How to Choose the Right WordPress Hosting
WordPress is the most popular blogging platform on the web. It is free and open-source and very popular because it’s easy to use. Because of its widespread adoption by bloggers, there are hundreds of highly-rated web hosts that support it. If you’re thinking about trying out WordPress for your blog, here’s what you should know about the different types of hosting available.
Traditional Web Hosting
Traditional web hosting is all the rage when it comes to hosting multiple websites because it’s super-easy to scale up. Traditional web hosts will give you a single IP address that you can use to access your sites. This is a global unique address that will stay the same regardless of how many sites you have installed on your account. If you install WordPress on a traditional web host, you’ll be able to access your site via an easy-to-remember URL that looks something like this:
http://www.yoursite.com/
This type of hosting is best suited for small blogs or personal websites because it’s extremely affordable. The upside of traditional web hosting is that it’s incredibly easy to set up and scale. The downside is that the global unique address can only be used by one person or business at a time.
Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is pretty self-explanatory: it’s when you share the computing resources with other users. The downside to shared hosting is that it is very expensive. It is designed for large businesses and organizations that need to host multiple sites. The cost for a shared host is normally based on the amount of traffic that you generate. If you have a very high-traffic site, shared hosting might be the right choice for you because it will make sure that your site can always be available. The upside of shared hosting is that it’s very easy to scale up and has decent storage space. The downside is that it’s expensive and you’ll need to rent a server from a web host that offers this type of hosting.
VPS (Virtual Private Server)
Virtual Private Server is a type of hosting that enables you to run a single website or blog on your own virtual server. In other words, you have full control and are able to install and configure any software or applications that you want. If you have a small budget but need a powerful weapon to battle the competition, virtual private servers are what you need. They’re perfect for people, businesses, and bloggers who want complete control over their websites’ performance.
The downside to virtual private servers is that they’re quite expensive. The cost is normally based on the size of the virtual server. For example, a small one costs a lot but is perfect for a single person or business. If you have a bigger wallet, you can rent a bigger virtual server and save money. The upside is that you have complete control over the server and can do anything you want. You can install and configure the most advanced software and hardware. You also have full access to the system’s performance through a control panel that gives you all the information you need.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting is anything but ordinary. It’s essentially hosted computing where all the resources are hosted by a third party and you have no physical access to the machine. In other words, you have no control or access to the computer. With cloud hosting, all the computing resources are available to you on demand. It’s the perfect solution for people, bloggers, and businesses that need to update pages frequently or don’t have the time to do it themselves.
The downside to cloud hosting is that it’s highly dependent on the software and hardware that the provider uses. If you have a mission-critical application or website that needs to be online all the time, cloud hosting isn’t for you.
Mail Hosting
Another way of keeping in touch with your readers is through email marketing. You can use a free email service like MailChimp to send out daily or weekly newsletters to your subscribers. Alternatively, you can use a simple and cheap mail hosting service to send out these newsletters. Just remember that you’ll need to purchase emails (this is cheaper than regular hosting) and provide your own email template.
The downside is that emails are not as personal as posts on social media platforms. If you want to stay in touch with your readers, try using other social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a security technology that allows you to encrypt data as it’s transferred between your device and the server. When you visit a secure website that uses SSL, the lock symbol in the browser bar will also indicate that the site is secure. SSL enables businesses and organizations to provide a safe and secure experience for their customers. It also enables them to retain customers by offering them a safe and convenient way to pay for items. SSL is particularly helpful for online transactions because it prevents fraud and theft through encryption.
The downside to SSL is that it’s expensive. It’s also quite heavy and doesn’t play well with site performance. If you’re running a small blog on a limited budget, SSL isn’t for you. The upside is that it’s very safe and easy to implement. You just need to make sure that your web host supports it.
Which One Should You Choose?
As you can see from the list above, there are various types of web hosts that you can choose from when looking for a suitable solution to host your website. Some of them are more suitable for personal use while others are better suited for large businesses. Traditional web hosting is a classic choice for those who want to keep their site intact for the long term. For people who want to use their site to generate quick revenue, shared hosting might be the right fit. Depending on your needs, you can find a perfect solution among the dozens of web hosts that support WordPress.