great insurance savings you will get combined with best in class HR software. Onboarding will be easy for yourself, your employees, and your managers, and will for the most part not disturb operations while it is going on. It will be seamless, and any issues will be quickly resolved. If you want to build your team and keep the best talent in your area (or even outside of it) in your company, then we recommend CoAdvantage PEO. The price your company will get will depend on multiple factors like size of company, location and current insurance, but you can easily contact them to get a quote. #2 – Amplify PEO
Amplify offers a full-service PEO solution along with a suite of HR technology that centralizes information for admins and employees. From hiring to retiring, all employee documents and data stay can stay in one place. They offer a roster of features and services you’d expect from the best HR solutions out there including:
Their services helps save companies $1,185 per employee each year. Think about that. If your company is 25 employees, that’s nearly $30,000 a year saved. If your company is 100 employees, that’s $118,500 saved. I really like Amplify because they’re more human than a lot of other PEO providers. And I mean that literally. Any and all HR issues are directed to an actual person rather than an automated call center. So whether you’re looking for benefits solutions, payroll solutions, or retirement solutions, Amplify has you covered. Pricing is obscured on their website but you can request a quote for free. #3 – ADP TotalSource
ADP is an industry leader in human resources software. They provide their services to businesses of all shapes and sizes. ADP also offers TotalSource, their full-service PEO solution. This is a great ption for small to medium-sized business owners. Whether you have 1-49 employees, 50-999 employees, or 1,000+ members on your team, ADP has a plan for you. ADP TotalSource is used for human resources, talent management, payroll, employee benefits, and risk assessment. As a small business owner, you can use ADP to provide enterprise-grade medical, dental, and vision care to your employees. Furthermore, ADP also offers 401(k) plans. The technology used by ADP is the biggest standout of this PEO provider. Everything from HR to payroll, benefits, and recruiting can be accessed and managed through a mobile app or easy to use web dashboard. But arguably the best feature of ADP is the customer service. Naturally, your employees will have questions. Whether it be about their pay, benefits, or something else that would fall into the HR category. Rather than bothering you with those questions, your staff can simply contact an ADP representative directly. ADP’s knowledgeable and friendly staff will guide your employees in the right direction to answer any questions or help them pick a plan that fits their needs. I like ADP because they also have industry-specific solutions for businesses in the following categories:
ADP provides PEO services and technology in over 140 countries worldwide. The only potential downside of using ADP TotalSource is the company’s size. Since ADP is so large, it’s possible that your small business could feel like it’s getting lost in the shuffle. #4 – Insperity
Insperity has been around for 30+ years. They provide full HR solutions for small businesses as well as enterprises with up to 5,000 employees. Since being founded in 1986, they racked up a long list of awards, accreditation’s, achievements, and glowing reviews from their customers. Insperity’s full-service HR solution includes:
And don’t worry if you don’t need a full-service solution. Their individual solutions are also great. While they the needs of businesses with 150-5,000 employees, I’d recommend their services to small and medium-sized business owners with less than 150 employees. You’ll also have access to the iOS and Android mobile apps to monitor and manage your business on the go. It’s a great option for those of you who enjoy leveraging the latest technology to streamline your processes. Although the company is big, they still provide excellent customer service and know how to work with small business owners. Another top feature of Insperity is its flexibility. Unlike other PEO providers on the market, Insperity won’t lock you into a long-term contract. You can cancel at any time, as long as you give them 30 day’s notice. Insperity does not list prices for their services online. You’ll need to speak with their customer service sales team to get a custom quote. A potential drawback of using Insperity for PEO services is that their health plan options are limited. Unlike other providers, Insperity only offers health plans from a single health insurance provider. So if your company wants to give your employees multiple options for healthcare, you should look elsewhere on our list. But this usually isn’t a problem for small business owners. #5 – Paychex
While Paychex is best known for its online payroll services, they are also a full-service PEO provider. One of the biggest standouts of Paychex is the way that they provide PEO services. Your business will get a dedicated HR professional. In some cases, this dedicated HR manager can even be on-site at your office. By working directly with your employees, Paychex takes HR outsourcing to the next level. Since Paychex works so closely with your company, it makes it easier for them to assess workplace risks and address key areas of liability. These are some of the top features and benefits of using Paychex as your PEO provider:
Like other PEO providers, Paychex also offers individual services if you don’t need a full-service plan. You can search for solutions by task, business size, or role. Paychex even offers outsourced office management services. From paperless hiring and onboarding to issuing payroll, Paychex does it all. The only negative thing I can find about Paychex is that the interface is a bit outdated and not as user-friendly compared to options like ADP TotalSource. The price for Paychex PEO services is based on the number of employees you have. #6 – Justworks
Justworks is a full-service PEO provider offering payroll, human resources, compliance, and employee benefits. In addition to benefits like health, vision, and dental insurance, Justworks also provides a wide range of compliance services. They handle W-2 and 1099 filings, unemployment insurance, and workers’ compensation. Justworks has an automated payroll system for direct deposit, paying vendors and contractors, and integration with your business accounting software like Quickbooks and Xero. Another benefit of Justworks is that they can accommodate the needs for businesses of all sizes. So if you start working with them now, they can scale with you as your company grows. Here’s an overview of their plans and pricing based company size: Basic — Payroll, HR Tools, Benefits, and Compliance
Plus — Access to Medical, Dental, and Vision
You can save 15% on all plans when you sign up for an annual contract. I like Justworks because they give you so many options. You’re not forced to take the health insurance package, but it’s available if you want it. If you’re just starting out and new to working with PEO service providers, you could always start with the Basic plan and upgrade to Plus when you’re ready. Justworks offers 24/7 customer support. The company is modern and still growing at a rapid rate, so I expect them to continue providing excellent service in the future. The only real downside of Justworks is their lack of experience. There are other PEO service providers who have been in business for decades. Visit JustWorks to learn more. #7 – Oasis Outsourcing
Oasis Outsourcing offers a fairly comprehensive line of PEO services that’s very flexible in their offerings. PEO services provided by Oasis Outsourcing include:
Oasis can help your small business get great deals on healthcare by bundling your plan with other clients. They’ll help you set up employee retirement plans as well. Like other providers on our list, Oasis has some industry-specific solutions.
