Can Virtual Hosting Be Used with WordPress Multi-Site?

A while back, I wrote a blog post about how much I love and use WordPress for all of my sites. (If you haven’t checked it out, you should. It’s one of the best pieces of advice I can give you about blogging.) One of the things I mentioned in the post was that I host all of my websites with Bluehost, which provides me with the perfect platform for my blogging work. I highly recommend checking out their virtual hosting service, because it’s incredibly easy to use and offers tons of features.

I also wrote at the time that I have two other websites that I operate using WordPress and that each site has its own domain name. Now that I think about it, I don’t actually use separate domains for my blogs. I use a free domain name that integrates with Bluehost, and all of my sites are housed under one roof. That’s because WordPress offers a feature that’s perfect for people like me: multisite.

You see, with WordPress multisite, you can have one primary site that your users interact with (the “central” site), but you can also have additional sites (“bonus” or “affiliated” sites) that are connected to the central site and thus have the same content as it does. (Think of a blog network or a franchise network where each location has its own unique URL but shares the same blog post content.)

You can also use multisite to run a membership site. For example, you can have a main site where you promote and sell a product or offer a service and then connect to that same product or service through additional sites that you own (the “affiliates”). The memberships on these sites provide you with recurring revenue and also allow you to grow your audience exponentially. (Not to mention that a membership site usually provides a much higher quality of experience for your users.)

In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about using virtual hosting with WordPress multisite so you can decide whether or not this is the right option for you. Let’s get started.

Is Bluehost Right For Me?

If you’re reading this, I assume you’ve already decided that Bluehost is a good option for you. If not, here’s a short recap: Bluehost is a web host that was designed specifically for people like me, who want to publish blogs on a platform that’s both simple and reliable. (

• Simple: Setting up a blog with Bluehost is both incredibly simple and intuitive. You’ll have a one-click install process, and all of the required software (including WordPress) will be installed directly onto your server. No need to worry about whether or not your hosting company has all of the necessary plugins and themes installed.
• Reliable: I’ve had great success with Bluehost, and I highly recommend them. I’ve published dozens of articles on my blogs using only their hosting, and I’ve never had any problems. (If you’re worried about something going wrong, they’re always available through live chat or email. You can’t go wrong with such great customer support!)
• Performing: I’ve noticed that my blogs perform much better when they’re hosted with Bluehost. The simple fact is that they have faster servers, which results in a faster experience for my readers. I’ve seen numbers indicating that they have 10% faster servers than my previous host. (And yes, I’ve tried both.)
• Affordable: In my opinion, Bluehost is the best value in the market. You get impressive features for an incredibly affordable price. (Honestly, there are cheaper web hosts out there, but you’ll need to pay for additional features.)

Now that you know what Bluehost is and why you should try it, let’s move on to the next step.

How Do I Set Up My Blog With Bluehost?

To set up your blog with Bluehost, you’ll simply need to visit their site and click on the “Get Started” button. You’ll then be brought to their shared hosting dashboard, where you can choose the plan that’s right for you. For most people, the best option is the “Plus” plan, which costs only $2.95 per month. (I know, I know, shared hosting can be a budget-buster, so this is definitely the cheapest option available.)

Once you’ve made your selection, click on the “Create Domain” button to bring you to the next step.

On the next page, enter a name for your blog (something that will identify it easily to your readers) and click on the “Create Blog” button.

You’ll then be brought to a page confirming your new blog’s registration. To login to your new blog, click on the “Login” button and then choose the “Bluehost” option at the top of the page. (If you’re running a WordPress-based blog, you can leave the login details as they are and get lost in the wonderful world of blogging.)

And that’s it! You now have a functioning WordPress blog ready to go live. (If you want to learn more about WordPress, visit their site or sign up for their free WordPress.com account, which comes with limited usage. Once you’ve made the initial set-up process simple and reliable, you can move on to the more advanced settings.)

As I mentioned above, Bluehost is a simple and reliable host, which is why I’ve had such great success with this platform. However, if you’re looking for a more advanced level of hosting, they don’t provide it. For that, you’ll need to move to a different host.

Choosing A Host

If you’re still reading this and thinking that Bluehost is a good choice for you, congratulations! But if you’re looking for something more advanced, there are other hosts that provide a similar level of service. In fact, you can use the money you’d spend on Bluehost to buy a domain name and setup hosting with another company.

You’ll just need to decide whether or not you want to continue to grow with WordPress or if you want to try something new. For the best experience with WordPress and other CMS platforms, I recommend Bluehost. For the absolute best experience, I recommend Flywheel.

Flywheel is a web host that was designed with bloggers and content creators in mind, and it provides the perfect balance between power and simplicity. It also comes with a free domain name, so you don’t need to buy one separately. (Which is great for people like me, who are looking to keep things simple.)

So, what are you going to do? Are you going to choose Bluehost, or are you going to go with Flywheel?