Best Domain Registrar & Hosting for WordPress?
WordPress is the world’s most popular blogging platform, and it’s the perfect choice for those seeking to establish a professional blog. Launching a WordPress blog isn’t hard, but keeping it alive can be a challenge. That’s where domain registration and hosting come in. Let’s take a look at the various pros and cons of each option.
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certification
Before we begin, let’s examine what an SSL certificate is and why you should care. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, and it’s a type of encryption technology used to secure communications across the Internet. When an SSL certificate is installed on a website, it adds an extra layer of security (an encrypted connection) to any website that is powered by a WordPress installation. That means all of your blog’s visitors (including the people who are reading this article right now) will be protected from hackers and data thieves. It also means that when they visit your site, their personal information (like credit card numbers) will be encrypted before being sent to your server.
Now, you might be thinking that because you’re using a WordPress installation you don’t need an SSL certificate, but that’s not true. WordPress is a free application, and it’s incredibly popular, meaning there will always be people trying to hack into your site. Even if you use strong passwords and take other basic security measures, hackers will eventually get through and do something malicious. That’s why it’s best to secure your blog even if you’re using WordPress.
Dedicated IP Address
Dedicated IP addresses are more expensive than a regular IP address, but they’re also a lot more secure. With a dedicated IP address, all of the traffic that comes from your computer (or cell phone) is directed to a single IP address. That means there’s no risk of your blog being overloaded by too many visitors, because all of the incoming traffic is funneled to a single point. A dedicated IP address also makes it much easier for you to monetize your blog, because you can use a tool like Monetize.me to automatically convert any links clicked on from your site into revenue. You can use a free version of this tool with a normal IP address, but if you have a dedicated IP address you won’t have that issue. Just make sure that your host supports it.
Free Hosting
If you’re looking to host your blog for free, you have a variety of options. You can launch a blog with WordPress.com, which provides you with free hosting and a variety of advertising options. Alternatively, you could use a free blogging platform like Blogger, which is owned by Google and is supported by the company in various ways.
If you’re looking for a free option, WordPress.com is a great choice. It’s easy to use, and it has a large audience. Plus, they give you a free domain when you launch a blog with them. This domain can be used for free throughout its registration period (which is about 12 months), and it can be renewed at the end of that period for free as well. You’ll only have to pay $5 a year for the SSL certification through WordPress.com. However, if you want to run a blog that’s more personal, you might want to consider a free option like Blogger or Medium. With these platforms, content is more important than appearance, which means you’re more likely to find the perfect fit for your blog.
Paid Hosting
If you’ve decided that you want to pay for your hosting, there are a variety of options. Bluehost is one of the most popular paid hosting services, which provides you with a reliable platform and allows you to install WordPress (and many other popular applications) on your site. You’ll only have to pay $2.95 per month for this type of hosting.
You’ll find many other hosting services that provide similar functionality. The cost will vary, but most paid hosting packages will include at least one free domain and free SSL certificate. If you’re looking for a reliable and affordable option, Bluehost is a great choice. Just remember that you’ll have to install WordPress manually, because they don’t provide a ready-to-use WordPress installation.
Best Overall
If we were to recommend a host for a WordPress blog, we’d go with the following:
- Dedicated IP address
- Free Hosting
- SSL certification
- Manual WordPress installation
You can use all of these components to create a safe and reliable base for your blog, and that’s what makes this option so great. If you’re looking for a free domain, you can’t go wrong with WordPress.com. However, if you want to pay for your domain, you can’t go wrong with Bluehost. Once you have a dedicated IP address and a reliable hosting provider, all of your blog’s visitors (including the people reading this article right now) will be protected, and that’s what matters most.