I’d recommend Oasis to startup companies because they are versatile. They’re smaller than the other options on this list — but that only means Oasis can give startups the special attention that they need. While some PEO providers allow for month-to-month commitments, Oasis will force you into a one-year contract. So for those of you who don’t want to get locked in, this won’t be the best option for you. With that said, Oasis does offer a 90-day money-back guarantee window. So you’ll have some time to change your mind if you’re not satisfied in the first few months. #8 – VensureHR
VensureHR offers a full range of HR solutions that helps simplify your processes. Their services include:
While their services are robust enough for companies of many different industries and sizes, they’re focused on helping small businesses manage their HR solutions. That means if you’re a small business owner, you can focus on pulling the levers that boost growth instead. Pricing is obscured on their website, but you can request a quote at anytime by filling out a form. #9 – TriNet
At first blush, TriNet is farily similar to some of the others in the industry. But they also offer niche-specific solutions for:
TriNet stands out as one of the best PEO providers because of their service and attention to detail. Their team will be on standby for your employees. Whether it’s during the hiring process, onboarding, or just day-to-day questions about their benefits or employee status, TriNet is there for all of those needs. TriNet does not try to appeal to larger organizations. In fact, services are segmented by employee size into these three categories:
I’d recommend TriNet to those of you who fall on the lower end of this scale. A company with 500 or 1,000+ employees should look elsewhere. TriNet offers a wide range of employee health benefit options through insurance companies like United Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, Aflac, Aetna, and MetLife. TriNet also has partnerships with big brands to offer small businesses and employees marketplace discounts. Some of those brands include Verizon, AT&T, Hyatt, and Avis. How to Find the Best PEO Service ProvidersThere are 957 PEO companies in the USA! Find out which one is the best match for your specific needs. Enter your zip code below to begin. There is quite a bit of information that must be taken into consideration when you’re evaluating a PEO service provider. Since so many companies seem to offer similar services, choosing the best fit for your business can be a challenge. I’ll take you through the methodology that we used to come up with this guide. You can use these features as well during your search process. PricingThe first thing you should look at is the price of the PEO solutions. This will make it easier for you to eliminate options that might be out of your price range. Unfortunately, not every PEO provider includes prices on their website. Since so much about this industry is customized, you’ll need to speak with a sales representative to get a quote. But if you’re looking for a provider with transparent prices, Justworks will be a top option for you to consider. Employee BenefitsWhile a PEO provider is supposed to reduce costs make your life easier as a business owner, it should also have a positive impact on your employees. Things like retirement plans, health insurance, dental, and vision offered by a PEO will be appealing to your staff. Not only will this keep your employees happy, but it will also help you hire top-level talent. Some PEO providers work with just one health insurance company, while others provide a wide range of options. So if diverse plans from varying providers is important to you, then make sure you find a PEO solution that can accommodate those needs. Employee Self-ServiceThe best PEO providers offer technology for employee self-service. Whether it’s an app or web portal, your staff can access crucial information related to their pay, employee status, or benefits. If the self-service options are not sufficient, you want to make sure that your PEO provider will be available to answer any questions via phone, email, or live chat for your employees. Your staff should be able to do this without having to go directly through you to speak to an outsourced HR representative. Business Size and IndustryA startup with five employees and a franchise with 2,000 employees across 50 locations will not be in the market for the same PEO service provider. Look for you providers that work with companies similar to the size of your business. Furthermore, some PEO providers specialize in certain industries. Ideally, you want to work with a provider who understands your industry, whenever possible. ConclusionWhat’s the best PEO service provider? The answer depends on a wide range of factors. Not every business is looking for the same thing in a PEO solution. Some businesses want a full-service PEO package, while others just want an outsourced HR representative. Use my reviews and recommendations in order to find an option that works for you. To recap:
You can also enter your zip code below to find your best options based on your location. via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/best-peo-service-providers/ Ready to launch a new website? Finding and registering a domain name is the first step in this process. Of course, it can be a bit confusing if you’ve never done it before. Luckily, you can find a domain name easily — and for free. That’s right. You don’t have to pay to register your domain. There are plenty of different ways to get a free domain name for your new website. Whether you’re starting a blog, online portfolio, small personal site, or business website, this guide will show you how to get a free domain. How To Get a Free Domain Name Using Bluehost
Bluehost is the best way to get a free domain. In addition to a domain name, you’ll also need to host your website online. Bluehost ranks first on our list of the best web hosting providers. When you sign up for hosting with Bluehost, you’ll get a free domain. You’re essentially killing two birds with one stone, and one of those birds is free. I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of getting a free domain name with Bluehost. Step #1: Go to Bluehost.comThe first thing you need to do is visit the Bluehost website. When you get here, you’ll see several different menu navigation options. One of those menus says, “Domains.” Do NOT go to the “Domains” page. If you take this route, you won’t get your domain for free. Instead, click on the “Hosting” menu. Bluehost offers three different types of web hosting:
All of these come with a free domain for one year. Shared hosting is the best option for the vast majority of people. This is especially true if you’re starting a website from scratch. The other hosting types are more expensive and provide resources you likely won’t need right now. Step #2: Select a Web Hosting PlanNow we need to choose a hosting plan. Bluehost offers a few different shared hosting plans. Here’s a look at the different price points for each of those plans:
Here’s what goes into each plan and what you could end up getting: Basic
Plus
Choice Plus
Pro
My suggestion: The Basic plan. It’s more than enough for most of you reading this. Plus, you can always upgrade to another plan down the road as your website scales. Check out our full Bluehost web hosting review for more information about these plans. Again, you’ll get a free domain name for one year regardless of the plan you choose. Step #3: Choose a Domain NameAfter selecting a hosting plan, you’ll be redirected to the following page: From here, you’ll have three options:
Already know the domain you want? Search for it in the box on the left side of the screen. Bluehost offers domains with different extensions, including:
In most instances, a .com domain will be the only one I recommend. But there are two reasons why you might get an alternative domain extension: price and availability. Getting a .site or .tech domain is cheaper than a .com extension. But in this case, you’re getting a year for free anyways. Price aside, .com domains will be better for the long term success of your website. Another reason why people consider an alternative extension is if the .com domain is unavailable. For example, if you try to create a domain using quicksprout.com, Bluehost will give you this alert: Rather than using an alternative extension suggested below, you’re better off coming up with a completely new .com domain. For more tips on choosing a domain, review our guide on how to buy a domain name. Step #4: Create Your AccountChoose an available domain. You’ll then be prompted to create a Bluehost account. As mentioned above, you can also skip the domain registration for now and go directly to this step. You’ll still get a free domain when you eventually register it. The account creation is about as straightforward as it gets. Simply fill out the form fields with the required information. This is all pretty standard stuff. You’ll be asked to fill out the same information on the checkout page of nearly any website. You cannot get a free domain without creating a Bluehost account. Step #5: Choose Your Billing TermsNow time to choose your plan. Bluehost offers web hosting for 12, 24, and 36-month contracts. The price varies based on your term length. These are the price points for the entry-level Bluehost shared plan:
