Hosting Review: 1&1

Creating an Account & Choosing the Right Package

The sign-up process with 1&1 is very quick and easy regardless of an individual’s technical expertise. Upon reaching the site’s landing page the user is greeted with the option to search the domain that they would like to own and ensure that it is still available.

Should a specific domain extension not be obtainable it will instead present various other options such as .co.uk, .com and so forth. The tool even gives slight name variation suggestions for example ‘rockland’ if ‘rockworld’ was not available.

The first year of any 1&1 package comes at a special introductory price. Included with any of their packages is a free domain. This is particularly useful for an individual brand new to website developing as it means that the website creation process can begin as soon as the 1&1 account has been created.

Package-wise there are a good number of options available with ‘web hosting basic’ which would prove more than adequate for most people starting out blogging. For the more advanced user, 1&1 do allow for the purchase of additional option extras such as SSL certificates and more bandwidth. This can be done at any time via the customer portal.

Renewal Costs/Ease of Cancelling

Canceling 1&1 web hosting is a very straightforward process and can be done either via the customer portal or through the various support channels (E-mail + telephone).  As a hosting company, they are very transparent about their costs after the introductory period and these are mentioned prior to the sign-up process being completed.

Both initial and renewal payments can be done via the usual methods and Paypal. Certain cashback sites are also affiliated with 1&1 so money can be saved this way although cashback is never guaranteed

Marketing E-mails from the company do seem quite frequent but these can, fortunately, be unsubscribed from if they are not wanted.

What They’re Like as a Web Host/Ease of Website Setup

The hosting is available to use a few hours after the initial sign-up and payment with the option to install WordPress presented as soon as a user logs in.  1&1’s customer portal gives the option to install numerous other software packages to meet an individual’s needs; from Ecommerce stores to forums.

Admittedly the hosting packages may not be for everyone. Experienced website owners are likely to miss the flexibility and configuration options that are present within a host that has Cpanel. However, for most people who are brand new to creating websites and still unsure if blogging is for them then 1&1 is certainly an option to consider!

Uptime on 1&1 is very good with the servers consistently remaining up and running efficiently. Any changes to an individuals account or any maintained is always communicated a long time in advance and carried out at a time that will ensure minimal disruption

Finally, one of the positive aspects of 1&1 (the number of purchasable extras) is also a cause of concern. Some members of the public may end up purchasing products that they do not need. A great example of this is with their “1&1 ranking coach” which for £9.99 a month essentially gives you an SEO package. The same features found within this package can be found for free on various WordPress plugins and with some online research.

Customer Service

In terms of the customer service aspect it is provided 24/7 and via a non-premium number; an appointment slot can even be requested so that they phone up at a time convenient to the customer. Unfortunately, the live web chat option is only available during the purchasing stage whilst support is only currently available via the phone or through E-mail.

Overall 1&1 are a great option for brand new bloggers as the option to install WordPress is easy to find, quick and effective. Large-scale websites may find that the flexibility and configuration options available are not adequate for their needs so may need to look towards other web hosting providers.