How to Choose the Right WordPress Hosting for Your Website?
WordPress is the most popular content management system used globally with over 400 million downloads. It is the de facto standard for building websites because of its lightweight nature and ease of use. The system was first released in 2005 and was initially free, which allowed anyone to use the software and host their own sites. However, as the platform grew in popularity and became more established, the developers of the software decided to start charging for use.
If you’re looking to host your own WordPress website, you need to make sure that you have chosen the right web host. The following are some of the most important factors to consider:
Features
As the name suggests, WordPress hosting offers all of the tools and features you need to build a professional-looking website, with the exception of dynamic content and databases. However, the feature set varies from one provider to another, so you should always check out their websites to get an idea of what tools and features are available. Most top-notch providers offer a basic shared hosting plan for free, but you will have to pay for extra features.
Performance
When we talk about performance, we usually think about how fast your page will load. However, this is only part of the equation. How long does it take for your site to respond to your visitors’ requests? These are the things you should be concerned about when looking for a WordPress host. You should never try to host your site on a sluggish or overburdened server, as this will hurt your website’s performance and potentially damage your content’s accessibility.
Security
WordPress is open-source software, which means that any person or organization can review the code that fuels the platform and make improvements where necessary. However, since the code is open, this also means that any malicious individual or group could potentially wreak havoc on your website.
The ideal WordPress hosting environment is one where the developers and the community work together to keep the platform’s source code safe and sound. The best WordPress hosting providers offer a variety of security measures, from multi-factor authentication to secure backups, so you can be sure your content is safe and accessible to everyone.
Support
When you purchase a product, you usually expect adequate customer support, especially when something goes wrong. However, not all companies are created equal, and it is important to look at each one’s support options and reviews before making a decision. You should expect to get in touch with a live, human being on the other end of the line, or else you are risking having a bad experience.
If you contact the support team after hours, or if there is an unforeseen outage, you will almost certainly get an automated reply. If you would like to get in touch with someone who can actually help you out, you will have to go through several levels of assistance to reach a supervisor who can help you. This is not ideal customer support and demonstrates a lack of planning and forethought on the part of the company.
Additional Considerations
If you plan on monetizing your site or want to use your blog to build a following, you should look into the WordPress hosting environment’s settings. You should find a host that allows you to choose a location for the website’s primary domain. Most reputable companies allow you to pick a country for the site’s base, which is an indication of how seriously they take security. In addition, you should research the host’s tech support, as this will have a direct impact on your ability to fix any issues that may arise.
Choosing the right hosting environment for your site is a lot more involved than just picking the cheapest package available. Be sure to consider all of the important factors discussed above, and if you’re still unsure which hosting provider is the best for your needs, read our in-depth review of the six top WordPress hosts or contact us to get additional assistance.