These rates are only valid for your first contract. Bluehost Basic renews at $8.99 per month with a 36-month plan. With the 12-month plan, renewal is $9.99. The 36-month contract gives you the best overall rate but requires you to pay the most upfront when you sign up. This is just a matter of personal preference. Some people would rather pay more to avoid a long-term contract. Others are happy to pay extra today for the best deal over three years. Step #6: Select Add-Ons (Optional)Before you enter your payment details and finalize the contract, Bluehost has a handful of extras that you might want to consider. Get domain privacy and protection. Trust me. Without it, your personal information will be listed on a public database. This includes your name, phone number, mailing address, and email address. So anyone, including spammers, can access it. With domain privacy and protection, this information is hidden from public view. Every other add-on is optional. You could also opt-in for CodeGuard Basic. It handles things like daily backups, automatic monitoring, and one-click version restores. These features are available through other methods as well, such as WordPress plugins. So don’t feel pressured to get it now. SiteLock Security Essential is another popular add-on. It covers added malware protection, blacklist monitoring, automated malware removal, file-level scanning, and things like that. Again, you could always get this extra security at a later time using a plugin (if you choose to build your site with WordPress, which is really easy) or another service if you use a different website builder. The final step is entering your payment details. Bluehost lets you pay with a credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express) or via PayPal. Once you agree to the terms of service, your hosting account will be set up, and you’ll have a free domain name for one year. Bluehost has a 30-day money-back guarantee. So you can get a full refund on your hosting costs if you change your mind during that time. Other Ways to Get a Free Domain NameWhile Bluehost is definitely the best way to get a free domain name, it’s not the only way. Below are a few free alternative ways to get a domain name. Use a Free SubdomainMany website builders offer subdomains. A subdomain is a personal domain that exists within an existing domain name. It’s a domain name in a domain name (yo dawg). For example, if you use a free website builder like Wix to create your website, you won’t have to pay anything for a domain. However, your site will have a subdomain in this format: yourusername.wixsite.com/yoursiteaddress Here’s what that would look like if your Wix username was “My Stunning Website 123” and the domain you wanted was “myblogsite.” This is obviously not ideal. No credible website has a domain like this. The only time I would consider using this method for a free domain is if you were just experimenting with the free features of the website builder. But overall, this isn’t a viable long-term strategy. Why? You want your domain name to be short and memorable. With a subdomain, it’s neither of those things. Just another generic domain with a bunch of letters your customer has to remember (or rather, forget). Plus, it shows people you’re not even willing to invest the money into an actual domain name. Automatic no go. WordPress is another popular option for a free subdomain. It’s not as invasive as Wix. The format for a free WordPress subdomain is: yoursitename.wordpress.com You can get away with this for a while if you’re using WordPress to run a small blog or personal site. But you’ll eventually want to ditch the subdomain if you want to establish any sense of authority online. Pay for a Premium Site Builder PlanKeeping in the same vein as above, you’ll likely notice if you build a site with Wix (or Squarespace, Zyro, or most of our other recommended website builders) that you may not have to settle for the free subdomain. The catch? You’ll need to bump up to a paid plan with your website builder. This may not be a worthwhile solution for some folks. Paying for a premium site builder plan is likely to not only negate the savings of a free domain—it’ll almost certainly cost you more. Plus, whatever savings disappear after one year. But, if you’re setting up an ecommerce site or something else that needs the enhanced features of a premium Wix or Squarespace plan anyway, this can be a way to mitigate some of that first-year expense. And, fortunately, even the base-level paid plans for Wix ($14/month) and Squarespace ($12/month) come with this bonus. In the case of Zyro, you’ll need to choose their Unleashed plan (second-cheapest) or higher. Fortunately, Zyro often slashes prices on their paid plans, too, for the first year. However, be very careful to research the rates at which these domains will renew. You don’t want to get stuck with a bad deal that totally wipes away the savings of the first year for free and is more expensive in the end than just paying for a domain from the get-go. Domain Registrar Ad Programs (Not Recommended)Domain registrars sometimes offer to give you a free domain in exchange for running ads on your website. Don’t do this. There’s nothing wrong with ads on your website. However, you won’t have any control over the ads and their placement with this method. This will not only hinder the experience for your website visitors, but it will also damage your SEO ranking. Plus, what if your website got one million views? You wouldn’t see a dime from those ads. All you get is a free domain. If you want to run ads on your website, do it through a legitimate advertising network, like Google. Don’t exchange ads for a free domain. Free ccTLD Services (Not Recommended)The web is full of free TLD (top-level domain) services for different country codes (cc). This refers to the extension after your domain name. So you can register your domain with country codes like:
You can get these from services like Freenom or Dok.tk. But I really don’t recommend this. Not only does this make your website look sketchy, nobody likes it. If you look up reviews on the web about these services, you’ll find nothing but criticism. From malicious ads to adult content and randomly removing the domain, you won’t have a pleasant experience. ConclusionBluehost is the best way to get a free domain name. Just sign up for a web hosting plan, and they’ll give you a free domain for one year. There are other ways to avoid paying for a domain: using a free subdomain, joining an affiliate program, or using a sketchy ccTLD service. But I personally wouldn’t recommend the majority of alternative options. If you’re thinking about getting a free domain using a random country code from some island in the South Pacific, don’t do it. Saving a few dollars isn’t worth the cost of running a spammy website. Stick with Bluehost, or check out the best domain registrars for paid alternatives. They’ll give your website and brand a professional edge. First impressions are everything. You don’t want yours to be ruined by a bad domain name.
via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/how-to-get-a-free-domain-name/ GoToMeeting ranks high on our list of the best conference call services. The platform offers all of the tools you’ll need to run a successful business meeting. GoToMeeting stands out for its exceptional call quality, robust features, and excellent customer service. If you’ve hit the limits of free conferencing software, or you are unhappy with what you’re using right now, GoToMeeting is definitely worth checking out. Stop worrying about time-limits on calls or poor voice quality. In this review, we’ll examine how it stacks up against others in the category, the pros and cons of using GoToMeeting, and what plan options are available to you. Pro tip: If you’re already convinced, then I suggest signing up for the GoToMeeting free trial.
