hosting and domain options

Psypher5 · 9 Feb 2016 at 14:36

I have a .co.uk and basic hosting with Vidahost. (about 17quid a year for hosting, domain is about 6quid every 2 years)

I use the email as my main email, linked to gmail. I don't utilise the hosting in any other way, its just sat there wasting money.

Now, I haven't touched my domain for a few years, since uni. I'm completly out the loop so approaching this from a complete re-start. I'd like to redesign and have a play about. Nothing that warrants huge hosting or anything crazy.

So, I know nothing of the technicalities, my hosting is due to renew in a few months and I'm looking for options. One idea is using google sites, its free and cheerful and I can have a poke about and make a website.

My main concern is the domain, and my use of email. I've used it for years and have a fwd set up on the hosting cpanel, and I clear out the emails on the hosting whenever it shouts at me for being full.

I also just got an email to register the .uk domain for (only...) ~£5 a year. I'd like to have the .uk address.

So, I've no idea what to do. Can I transfer me email to someone else, get the .uk cheaper and link this with my gmail?

Shall I just rid of the hosting and (for instance) link the domain to google sites?

What else can I do / shouldn't do? I just don't want to go headstrong into something.

Paul11 · 9 Feb 2016 at 14:50

if you just want to play around with building a site, check out wordpress

Psypher5 · 9 Feb 2016 at 14:53

Wordpress is already an option on my cpanel. That's not what I'm looking at with these questions, more so what options do I have for the domain?

Biz.Kid09 · 9 Feb 2016 at 22:48

I would keep the domain with Vidahost, cancel the hosting package.

Then you can use something like https://www.zoho.com/mail/zohomail-pricing.html "Free" to host your domain.

The free package only does 1 domain however.

mtalk · 10 Feb 2016 at 07:36

If its just for email .. use gmail using your domain and let go the hosting. Incase you are looking for better cheap option for .uk *******

Psypher5 · 10 Feb 2016 at 08:20

oooh I have just found that vidahost allow me to forward emails directly, without needing hosting

Mynight · 10 Feb 2016 at 08:29

Vida are great. Got quite a few accounts with them atm.

Psypher5 · 10 Feb 2016 at 08:44

so, in light of scrapping the hosting later this year, i got the .uk of my domain.
Paid, etc all gone ok, except it wont let me activate it. Just stuck as pending with "errors on the page to review" but no actual error I can see. I'll give it a bit see if it goes through then contact support.

Mynight · 10 Feb 2016 at 08:53

Did you just pay with PayPal per chance?

It errored for me as well this morning.

Eventually I just refreshed the page and it work (obviously I don't reccomend this way).

Psypher5 · 10 Feb 2016 at 08:55

Nah, debit card. Chatting to support and they looking into it

Mynight · 10 Feb 2016 at 09:00

Broken across the board then

.

Support is solid sure they'll work it out for you.

Psypher5 · 10 Feb 2016 at 10:03

seems it screwed the email address when I registered it so it was miss-matched. Hey ho all sorted now!