Bluehost is one of the most popular web hosting companies. While it's a good choice if you're based in the U.S, I don't think Bluehost is a good choice for Australians.
Here's why you should choose another host over Bluehost if you're starting a website in Australia:
Why Bluehost isn't a Good Host for Australians
No Data Center in Australia
Bluehost does not have a data centre in Australia. This means you website will be hosted on a server that is located overseas. If you're primarily targeted Australian visitors, your website will load slowly for them and this could lead to lower Google rankings.
It's better to host your website on a server located in Australia or at least closer to Australia than what Bluehost offers. There are many great Bluehost alternatives that have data centers in Australia.
No .com.au or .au Domain Registrations
If you're starting a blog or other website on Bluehost you'll most likely want to buy a domain name at the same time. Bluehost doesn't offer you the option of registering a .com.au or .au.
Google will rank websites with Australian domain names above .com domains if visitors are from Australia. I'm usually able to outrank much more popular websites in Australia just because I use a .com.au domain for my blogs.
Again there are better Bluehost alternatives that offer .com.au registrations.
While it is possible to register a domain name elsewhere and just point it to Bluehost, many people prefer the simplicity of having it all done in the one account.
Is Bluehost Available to Australian Customers?
Yes Bluehost is available to Australian customers and they do offer pricing in Australian Dollars.
So Should you Start an Australian Website on Bluehost?
No! It's better to use a web host that offers a data centre that is located in Australia. It makes a huge difference to your site speed. To put it bluntly, if you're hosting on Bluehost you're missing out on potential traffic and money. Your site simply won't rank as well.
If you're building a website in Australia that is targeted at a U.S or international audience then Bluehost is a better option. But for Australian sites I wouldn't use Bluehost.
If you are looking for a web host that has an Australian data centre and has all the same (and better) features of Bluehost, I would look at SiteGround.