GoToMeeting Pros and ConsWe highly recommend GoToMeeting for a lot of users, but it won’t be a perfect fit for everyone’s needs. Run through these sections on the benefits and drawbacks of GoToMeeting to determine how good of a fit it is for your business or organization. ProsGoToMeeting has a wide range of features for different use cases. I’ll highlight some of the top advantages of GoToMeeting’s software and service. Conference Calls Whether you need to communicate with coworkers, customers, or prospects, GoToMeeting’s audio conference calling has you covered. GoToMeeting allows you to join and set up a call as long as you have an Internet connection. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac, and mobile devices. Their interface is very easy to learn too. From the initial setup to the call quality and meeting management features, anyone can use it. Don’t worry about time limits either. All their calls come with unlimited calling. GoToMeeting provides optional toll-free numbers for more than 50 countries. If you add-on this feature, you’ll only pay for what you use. This is an alternative solution to traditional VoIP phone services. You’ll also get custom email invitations, reservationless connections, integrated scheduling, and one-click meetings with the conference calling feature. Video Conferences In addition to audio calls, GoToMeeting provides HD quality video conferencing. This gives you the opportunity to host face-to-face meetings online for up to 25 users. Other video conferencing platforms have confusing controls, syncing errors, and unexpected outages. But you won’t have to worry about any of these problems with GoToMeeting. The platform enables cloud collaboration for both desktop and mobile. Bandwidth is automatically adjusted for each user based on their resources and hardware, making it a seamless experience for everyone involved. Using the video conferencing feature is simple. GoToMeeting allows people using the desktop app to edit their webcam preferences. So you can change the display format before going live. Want to jump off of your camera without leaving or interrupting the meeting? No problem. GoToMeeting makes that easy to accomplish. Screen Sharing Online screen sharing allows you to present your computer screen in real-time to meeting attendees. This is the perfect way to enhance your communication when visuals are required. Screen sharing helps with brainstorming ideas, team member training, or presentations and slide decks. With screen sharing capabilities, you can turn any conference call into a full-blown presentation in seconds. Another advantage of this feature is its flexibility. You can choose exactly what screen you want to share. Whether it’s your entire monitor or just a single app, GoToMeeting has settings to support your needs. Meeting attendees do not need to download any desktop or mobile software to access screen sharing capabilities. GoToMeeting offers screen sharing from all Chrome web browsers. This is perfect for people who are in a software-restricted environment or using an operating system where installing the app isn’t possible. These are both common scenarios for certain corporate firewall permissions. You can share your screen from an iPhone or iPad as well. You’ll even be able to switch between iOS devices seamlessly. If a meeting is running late and you need to step away from your computer, just continue on your mobile device without leaving the meeting. Transcriptions and Recordings A common problem with virtual meetings (and in-person meetings too honestly) is the ability to retain information. This is especially true for longer sessions featuring multiple presenters and participants. Hand-written notes aren’t always practical or possible. Luckily, there are plenty of digital tools to solve this issue. GoToMeeting solves this problem with transcriptions and recordings. Simply click the record button. The presenter’s screen, along with everyone’s audio, will be captured. You can store these recordings locally or in the cloud. The Smart Meeting Assistant will also transcribe the conversation automatically. So you’ll always be able to refer back to those transcripts. There’s no reason to assign a designated transcriber to your meetings anymore. Instead of scrambling to write things down, you can actually pay attention to what’s going on. The transcriptions and recordings are also highly beneficial to coworkers or clients who were unable to attend. They can re-watch the meeting on their own time as if they were there. Hardware Bundles GoToMeeting gives you all of the hardware you need for hosting high-quality meetings. They have hardware bundles available for huddle spaces, as well as larger conference rooms. With Poly and Dolby Voice, GoToMeeting provides top of the line technology. The audio and video quality with these bundles is second to none. These out-of-the-box conference room solutions are incredibly user-friendly. Installation is easy as well. You can get the entire system set up in less than 15 minutes. There’s no reason to get your conference room hardware from a third-party provider. Bundling your solution with GoToMeeting is a cost-effective way to get top of the line equipment. Mobile Conferencing In the day and age of remote work, digital nomads, and social distancing, mobile conferencing is a necessity. After all, remote employees aren’t always tied to a desk with a computer at their disposal. GoToMeeting solves this problem by providing native mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Windows. Now you can schedule, join, or host a meeting directly from any mobile device. The mobile app still gives you all of the features and benefits that we previously discussed. You’ll be able to share your screen and record meetings as well. It works for both audio and video conference calls. Again, GoToMeeting will automatically adjust your bandwidth to ensure high quality, no matter where you are. Say you’re on-the-go and cell service is not great. Enable commuter mode, which disables screen and video sharing. The call will be as clear as possible, and you’ll save up to 90 percent on data usage. ConsThere are some drawbacks to GoToMeeting. Below are some of the other things you should consider before pulling the trigger. Stable Connection Required If your Internet service provider is frequently pinging your modem, GoToMeeting might give you some problems. Of course, this is mostly going to be on your ISP. However, even brief interruptions can force a session to crash — which is pretty bad if the meeting is important or if you frequently have bad internet connection. Restarting a new meeting can be a pain, especially when there are lots of attendees. If your company experiences lots of Internet connection problems, you should switch providers before signing up for GoToMeeting. Equipment Quality The quality of the equipment being used for hosting and attending meetings matters. GoToMeeting prioritizes the most up to date solutions but doesn’t keep up with outdated technology. If you’re using hardware that’s more than five years old, you’ll probably need an upgrade to get the full benefits of GoToMeeting. Fortunately, you can get a hardware bundle directly from this provider. Added Costs For Premium Features The plan you choose determines the features you’ll get. For example, the entry-level plan is not all-inclusive. You’ll have to upgrade to get the most out of GoToMeeting. That could be a deal breaker depending on your budget. Be sure to check the features list before you decide on the plan you want to choose. Limited Chat Capabilities Until recently, GoToMeeting’s chat was limited to meetings. Meaning you weren’t able to create chat rooms for on-demand instant messaging. Now they launched Business Chat, which includes this feature. However, I don’t think it’s at the point where you can use it to replace Slack or similar real-time messaging tools. Maybe this will change in the future. But for now, GoToMeeting is better for its conference calling capabilities, not chat functions. No Free Plan There are lots of free conference call services on the market today. However, GoToMeeting isn’t one of them. They offer a 14-day free trial and provide discounts for annual contracts, but you can’t use the software for free indefinitely. Compare GoToMeeting Plans and PricesGoToMeeting offers three different plans to accommodate businesses of all different shapes and sizes. That’s good because it means they’re scalable and will grow as your business does. I’ll give you an in-depth look at what each plan has to offer, including the price points. GoToMeeting ProfessionalGoToMeeting Professional starts at $12 per month per user with an annual contract. The month-to-month rate is $14 per month for each user. This package allows you to host meetings and conference calls with up to 150 participants, which is more than enough for a small business. In addition to the HD video, audio, screen sharing, and other benefits that we discussed earlier, GoToMeeting Professional comes with the following features:
