***Updated: Dec. 31, 2009***

For the new craft blogger, choosing the right hosting plan can be tough. I’ve hosted my websites with several different companies over the years, all for different reasons. Below is a comparison of six companies I’ve personally used.

All of these companies offer more robust packages than those I’ve listed here. The featured packages are the basic economy plans offered, and will in most cases be suitable for the new craft blogger. [Please note that all these links are affiliate links. If you don't like affiliate links, that's cool.]

BlueHost

BlueHost.com is still one of the companies I would recommend, and I still have a few sites hosted there. For less than $10/month, their basic plan is a fantastic option for your craft blog. This is one of the plans I use.

Features:

• Unlimited disk space.
• Unlimited bandwidth.
• One FREE domain name registration for life.
• Unlimited domains on one account.
• 30 day money back guarantee.

Other cool things:

• One-click WordPress installation to get your blog up and running right away.
• Your own email address to give your site a professional image.
• Basic mailing list to keep your customers informed.
• Getting-Started-Wizard and How-to Videos to help you make the most of your hosting package.

Real cost

• 3 months: $69.85 ($9.95/mo. + $30 setup + $10 domain registration)
• 6 months: $99.70 ($9.95/mo. + $30 setup + $10 domain registration)
• 12 months: $107.40 ($8.95/mo. + free setup + free domain registration)
• 24 months: $190.80 ($7.95/mo. + free setup + free domain registration)
• 36 months: $250.20 ($6.95/mo. + free setup + free domain registration)

Learn more about BlueHost

GoDaddy

GoDaddy.com offers a basic blogger plan for less than $5/month. The combination of a short term contract and inexpensive hosting makes GoDaddy a great solution for a new craft blogger who can overlook an obnoxiously ugly site.

[**Update: I've noticed I'm frequently unable to view WordPress sites hosted by GoDaddy while I'm using Safari as my browser. For this reason, I cannot recommend GoDaddy as a web host at this time, however, I still use them to register my domains.]

Features:

• 10 GB of disk space.
• 300 GB of bandwidth.
• $1.99 domain names.

Other cool things:

• Easy WordPress installation to get your blog up and running with little hassle.
• Your own email address to give your site a professional image.
• Short minimum 3 month contract is good for new craft bloggers who are just testing the waters.

Real cost

• 3 months: $16.96 ($4.99/mo. + free setup + $1.99 domain registration/yr)
• 6 months: n/a
• 12 months: $58.87 ($4.74/mo. + free setup + $1.99 domain registration/yr)
• 24 months: $111.98 ($4.50/mo. + free setup + $1.99 domain registration/yr)
• 36 months: $158.97 ($4.25/mo. + free setup + $1.99 domain registration/yr)

Learn more about GoDaddy

Other

Dreamhost

Dreamhost had great customer service support, but I had serious lag issues when I tried to use ZenCart on their site. I haven’t used Dreamhost since 2006, so I cannot give more updated information.

Fluid Hosting

I still have one site hosted by Fluid Hosting. I have no complaints about my experience with Fluid Hosting, but I find their interface more difficult to navigate than Site5.

Moonlight Crafter

Did you know I can host your website for you? I offer a complete package that includes website design and hosting for one year. Contact me for more details.

All the WordPress templates found on this site were built using the Thesis Theme. Why?

For five years I sifted through dozens of different templates looking for one theme that would let me easily personalize the look and feel of my various web sites. Thesis is the one.

Out of the box, Thesis isn’t pretty. But like the ugly duckling female lead in so many 80′s teen movies, the real beauty of Thesis is on the inside.

Featuring an intuitive and user-friendly control panel, Thesis is a great theme for the blogger who wants to make changes to basic things without digging into the code. Users customize the various elements by simply clicking through a collection of radio buttons, checkboxes, and drop down menus.

Want two columns instead of three? No problem. Want to select a new font for your header? Piece of cake. Thesis let’s you do all this and more without knowing a thing about code.

More advanced users may find there’s a slight learning curve to mastering Thesis’ hooks, but it’s small issue given the theme’s potential.

Before Thesis, I wasted time rummaging through lots of different files to find hidden code. With Thesis, I can quickly dig into the familiar code and make more advanced customizations. Thesis has replaced all my other themes.

No, Super-Coder-Man and Wonder-Coder-Woman may not find Thesis replaces their uber coding skills. But for the typical blogger, Thesis is a great solution to the otherwise time consuming and frustrating task of personalizing a blog.

Wanna see Thesis in action? Check out the Thesis Demo Site.