Start to finish, in order
A playbook is a set of our guides in the right order, so you are not stitching together six articles and hoping you have not missed a step.
Domain to website
The whole journey, in order: pick a name, register it, order hosting, install WordPress, get your SSL working and put your first mailbox live.
You end up with: A live website on your own domain, with email, on shared hosting
WordPress launchpad
The shorter path for people who already have WordPress running. Theme, caching, the plugins worth having, backups and a staging site.
You end up with: A WordPress site that is fast, backed up and safe to change
Build a site without code
For people who do not want WordPress. Domain, hosting, builder, pages, a contact form that works, and publishing.
You end up with: A published website built in the Website Builder, no WordPress involved
Professional email on your domain
Mailboxes, devices, forwarders, and the three DNS records that decide whether your mail lands in the inbox or the spam folder.
You end up with: Email on your own domain that reaches the inbox, on every device
Switching to Hostworld
How a move actually goes: what to check first, lowering TTLs, moving the domain itself, cutover day, and what to verify afterwards.
You end up with: Your site and email moved across with no downtime and nothing lost
Linux VPS to live site: the command line route
The flagship VPS journey. From choosing a plan to a site on HTTPS, with every command explained before you run it.
You end up with: A live site on a VPS you built and understand, from the terminal
Linux VPS to live site: the control panel route
The same destination as the command line route, reached through a control panel. Which panel, how to get it installed, and what it costs.
You end up with: The same live site on a VPS, without using the terminal
Harden your Linux VPS in an afternoon
A baseline you can finish in an afternoon: SSH, firewall, fail2ban, automatic updates, logs, and knowing when something is wrong.
You end up with: A server with a sensible security baseline, and alerts when it misbehaves
VPS to app: deploying with Docker
Docker on a VPS, from install to a real app behind a reverse proxy with automatic certificates.
You end up with: Your own application running on a VPS, on HTTPS, updatable without downtime
Self-host your own tools
Cloud storage, uptime monitoring, automation, analytics and a private VPN, all on hardware you control.
You end up with: Services you would otherwise rent, running on your own VPS
Outgrowing shared hosting
How to read the resource figures in cPanel, tell a real limit from a slow plugin, size a VPS honestly, and move without downtime.
You end up with: A clear answer on whether to move, and a clean move if you should
Leaving CentOS 7 behind
CentOS 7 is past end of life and receives no further security updates. This is how to get off it without losing the server.
You end up with: Off an operating system that stopped getting security updates
Backup and disaster recovery
What is backed up for you, what is not, how to restore a single file or a whole site, and why the copy on the same server does not count.
You end up with: Backups you have tested, and a plan for the day you need them
Managing a domain portfolio
Renewals, the expiry timeline that catches people out, forwarding, brand protection, registrant details and transfer locks.
You end up with: Domains that renew on time, point where they should, and cannot be stolen
London or New York?
A short decision path: who your visitors are, where your data is allowed to live, what protection you get where, and what to do if you choose wrong.
You end up with: The right datacentre chosen for the right reason