You’ll also benefit from GoToMeeting’s 24/7 customer care team. The admin center is a robust and intuitive dashboard for managing calls, users, and your account. You’ll also have access to diagnostic reports for all of your meetings. This allows you to track the performance on an individual user level for advanced troubleshooting. Every update or change made within your account is tracked. You can view these logs with downloadable admin reports. Even with the entry-level plan, GoToMeeting gives you unlimited meetings with no time limits for audio and video calls. It’s tough to find a better entry conference call plan on the market with so many advanced features. Transcription and recording functions are not available with GoToMeeting Professional. So you’ll need to upgrade if you want those advanced features. GoToMeeting BusinessGoToMeeting Business starts at $16 per month per user with an annual contract. If you don’t want the long-term commitment, you can $19 per user on a monthly basis. This plan allows you to host calls with up to 250 participants, making it an appealing choice for medium to large-sized organizations. GoToMeeting Business has all of the features in the Professional plan, with extras like:
The meeting lock feature adds an extra layer of security to your calls. Once a meeting begins, late users need to wait until the host lets them in. GoToMeeting Business comes with Smart Assistant. This tool uses machine learning technology to detect highlights and action items in a meeting automatically. You’ll also benefit from the ability to take notes directly on the platform during a call or conference. GoToMeeting recently launched a new feature that’s available on the Business plan called “Slide to PDF.” During a presentation, you can automatically capture slides and create a sharable PDF with everything in chronological order. This is just another way to stay organized after a meeting is complete. GoToMeeting EnterpriseAs the name implies, this is an enterprise-grade solution intended for larger organizations with needs exceeding the limits of the other plans. That means GoToMeeting Enterprise pricing is customized for each organization. They provide volume discounts for extra users. You’ll need to contact the GoToMeeting sales team to get your quote. Host meetings and calls with up to 3,000 participants. This is an ideal solution for organizations with dozens of locations positioned across the country or globe. The Enterprise plan allows you to connect using your existing conference room system with InRoom Link (H.323, SIP). This provides an additional layer of security for your protection. Aside from the 24/7 customer support you’re already getting, GoToMeeting will provide you with a dedicated customer success manager. You’ll also benefit from custom onboarding, training, and quarterly reviews. ConclusionOverall, GoToMeeting is an exceptional conference call service provider. They have solutions for small, medium, and large organizations. The plans are affordable and start at $12 per month. They come with features that go beyond just basic audio or video calling. Even the entry-level plan offers unlimited calling with no limits for up to 150 participants. Other conference calling solutions won’t give you as much out of the box. The technology is also state-of-the-art. They are always using the most up-to-date equipment, and offer exceptional hardware bundles for businesses as well. Whether you’re hosting meetings from the office conference room, or on the go with your mobile device, GoToMeeting has you covered. While the platform does have a handful of drawbacks, I’d say the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Try GoToMeeting for 14 days with a free trial. You won’t even have to provide your credit card information, so there’s no commitment. via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/gotomeeting-review/ Instead of being a piecemeal tool that only addresses some parts of the recruiting process, ClearCompany is the whole enchilada. It’s a complete talent management system that helps you engage top talent and hire quickly. As you can probably guess, it comes with some pretty robust hiring and management features that aren’t for the faint of heart. Below, we dive deep into its pros and cons, as well as its best features. ClearCompany Pros and ConsPros
Cons
How ClearCompany Compares to Top Recruiting Software![]() ClearCompany is right up there with the heavyweights in the recruiting space. It’s not a “light” recruiting tool that can help you take care of the essentials without charging much. That isn’t their angle. Instead, ClearCompany capitalizes on offering you a complete and well-packaged suite of talent management solution tools that’ll help you get the job done from end to end. Other recruiting software within its same league would have to be notable contenders like Greenhouse and Bullhorn. Greenhouse is excellent for enterprise-level solutions that help you recruit and manage candidates at scale. Bullhorn is a top-notch suite of tools built to scale, with advanced reporting and analytics and a great built-in CRM. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Instead, I recommend you take the time to look through our guide to the top recruiting software so you can see how they stack up according to the needs they cater to best. Each tool comes with its own set of strengths and weaknesses, depending on your business’s specific needs. ClearCompany In-House vs. Agency Solutions![]() While some recruiting software is built with staffing agencies in mind, others are made to be used in-house. ClearCompany is mainly built for the latter. With compliance and interview feedback tools and the ability to create and personalize careers pages, ClearCompany is best for in-house teams that want to manage their own hiring processes with a comprehensive set of HR tools. While you could try to use ClearCompany for agency needs, its tools are geared for teams to create a proprietary recruiting process. The software does not offer a comprehensive set of tools that help you manage both your talent pool and your clients. It is important to note that ClearCompany does not publicly share its pricing. However, you can enter your company’s information on the website, and a representative will reach out to you directly to show you a demo of the tool and give you a customized quote based on your business’s needs. ClearCompany Hiring Volume![]() If you have ongoing higher-volume hiring needs instead of just needing to hire a few candidates each month, then ClearCompany is more than capable of helping you hire and manage candidates at scale. If you’re a company that only manages a few new hires a month, a solution like ClearCompany might be a bit too robust for your needs. You might be better off working with a tool like Workable or Recooty. ClearCompany is designed with volume in mind. Its workforce planning and analytics tools are built to handle a high volume of applicants. Working with ClearCompany while managing only a handful of applicants isn’t bound to be an ROI-positive strategy. ClearCompany Onboarding Tools![]() After many interviews and job applications, you’ve found the right candidate for the job. Now comes the onboarding process, which isn’t to be taken lightly–it can be a pretty involved process. ClearCompany offers onboarding solutions like beautiful new hire portals, where new employees can log in to access all the initial information they need as they start their new position. While ClearCompany’s onboarding tools are sleek, they’re also intuitive and user-friendly, eliminating the confusion that can slow down the onboarding stage. ClearCompany’s slew of onboarding tools covers a ton of different onboarding needs, including the ability to sign off on compliance, manage and assign devices and equipment, new hire goal setting, bulk onboarding, and automated task notifications. You won’t find specific tools like that with lighter recruiting software that only takes care of the essentials. As far as wholly covering the onboarding process with tools that streamline the process, ClearCompany delivers plenty of solutions worthy of enterprise-level operations. ClearCompany Employer Branding![]() The bigger your company, the more you’re bound to care about branding–for good reason. Ensuring your brand stays consistent throughout all your internal and external processes