Choosing web hosting for your affiliate site does not need to be complicated. In this transcript, Mark walks through every hosting option available to affiliate marketers, explains the four levels of web hosting, and shares his current recommendation for getting started with self-hosted WordPress.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
- The difference between Squarespace, WordPress.com, Blogger, 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
- When to upgrade from shared hosting to something more powerful
- Why mobile-first design is critical for your website
- Mark's current hosting recommendation and why it changed
Episode Summary
Mark opens with a Zig Ziglar quote about feeding your mind the right inputs. The idea is that your subconscious works on whatever you put into it, so if you want different results, change what you consume. If you are spending your evenings watching TV instead of working on your business, that is a choice with consequences.
The internet marketing news segment covers a milestone: mobile internet usage has officially overtaken desktop usage worldwide for the first time. Mark emphasizes that having a mobile-responsive website is no longer optional. Google actively penalizes sites that do not work well on mobile, and mobile traffic on LateNightIM.com already exceeds 30 percent. He recommends fully responsive WordPress themes and mentions the Divi framework from Elegant Themes as his current choice.
The main segment walks through hosting options for the Late Night Niche Site project. For people who want a simple, no-hassle website, Squarespace is an affordable integrated builder. For bloggers who want free hosting, WordPress.com and Blogger are options but come with restrictions on monetization and customization.
For affiliate marketers, Mark recommends self-hosted WordPress from WordPress.org. You download the software, install it on your own hosting, and have complete control over themes, plugins, affiliate links, and monetization. Most hosting companies now offer one-click WordPress installation.
Mark explains the four hosting tiers. Shared hosting is the least expensive option where your site shares a server with others. Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting uses software to isolate your resources from neighbors. Dedicated hosting gives you your own physical server. Cloud hosting distributes your site across multiple computers for redundancy and scalability.
For beginners, shared hosting is the right starting point. Mark's current recommendation is SiteGround, which he moved to from a combination of HostGator, Bluehost, and ServInt. He shares a candid story about leaving ServInt after they changed their support policy to charge $150 per hour for assistance on top of his $136 monthly fee.
Key Takeaways
- Self-hosted WordPress gives affiliate marketers complete control over their business
- Start with shared hosting. Do not overspend on hosting before your traffic justifies it.
- Upgrade to VPS when your traffic outgrows shared hosting. Dedicated and cloud are for high-traffic sites.
- Your website must be mobile-responsive. Google penalizes sites that do not work well on mobile devices.
- Keep your domain name registration and web hosting with separate companies as an insurance policy
- Most hosting companies offer one-click WordPress installation, eliminating technical barriers
What's Changed Since This Episode
Mark recorded this in November 2016. The web hosting landscape has changed considerably, though the core decision framework remains sound.
The hosting market has become more competitive and affordable. Hostinger has emerged as one of the most popular budget options, with plans starting around $2.99 per month. SiteGround, Mark's recommendation in this episode, remains strong and has migrated to Google Cloud Platform infrastructure. Cloudways offers managed cloud hosting with excellent performance for growing sites.
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 the technical headaches Mark describes with ServInt. For affiliate marketers earning consistent revenue, the time savings often justify the premium.
LiteSpeed web servers and NVMe SSD storage are now standard even on shared hosting plans. A basic shared plan today delivers performance that would have required VPS hosting in 2016.
Free SSL certificates are included with virtually every hosting plan. Let's Encrypt integration means you get HTTPS for free with any reputable host. In 2016, SSL was a separate consideration and expense.
Core Web Vitals are now a confirmed Google ranking signal. Your hosting provider's performance directly affects your Largest Contentful Paint score and other metrics. Choosing a fast host with good uptime and CDN support matters more than ever for SEO.
Mobile-first indexing is now the default. Google primarily uses the mobile version of your site for indexing and ranking. The mobile-first approach Mark advocated in 2016 is now how Google fundamentally operates.
Mark's advice to start with affordable shared hosting, use self-hosted WordPress, and upgrade as traffic grows remains exactly right.
Resources Mentioned
- SiteGround — web hosting (Mark's recommendation at the time)
- WordPress.org — self-hosted WordPress software
- Squarespace — integrated website builder
- Divi by Elegant Themes — WordPress theme framework
- Ray Edwards — copywriting and marketing
- Zig Ziglar — motivational author and speaker
Related Episodes
If you found this episode helpful, you might also enjoy:
- LNIM112 Show Notes — Affiliate Website Hosting
- LNIM114 — Switching to HTTPS: SEO Guide for Your Website
- LNIM108 — Choosing A Domain Name
Listen and Subscribe
Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts or subscribe at latenightim.com/internet-marketing-podcast/. Have a question for Mark? Call the digital recorder at 214-444-8655 or drop a comment below.
