BlogAid is Moving to A2 Hosting

My sites have happily been on HostGator for six years, but that’s ending. After EIG purchased them, I’ve not been pleased with site performance. In an earlier post, I detailed the troubles and the final straw that made me decide to move.

I’m taking my business to A2 Hosting (aff link) and I’m inviting all of my clients to go with me, especially those still on EIG owned sites like HostGator, BlueHost, HostMonster, and JustHost.

I even created a great A2 Hosting Migration Guide to make it easy to switch. Let me explain why A2, what other options I considered, and why switching hosts may or may not solve your site issues.

Why A2 Hosting

In short, they come recommended from both my developer and reseller buddies, and a couple of hacker buddies (the good kind that get paid to blow up software and systems).

And, A2 passed my scrutiny tests. There were several tests, including being on the phone with sales, billing, and tech support, lots and lots of tech support time. I probably chatted with the whole A2 Guru Crew in the last week. It’s gotten to be like Cheers. Everybody knows my name.

Plus, I want to give their blazing fast Solid State Drives (SSD) a workout, just to see how fast they make my sites run. More on A2 features and perks in a moment.

Why I’m Leaving Now

I’ve been unhappy with HostGator for months, so I’ve had time to shop around. My decision to move was not a knee-jerk reaction to the latest EIG blackout or DDoS attack.

Nor would I leave over a DDoS attack. No host is invulnerable to them – not one.

I had already planned to migrate my sites this week. So, I’m keeping that schedule. What else I had planned to do was be with A2 for several months before recommending them. Well, this latest fiasco at EIG changed that.

So, I’m asking folks to come with me now. In fact, I’ve asked folks who really wanted to move last week to wait until their current servers were stabilized so we could get a good migration backup with no glitches and goofs.

What I Want in a Host

I have a wide spread of needs in a host, both for me and my clients. I’m not a reseller, but I need a reseller account for all of the temporary training and development sites I set up for my clients. It’s a security thing. A reseller account allows me to put them all on their own cPanel (Control Panel) and database. It keeps them isolated from each other and from my sites. Plus, it makes individual backups easier too. And yes, they are on the crazy fast SSDs, so new clients will get a taste of what fast load time really means.

Variety

I also want a range of prices and account options for my spread of clients. A2 has that, with shared hosting at very reasonable rates all the way up to VPS and Dedicated Hosting. They even have a Managed VPS account.

Fast

And the speed! A2 has plenty of that with the SwiftServer Platform (300% faster loads), CloudFlare Content Delivery Network, and the Railgun Optimizer (143% faster loads).

Secure

Plus, the security options are stellar, and you know I’m big on security. Backups are your only real security blanket these days, and you know I love BackupBuddy for it. Add to that A2’s Server Rewind Backups. It’s a free file recovery program that easily restores your data from saved snapshots when recovery is necessary.

Hack attacks are on the rise and A2 takes a proactive stance. Included in every account is free HackScan protection. It’s their exclusive hack protection scanning that helps block hacks before they can invade and damage your site.

Reliable

Want to check out their real uptime stats? Here you go. The report updates every day.

Okay, that’s the short list of the features I want and found at A2.

Easy on the Pocket

Yep, this is the bottom line for most folks. How much does all that cost? Plans start at $4.97 all the way up to $290.49. Just depends on what you need.

What I need is a host I can trust that my clients can afford, no matter where they are in site size and traffic. I need hosting that can meet me and my clients where we are and give us room to grow without breaking the bank. I believe I’ve found that at A2.

Good for Business

As many of you know, I offer a free, fully secure, turn-key site setup when you use the affiliate link of my preferred host vendors. It’s a manual installation (no 1-click stuff here!) and secured all the way to the core files and database.

I had to remove that offer for HostGator and BlueHost and dropped my affiliate links for them altogether last week. I just couldn’t recommend them anymore. I like sleeping at night and I have a reputation as a trusted source to protect.

That offer is now back and I’m making it for A2 Hosting exclusively. It doesn’t cost a dime extra for you to use my affiliate link. In fact, you save more. And A2 pays me a commission that covers my extra services for your site setup.

Is A2 the Right Fit For Me?

Only you can decide that. There is no such thing as one host that is superior to all others, or one-size-fits-all hosting.

You have to go with who you trust. If you need a big name you recognize, then that’s what you need. Has nothing to do with performance. Just ask HostGator.

Plus, be careful about listening to some hosting snobs. They say if you’re paying anything less than $30/mo for managed hosting, you’re getting a bum deal. Really? Don’t think so.

Managed hosting that is exclusively for WordPress is on the rise, and for good reason. Busy professionals don’t have time to manage their own sites, especially keeping up with all of the security issues. In fact, they outsource everything they can to leave time for what only they can do.

Wish we all had that problem. But we don’t. I know a lot of clients who are still working a day job and handling everything they can on their own to keep costs down. But, if you need it, A2 has a managed hosting option that is on par with any other host that offers it.

Get Your Guide, Make the Move

If you’re ready to make the move, now is a good time. Download the free A2 Hosting Migration Guide that I created for you. Check out A2. Decide for yourself. Do what’s best for you and your site.