Last month I finally stopped procrastinating and turned a half-baked idea into a real website — a small online store selling digital planners for busy moms. Zero coding skills, tiny budget, and I needed it live fast.
After wasting two days comparing hosts, I landed on Hostinger and got everything done in literally one afternoon. Here’s exactly what happened, step by step — the wins, the tiny hiccups, and why I’d do it the exact same way again.
Why I Picked Hostinger Instead of the Usual Suspects
I almost went with the “big names” everyone talks about, but the math didn’t add up:
- Bluehost wanted $11.99/mo after the teaser rate
- SiteGround felt overkill (and expensive) for a newbie project
- GoDaddy’s upsell nightmare gave me PTSD from 2015
Hostinger’s Premium plan was showing at $2.99/mo for 48 months + a free domain. I ran the numbers: even after renewal (around $8-9/mo), it’s still cheaper than most “intro” prices elsewhere. Plus, everything I needed was actually included — no surprise add-ons.
→ Grabbed the deal here and used a coupon code that knocked another 10% off (current best link if you’re ready).
Step 1: Picking the Plan (Took Me 4 Minutes)
I went with the **Business Website Builder plan** instead of the cheapest one because:
- Full AI tools (the AI literally wrote my About page and product descriptions)
- Proper e-commerce features (I’m selling digital downloads)
- 100 GB storage + way faster NVMe servers
Honest note: The Premium plan would’ve worked fine for a blog or portfolio, but I’m glad I spent the extra ~$1.50/mo for the AI stuff. Saved me hours.
Step 2: Snagging My Domain (Free for the First Year)
Typed in “plannerformoms.com” → available → claimed it instantly.
Hostinger throws in the domain free with any yearly plan, so I paid exactly $0 extra.
Pro tip I wish I knew earlier: Verify your domain in the email they send within 24h, or it gets temporarily suspended (happened to me — 2-minute fix, but scary when you’re excited).
Step 3: Building the Actual Site (the Fun Part)
Clicked “Websites” → “Add website” → chose the AI Website Builder.
Here’s what blew my mind:
- Told the AI: “Digital planner shop for busy moms, soft pastel colors, friendly vibe”
- 45 seconds later it generated a full 7-page site with placeholder text and images
- Spent the next 2 hours swapping photos, tweaking copy, and adding my PayPal checkout
I’m not exaggerating — from zero to a legit-looking store in under 3 hours total. The templates are genuinely pretty (not that 2005 free-HTML look).
Step 4: Going Live
Hit “Publish.”
That was it.
First visitor came 20 minutes later from a mom group I posted in. First sale came the next morning while I was still asleep. Still gives me goosebumps.
The Tiny Hiccups (Keeping It Real)
– DNS took about 4 hours to propagate for me (not 48, but longer than the “instant” I dreamed of)
– Had one “huh?” moment setting up email forwarding — live chat fixed it in 4 minutes at 2 a.m. my time
– Renewal price jumps after 48 months, but I already set a calendar reminder for 2029 to shop around or negotiate
The Numbers So Far (1 Month in)
Total spent: $136.52 upfront for 4 years (!!)
Sales made: $847 and climbing
Time invested: One afternoon + a few evenings tweaking
Final Verdict From a Real User
If you’ve got an idea sitting in your head and “I don’t know where to start” is the reason it’s still not live — Host. It. On. Hostinger.
Seriously. Stop overthinking. I did, and now I’m making money while my kid naps.
If you’re ready to pull the trigger, here’s the link I used (still active as of November 2025, includes the extra discount + free domain).
→ Get Hostinger with the lowest price I’ve seen this month
Happy building — hope your first sale comes even faster than mine did!