cultivates trust and ensures quality. Controlling the consistency of your brand also ensures you attract and retain top-tier candidates. ClearCompany is a recruiting solution that delivers in the branding department. It lets you brand and create a career page that shines a light on your company brand. Its flexible job application builder allows you to customize the application experience and incorporate your branding elements. Unlike other less flexible recruiting tools, ClearCompany makes sure you put your company’s best face forward. ClearCompany Applicant Tracking![]() ClearCompany’s applicant tracking system focuses on making the applicant tracking process more straightforward. While other recruiting solutions might focus on making the process collaborative, ClearCompany’s applicant tracking tools are built to give the applicant a great application experience. It comes equipped with beautifully branded career sites and an application process that involves mobile notifications and video interview tools. ClearCompany also provides referral solutions, which is a notable feature to build in. Not every applicant tracking system comes with built-in referral tools, despite referrals being some of the best ways to recruit valuable long-term candidates. Another excellent standout feature that sets ClearCompany apart is its ability to run one-click background checks. This is a convenient and fast way to screen candidates and ensure the safety of your employees. The best part is that ClearCompany offers its suite of applicant tracking tools as a separate product offering—meaning you can choose to only work with its applicant tracking solutions without needing to buy anything else. ClearCompany Onboarding![]() Onboarding is yet another area where ClearCompany’s product offerings shine. Tools like e-verify, bulk onboarding, new hire goal setting, reporting and analytics, and the ability to integrate with payroll software make it an indispensable part of the HR process. One of the more challenging parts of the onboarding process is ensuring each candidate is equipped with the information they need to thrive while making it a welcoming experience. ClearCompany attempts to tackle this by letting you create and personalize visually appealing new hire portals. It can be easy to miss a task during the onboarding process, especially when managing hires at scale. ClearCompany’s task notification system ensures you never miss a task by tracking your entire onboarding process. ClearCompany also streamlines the background check and verification process with built-in tools that let you clear candidates digitally. As far as a comprehensive onboarding process goes, ClearCompany provides tools that streamline every step of the process. This is perfect for large organizations that need a speedy yet reliable onboarding system. ClearCompany Performance Management![]() You’ve onboarded your employees. But you still need to know how they’re performing after they get started. ClearCompany provides performance management features as a standalone product offering that helps you achieve better goal alignment and employee engagement. With an array of accessible time-based reviews, employee engagement surveys, and peer reviews, you can gain real insight into the performance of each of your recruits. To add to the performance experience, ClearCompany includes employee recognition tools to celebrate and shout out stellar employees. Want to run 30, 60, or 90-day reviews? ClearCompany provides review tools so you can periodically check in with each hire. You can also run quarterly, bi-annual, or annual reviews if that works better with your HR’s workflow. A standout feature of ClearCompany as far as reviews go is that it takes things deeper than only checking in with employees and letting them know how they’re doing. With its 360-degree reviews, you get a glimpse into employee relationships and their contribution to workplace culture. This can prove to be a useful feature if you’re trying to get a handle on your company culture. It’s thoughtful features like these that borderline place ClearCompany in a league of its own as far as recruiting management tools go. While some HR tools claim to be comprehensive, they don’t always go as deep as providing less common yet useful tools like employee recognition tools and 360-degree peer review capabilities. Still, the value of such tools is ultimately determined by your HR needs. While some teams might gain lots of insight from in-depth peer reviews, it might not be a necessary perk for others. ClearCompany Employee Engagement![]() If you only want access to ClearCompany’s feature-rich employee engagement tools, you can do that with its modular access option. Its employee engagement features promote company culture while keeping your employees engaged through teamwork and employee appreciation tools. These features make it easy to recognize employees for doing good work through shout-outs and collaborative social sharing tools where other employees can chime in and encourage good work. ClearCompany takes celebrations a step further by ensuring you always celebrate important employee milestones, including birthdays, onboarding anniversaries, and new hire welcomes. ClearCompany seeks to close the communication gap between employees and managers by enabling each employee to receive real-time feedback. This means employees can regularly track and comment on key milestones and projects while simultaneously receiving feedback from managers. If you’re looking for a suite of employee engagement tools that go beyond the basics, ClearCompany certainly delivers. Depending on the type of company culture you’re trying to cultivate, highlighting employee shoutouts and celebrating milestones can be an integral part of your overall management process. ClearCompany Workforce Planning and Analytics![]() The larger your company, the more you’ll want to take advantage of tools that give you a glimpse into how your hiring practices perform at scale. Enter ClearCompany’s suite of workforce planning and analytics tools. They’re designed to keep you in the know of everything that’s happening with your recruiting process. Smaller, less developed recruiting solutions require data and analytics features to satisfy basic needs. This might mean reporting on how big your talent pool is or how responsive candidates are to your open positions. ClearCompany, however, takes it to a completely new level with the wide range of things you can do with its analytics system. Being able to model business needs and anticipate employee movement helps ensure you have the right people on hand at the right time. This can prove to be valuable data during the hiring and management process. It’s important to note that more robust analytics features like these might not be crucial components of the recruiting process for everyone. But as your business grows, such features can help you stay a step ahead of the recruiting life cycle and become increasingly important. To learn more about what it’ll cost you to get access to ClearCompany’s modular options or full-platform access, you’ll have to get in touch with its sales team to receive a personalized quote. You can enter your information and learn more here. ClearCompany is a robust recruiting solution for businesses that want to get a handle on their recruiting process from beginning to end and hire A+ players. It comes equipped with many recruiting tools that streamline the process and give you insight into how your hiring decisions are panning out. One of the great things about ClearCompany is that you can choose to use it as a package deal or work with only one of its specific product offerings. Either way, they offer a solution for just about any recruiting need you may have. via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/clearcompany-review/ Want to jump straight to the answer? The best time and attendance systems for most people are definitely Rippling and OnTheClock. Time and attendance systems lets you track employee hours and manage pay—which is crucial for every business. The best time and attendance systems are simple to implement and manage. Your employees will always be compensated appropriately for their work while eliminating bottlenecks in payroll. That’s why good time and attendance systems integrate popular online payroll services. If your current system is inaccurate or outdated, you could be costing your business tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. So if you need an updated time system, you’ve come to the right place. No matter what type of business you have or what industry you’re in, this guide will help you find the best time tracking and attendance system for your company.
