Domain registration, hosting and "wedsite designer", who do you use?

[d_brennen]

Not sure if this is the right section tbh but I want to put a simple, low traffic site up. The domains I want (a .com and .co.uk) are both available. Who to use? Register the domains separately and host elsewhere or do it all at one provider? I have used GoDaddy and 1&1 before and I definitely am not falling over myself to use either again. GoDaddy were good service wise until something went wrong and it took an age to fix (and lots of calls to Texas iirc). 1&1 seemed to make up their bills from thin air and their site maker control panel thingy was rubbish. I do wonder if it's updated and better now though, it's heavily advertised.

Who would you use for the above? Ideally I'd like a nice site builder application/control panel as I am rubbish with HTML

 

[p_r_i_m_e]

tsohost are a good bet, excellent service, reasonable price, and auto installers for several different systems (wordpress etc) and they are pretty reasonable for most domain names, I'd recommend them over all the "big" names

 

[uniQ]

domains:
namecheap.com
domainmonster.co.uk
gandi.net

hosting:
tso/vidahost.co.uk
krystal.co.uk
webfaction.com

I prefer to keep my domains/hosting separate. Many on here don't. While Tso/Vida are good I don't like that you don't get full control of your domain and have to email support to to request TAG changes if you wan't to transfer unlike the ones I listed above which you can come and go as you please with no intervention/support requests etc.

 

[Draeger]

For hosting I use EUK Host. I've been with them for years and I've found their customer service absolutely outstanding. Recently had an issue with FTP access late on a Sunday night. Submitted a support ticket and less than 20 mins later its fixed with an in depth reply as to what the problem was.

Now that's service.

 

[swinnie]

I use TSOHost for hosting and domains - excellent support, good pricing.

I prefer to keep my domains/hosting separate. Many on here don't. While Tso/Vida are good I don't like that you don't get full control of your domain and have to email support to to request TAG changes if you wan't to transfer unlike the ones I listed above which you can come and go as you please with no intervention/support requests etc.

I like to keep everything together as if there is ever any problem, I can pickup the phone and be speaking to somebody within a few minutes. Or raise a support ticket, again answered in a few minutes.

I also appreciate that TSOHost don't let you change your tag within the control panel, adds an extra layer of security I feel.

 

[uniQ]

I like to keep everything together as if there is ever any problem, I can pickup the phone and be speaking to somebody within a few minutes. Or raise a support ticket, again answered in a few minutes.

I don't see the relevance in creating a support ticket regardless of whether or not your domains/hosting is with the same provider or not?

I also appreciate that TSOHost don't let you change your tag within the control panel, adds an extra layer of security I feel.

How is it an extra layer of security? If I compromise your account I just raise a support ticket requesting the TAG change and then have to confirm that is what I wan't to do. That isn't extra security it's just a needless extra step which is not going to deter someone that has gained access to your account anyway.

 

[inogen]

For hosting I use EUK Host. I've been with them for years and I've found their customer service absolutely outstanding. Recently had an issue with FTP access late on a Sunday night. Submitted a support ticket and less than 20 mins later its fixed with an in depth reply as to what the problem was.

Now that's service.

Jesus. I wouldn't shoot the buggers out of a cannon. I've had several VPS with them. All of them a never ending stream of problems.

Since I've moved... not a single problem.

 

[d_brennen]

I have an idea now who are respected hosts, I may register the domains elsewhere to keep a bit of control. Does anyone know about site builders? It really is a 3 page website with some pictures and contact details. Last time I used 1&1s builder it was awful, slow, clunky and looked like a 1990s website. I really cannot do it myself and there isn't a budget to get someone in to do it...

 

[Deleted member 77746]

TSOHOST, no questions asked. Outstanding from A to Z

 

[Draeger]

Jesus. I wouldn't shoot the buggers out of a cannon. I've had several VPS with them. All of them a never ending stream of problems.

Since I've moved... not a single problem.

Your mileage may vary, as will any ones. You've obviously had a bad experience with them but that's not to say it follows that they are bad. I've had not a single hitch with them over the 6 years I've had with them.

 

[kitkat9933]

I have an idea now who are respected hosts, I may register the domains elsewhere to keep a bit of control. Does anyone know about site builders? It really is a 3 page website with some pictures and contact details. Last time I used 1&1s builder it was awful, slow, clunky and looked like a 1990s website. I really cannot do it myself and there isn't a budget to get someone in to do it...

If you want an easy way to design a simple website try Serif WebPlus6, you can get it for about £50 if you look around. It's a very powerful drag and drop website creator.

It's what we teach the kids at my school to design Websites on as it makes it so simple.

 

[dmsims]

Try Concrete5

Does anyone know about site builders? It really is a 3 page website with some pictures and contact details. Last time I used 1&1s builder it was awful, slow, clunky and looked like a 1990s website. I really cannot do it myself and there isn't a budget to get someone in to do it...