domain name registration + website packages

I have a little experience with this and a lot of second-hand experience from a bunch of writers I hang with (to whom web talk has become the new second hand smoke, instead of dissing best-sellers--writing is changing)

One thing they agree on. It's risky to package. If the company goes broke or gets weird you are truly, absolutely screwed. Apparently this happens a little.

If you are unhappy with your hosting, you can move. Which might not be so easy with a registrar that also rents space. I have a blog that costs me about $90 a year for both registration and a domain hosted on bluehost.com a very good company.

There are so many free templates and blog skins out there, the idea of paying somebody to create your site (especially that much, and most especially since you seem concerned with price) seems odd to me.

I activated Wordpress from bluehost's extensive library of pre-installed software, installed a nice skin from the Wordpress website then fiddled with a bit, and voila--Southern blond with no geek genes has a web presence.

I also use Bluehost. Really, Wordpress isn't that hard to learn-a lot of it can be handled with plugins, and some dedicated Google-fu can help you renovate a theme you choose into something unique. The theme I use now still retains its basic shape, but I've added buttons, a clickable banner, changed text color...it's not entirely different, but it's different enough to set it apart.

Don't do a package -- get your domain separate from hosting. Always. It is too easy to lose a good domain. That's the last thing you want to do. In the case of a "free" domain name, you never really own it and it's probably not transferrable to another host, so it's worth what you paid -- or less.

I also recommend WordPress. It is easy to work with, and you are in complete control of your site's content.

Yup, people online say never take a package too..

If your site has high traffic it can be stolen from you if it's all in a package.. (& your webhost/registrar can see your traffic that way..!)

So get the domain name from someone else - & google them to see what their previous & present customers say about them! check out any forums they offer..

Or if you take a package see if you can use that domain name elsewhere..?

As far as I know you can get a website for 50$ a year or so.. (depending on your needs, how much space etc you need..)

Also, some people online say don't go for a site that's growing too fast or offering too much 'unlimited space' for free, they may need to get extra servers or move & that's when troubles can happen.. (So it's good to always backup your files too..)

Eco/green hosts are generally more expensive.. (it's good to check how green they really are if that's important to you too..)

For an 'ordinary' webhost, the above seems quite expensive indeed, depends partly on what they're offering too.. What kind of website would you need? Do look around & maybe check out webmaster's forums too?