Compare Quotes From The Best Best Time And Attendance Systems Get matched up with a time and attendance system that fits your needs. The 8 Best Time and Attendance Systems of 2021There are a ton of different time and attendance trackers out there — but these eight systems stand out above the rest:
I’ll give you an in-depth review of each option below. We’ll discuss the top features, benefits, costs, and other considerations to give you the information needed to make a decision. Best Time and Attendance Systems Reviews#1 – Rippling — Best for Running Payroll in Two Minutes or Less
If you already have payroll software in place that you love, you’re looking for a time and attendance solution that integrates with it seamlessly. Otherwise, you’ll get frustrated with manual data entry or messy or incomplete importing from your time tracking tool. But what if you’re thinking, “Well, I could use better payroll software too.” Enter Rippling. With it you get top-of-the-line time tracking software that is built to streamline your workload and automate routine actions. It’s incredibly easy to set up automated workflows (say, for a simple example, if an employee works over eight hours and incurs an overtime rate) and customize them with simple-to-learn triggers and logic. But what really grabs you is how much easier Rippling’s time and attendance system makes running your payroll. With the intelligent technology behind the platform, you can run your payroll in as little as 90 seconds. With no importing/exporting of spreadsheets or .csv files, Rippling ports the hours logged over to its payroll module and takes it from there. It smartly factors in deductions, taxes, variable pay rates, and more. All that’s left for you to do is review and approve and, voila, payroll is taken care of. The combination of payroll and time and attendance tracking in Rippling means you get everything you need from both, including:
And, you get all the essentials of time tracking software. Employees can clock in and out using a tablet, the Rippling app, or through their computer. You get to review and approve hours worked and assistance with meeting labor law regulations on breaks and overtime. And, with that perfect payroll integration, you get clear, real-time insight into labor costs. Rippling offers custom pricing to its clients, depending on what combination of Rippling services they need. Beyond payroll and time tracking, there are also solutions for benefits administration, recruiting, and internal IT management. Pricing starts at $8/user per month. Get a free custom demo. #2 – OnTheClock — Best for Businesses with Regular Service Calls
A service company has a wider range of needs from time and attendance tracking software than most others. We’re talking about businesses like a construction operation, an IT firm, an insurance company, or anything else where you’re dispatching employees constantly throughout the day. If that’s you, you’re going to find the features you need in OnTheClock. Whereas many other time tracking solutions allow for GPS tagging on clock-ins, few give you full visibility into where your techs or reps are in real-time and where they’ve been throughout the workday. OnTheClock’s GPS time clock allows your workers to check in on their own mobile device or an approved device upon arriving and leaving each job site. But it’s the real-time GPS tracking that goes the extra mile (without overstepping into invading worker privacy). In the OnTheClock interface, you can see at a glance who’s where they’re supposed to be and who isn’t. And, with the breadcrumb feature, you can also see if workers are sticking to their schedule and staying at the job site when they’re supposed to. You can also set up geofencing to make sure employees only clock in when they’re actually present at the location and drop pins for punch-in spots for when jobs are more remote or in between sites. Plus, with custom-set employee roles, you can make it easier to switch between jobs without clocking out for your team members who wear many hats when out in the field. Beyond those key features for organization that regularly send employees out into the field, such as automatic PTO and overtime tracking, employee requests within the platform and app, scheduling, and project cost and invoicing assistance. OnTheClock also integrates fantastically with all the big payroll platforms out there, such as ADP, Quickbooks, Gusto, Paychex, and more. Pricing is wonderfully straightforward. With no contact, no limitations on features, and no base monthly fee, you simply pay for the number of employees you have as active users on OnTheClock. For just one or two employees, it’s completely free (which also can function as a free trial for test driving the platform out). From there it scales down, starting at $3/employee per month:
This continues all the way up to 301-400 users ($2.70/employee per month). Custom pricing is available for teams larger than that. Get started with OnTheClock by trying it for free today. #3 – QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets) — Best for Remote Workers and QuickBooks Integration
>> Compare Quotes QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets) ranked high on our list of the best employee scheduling software. So it’s no surprise to see them at the top of this guide. TSheets was famous for how well it helped keep track of workers in the field and on jobsites, and QB Time has kept all those helpful features. Your employees clock-in from anywhere using the mobile timesheet app. The app will track time even if WiFi and cell service is unavailable. You can leverage geofencing technology to draw a virtual radius around your business or job site. This allows you to make sure your employees are where they need to be to get the job done. As I’ve already alluded to, the employee scheduling features are exceptional as well. This is an added bonus that comes standard with your time and attendance system. For those of you who want a more traditional time clock system, where your staff and clock in and clock out on the same device, you can use the Clock Kiosk. The kiosk works on any tablet or computer with a connection to the Internet. Each employee has a unique 4-digit pin. The system also has a biometric facial recognition tool to prevent the “buddy punching” system. Here’s a quick comparison of the two plans and pricing options for QB Time: Premium — $20 base fee + $8 per user per month
Elite — $40 base fee + $10 per user per month
Both plans are available for a 14-day trial for any business that wants to test them out. I’d recommend this product to any business that wants to a time and attendance system to simplify their payroll process. It integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks accounting software (obviously), but also Gusto, Square, Expensify, Xero, and other popular solutions. #4 – TimeClock Plus — Best for Large Businesses and Secured Access Control
>> Compare Quotes TimeClock Plus gives you great time tracking solutions at an affordable cost. Their hardware is top of the line. You can rest easy knowing their features and tools are up to snuff. Depending on your business type, TimeClock Plus has a wide range of time clocks for you to consider:
In addition to using advanced equipment for tracking time and attendance, TimeClock Plus doubles as a security feature. You’ll have the option to configure select equipment with your door locks to prevent unauthorized access to buildings, rooms, or any other entrance with a locked door. This type of system is best for larger organizations with complex security needs. Most small business owners won’t need employees to scan a fingerprint to enter rooms throughout the building. TimeClock Plus systems are fully customizable. It has built-in absence management tools and integrates with your employee scheduling software as well. Alternatively, you can use the TimeClock Plus workforce scheduling system if you don’t have one already. TimeClock Plus has more than 30 years of experience providing services to businesses. They provide top of the line equipment for every time and attendance system. While these time clocks might sound complex, TimeClock Plus makes the process easy for you. You’ll have a consultation with an advisor to find the best solution for your business. They’ll set up the system for you and even train your supervisors and employees on how to use it. As a fully-customized solution, there are no prices available online. Although you can expect to pay top dollar for advanced equipment like biometrics that syncs with your security system. #5 – Stratustime — Best Cloud-Based System for Small Businesses
>> Compare Quotes Stratustime is a cloud-based time and attendance software from Nettime Solutions. The offer a simple yet intuitive way for employees to clock in, clock out, and request time off. It’s incredibly simple for anyone to use. Mangers, employees, and even payroll staff benefit from Stratustime. Stratustime is flexible, offering plans and services for a company of any size. This means that it can grow with your business as you scale and add new employees. It also integrates with 60+ payroll systems to ensure a streamlined process through each HR component. As a cloud-based system, it can be accessed on any device. From smartphones to a computer in the office, Stratustime is available 24/7. Some of the top features of Stratustime by Nettime Solutions include:
