Affiliate Website Hosting: Best Options Explained [LNIM112]

by | Nov 3, 2016 | Podcast | 0 comments

Affiliate Website Hosting: Best Options Explained [LNIM112]

Picking web hosting for your affiliate site can feel intimidating if you are not technical. There are dozens of hosting companies, multiple types of hosting, and a wall of jargon that makes it hard to know what matters. In this episode, I cut through the confusion and explain exactly what you need to know about hosting your affiliate website, including why I recommend self-hosted WordPress and what type of hosting plan makes sense at different stages of your business.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

  • The difference between WordPress.com, Blogger, Squarespace, and self-hosted WordPress
  • Why self-hosted WordPress is the best choice for affiliate marketers
  • The four levels of web hosting: shared, VPS, dedicated, and cloud
  • What shared hosting is and why it is the right starting point for most affiliates
  • When you should upgrade from shared hosting to VPS or dedicated
  • Why mobile-first design is no longer optional for your website
  • How to choose the right hosting plan without overspending

Episode Summary

This episode is part of a series where I am building a niche site from scratch and walking through every step. We have already picked a niche (youth baseball) and chosen a domain name. Now it is time to figure out where the website is going to live. That means choosing a hosting provider and understanding what kind of hosting you need.

First, let me explain your platform options. If you need something simple and want to get online quickly, a service like Squarespace is an affordable, integrated builder that handles everything for you. Another option is WordPress.com or Blogger, which are free blogging platforms. You are using the actual platform software, which means you are subject to their guidelines and restrictions on what you can and cannot do.

For affiliate marketers, my recommendation is self-hosted WordPress. WordPress.org provides a free download of the WordPress software that you install on your own web hosting. This gives you complete control over your site. You can install any theme, any plugin, place affiliate links wherever you want, and you own everything. There are no restrictions on monetization. This is the approach I use for all of my affiliate sites and it is what I recommend for anyone who is serious about building an affiliate business.

Once you have decided on self-hosted WordPress, you need to choose a hosting plan. There are four main levels of web hosting.

Shared hosting is the least expensive option. Your website lives on a server alongside other websites. The tradeoff is that if one of your neighbors has a spike in traffic or a poorly coded site, it can affect the performance of your website. Despite this, shared hosting is perfectly fine for new affiliate sites and most established ones. It is where I recommend you start.

Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting is shared hosting that uses sophisticated software to protect your allocated resources. Even though you are technically sharing a server, each VPS is isolated so your neighbors cannot eat into your performance. This is a good upgrade when your traffic outgrows shared hosting.

Dedicated hosting means your site has its own physical server. This is expensive and only necessary for high-traffic sites that need maximum performance and security.

Cloud-based hosting distributes your site across multiple computers. If one machine goes down, others continue serving your site. This provides excellent uptime and scalability.

For most affiliate marketers starting out, shared hosting is the right choice. It is affordable, it handles the traffic levels of a new site easily, and you can always upgrade later as your traffic grows. Do not overthink this decision. Pick a reputable host, install WordPress, and start building your site.

I also discuss the increasing importance of mobile in this episode. Data now shows that mobile devices have overtaken desktops as the primary way people access the internet. Google rates your site lower if you do not have a responsive design that works well on mobile devices. A mobile-first strategy is no longer optional. Make sure your WordPress theme is fully responsive and provides an excellent mobile experience.

Key Takeaways

  • Self-hosted WordPress (WordPress.org) is the best platform for affiliate marketers because you have complete control
  • Shared hosting is the right starting point for most new affiliate sites. Do not overspend on hosting before you need it.
  • VPS hosting is the natural upgrade when your traffic outgrows shared hosting
  • Dedicated and cloud hosting are for high-traffic sites with specific performance requirements
  • Choose a reputable hosting company and do not overthink the decision. You can always migrate later.
  • Your website must be mobile-responsive. Google penalizes sites that do not work well on mobile devices.
  • WordPress.com and Blogger are free but restrict your monetization options. Avoid them for affiliate sites.

What's Changed Since This Episode

Mark recorded this in November 2016, and the web hosting landscape has changed considerably. The core advice about using self-hosted WordPress and starting with affordable hosting remains exactly right, but the specific options and performance expectations have evolved.

The hosting market has become significantly more competitive and affordable. Hostinger has emerged as one of the most popular options for beginners, with plans starting around $2.99 per month. SiteGround, which Mark recommends in this episode, remains a strong choice and has improved their infrastructure with Google Cloud Platform. Cloudways offers managed cloud hosting with excellent performance for growing sites.

LiteSpeed web servers and NVMe SSD storage are now standard even on shared hosting plans. These technologies provide dramatically better performance than the traditional Apache servers and spinning-disk storage that were common in 2016. A basic shared hosting plan today delivers performance that would have required a VPS or better just a few years ago.

Core Web Vitals are now a confirmed Google ranking signal. Your hosting provider's performance directly affects your Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) scores. This means hosting speed is no longer just about user experience; it is a measurable factor in your search rankings. Choosing a host with fast servers, good uptime, and a CDN (Content Delivery Network) matters more than ever.

Managed WordPress hosting has become more accessible. Services like Kinsta, WP Engine, and Flywheel handle WordPress updates, security, backups, and performance optimization automatically. While more expensive than shared hosting, they eliminate many of the technical headaches that Mark discusses in this episode. For affiliate marketers earning consistent revenue, the time savings can be worth the premium.

Free SSL certificates are included with virtually every hosting plan. In 2016, SSL was a separate consideration. Today, Let's Encrypt integration means you get HTTPS for free with any reputable host. There is no reason for any new site to launch without HTTPS.

Mark's fundamental advice remains sound: start with affordable shared hosting, use self-hosted WordPress, and upgrade as your traffic and revenue grow. The specific hosting companies and technologies have improved, but the decision-making framework is the same.

Resources Mentioned

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