While the exact prices and plans aren’t available on the website, Stratustime is very affordable. This is another reason why it’s a top choice for small businesses. Monthly rates start as low as $4 per employee. There are no long term contracts, so you can cancel at any time if you’re unhappy (which probably won’t happen). Using a cloud-based software like Stratustime means you won’t have any complicated equipment installations or troubleshooting problems. The software lives in the cloud, so it can be up and running in minutes. Existing businesses using Stratustime have nothing but good things to say about the software. For smaller organizations with one location, multiple locations, and remote employees, Stratustime is an excellent choice for your time and attendance system. #6 – Kronos — Best for Small to Midsize Businesses
>> Compare Quotes Kronos has one of the most extensive time and attendance systems on the market today for small and medium-sized businesses. They provide industry-specific solutions for a wide range of business needs. In addition to time and attendance systems, Kronos has workforce management tools, employee scheduling software, absence management, labor activities, and analytics tools. Common industries that use Kronos for time and attendance management include:
What makes Kronos unique is the way that they provide business solutions. They have several different product suites to accommodate the needs of your organization. Here’s a quick overview of each solution: Workforce Dimensions Time Keeping
Workforce Ready Time Keeping
Workforce Dimensions Data Collection
Workforce Ready Data Collection
You can get a product suite for practically anything. Some are more complex than others. It all depends on what your business is looking for. If you’re a bigger company, though, Kronos is a little tougher to scale. However, it’s perfect for small to mid sized companies looking to keep an eye on time and attendance. Regardless of the solution you choose, Kronos systems are safe, secure, modern, and reliable. Contact their sales team to request a quote and schedule a consultation. #7 – uAttend — Best for Very Small Businesses
>> Compare Quotes uAttend is a simple way to track time and attendance at your business. It’s a powerful, reliable, and affordable alternative to traditional time clocks. You’ll also have web access and mobile app access to the system. This is an ideal feature for your remote workforce. You can even set up geofencing functionality to restrict punches to designated locations. I love their web dashboard. It’s the perfect way for managers to see everything at a glance. You’ll be able to see who’s working, who missed a punch, and dozens of other reports. Since this solution is web-based, you won’t have to download any software, and it can be accessed from anywhere. Even if you’re away from the office you’ll know exactly what’s going on with your staff at all times. Here’s a quick overview of some of the popular time clocks and hardware offered by uAttend:
Depending on your needs, you can get a time clock for somewhere in the $120 to $260 range. This is extremely affordable, even for very small businesses. In addition to the time clocks, you can purchase RFID cards and key fobs from uAttend as well. All of the time clocks come with a monthly subscription based on the number of employees you have. The clocks won’t work without a subscription. All of the prices are transparent.
While uAttend does have plans to accommodate larger organizations, I’d definitely recommend it to those of you who have a smaller operation. It’s an ideal solution for businesses that fall within those first two tiers of up to 19 employees. Beyond that, I’d look elsewhere. #8 – iSolved Time — Best for Growing Businesses
>> Compare Quotes iSolved Time is another all-in-one solution for time and attendance. It’s a simple way for managers, supervisors, business owners, and employees to manage time tracking. They offer a wide variety of solutions including physical time clocks, a mobile app for time tracking, employee self-service tools, and a combination of these offerings. Setting up your new system from iSolved Time is quick and easy. You’ll also have access to a wide range of training options, so you know the ins and outs of the solution. Like many other choices on our list, iSolved Time is a cloud-based system. You’ll have the option to add physical time clocks on-site, but you can access information from anywhere with an Internet connection 24/7. Here are some of the top features and benefits of the iSolved Time software:
I like iSolved Time because they have the features and capabilities to accommodate any business size. That’s why it’s a top solution for those of you with growing businesses. As your company scales and you continue to add new employees to your team or multiple locations, iSolved Time has the capacity to grow with you. How to Choose the Best Time and Attendance System For Your BusinessNow the best part: it’s time to choose a good time and attendance system. Not sure how to choose? Don’t worry. Just follow our methodology to narrow down your options. This is the same rubric we used when determining this list. I’ll describe the features that you need to look out for while you’re browsing. Compare Quotes From The Best Best Time And Attendance Systems Get matched up with a time and attendance system that fits your needs. HardwareThe very first thing you need to do is determine if you want physical hardware associated with your time and attendance system. For those of you who are already using punch cards, a modern time clock is a viable replacement. I’d recommend this for businesses where the majority of employees work on-site at the same location. Punching in and out as they enter and exit makes the most sense. For those of you with smaller teams or lots of remote or mobile workers, hardware won’t be necessary. You can find a time tracking system with a mobile app for managing everything on the go. There are also web-based solutions that don’t require hardware either. Punch MethodThe punch method will obviously depend on if you’re using hardware or not. But there are still variations with or without physical equipment. For example, mobile app punching can be managed using geofencing technology. Your staff will only be able to clock in if they enter the designed location for a job site. When it comes to in-person clock-ins and outs, there are time clocks that work with PINs, RFID cards, fingerprints, hand prints, facial recognition, and more. A small coffee shop probably won’t need facial recognition or other biometrics as the punch method, but a sophisticated business with advanced security needs would benefit from this feature. IntegrationsYour new time and attendance system should do more than just track time. It should integrate with other tools that you’re using to minimize manual administrative tasks. Look for a solution that integrates with your employee scheduling software or payroll system. Some of the options on our list have these features built-in. Business SizeA startup team of four and mid-market companies with 200 employees will not have the same time and attendance needs. It’s important to find a solution that works well for the size of your organization. Lots must be taken into consideration here. Some systems charge you based on the size of your staff. You could even incur additional costs for things like key FOBs and ID cards. If you currently have a smaller business now, make sure you choose a system that can scale with you as your business grows. That way, you won’t have to switch systems as you hire additional employees or open up new locations. ConclusionWhat’s the best time and attendance system on the market? There are six that stand out above the rest.
If you’re already using QuickBooks or have a large roster of remote workers, QuickBooks Time is the best option for you. If you want to get payroll and time tracking handled in one solution, go with Rippling. There’s one name that stands out above the rest for large businesses. With TimeClock Plus you get all the features you’ll need, including secured access control. Small to large businesses that send employees out on service calls or into field work will benefit greatly from choosing OnTheClock. Small businesses have a wide array of time and attendance system options. The best overall for smaller operations is Stratustime. If you’re an SMB who needs a solution ready to go, go with Kronos. And if you’re small but on the verge of serious growth, iSolved Time is a great solution that will scale with you. On the other end, microbusinesses and other really small operations will find just what they need in uAttend. The best option for you will vary based on your needs and the factors I’ve discussed in this guide. But I’m confident that you can find a solution with the criteria and reviews above. Compare Quotes From The Best Best Time And Attendance Systems Get matched up with a time and attendance system that fits your needs. via Quick Sprout https://www.quicksprout.com/best-time-attendance-systems/ |
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April 2023
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