How to Choose the Best WordPress Hosting Service for You

WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) used on the internet today. The original WordPress was founded in 2005 and is maintained and supported by the WordPress team. Since then, the software has grown to become the #2 most visited website globally after Google.com and the #1 content management system used on the internet today.

WordPress is a free, open-source software that can be downloaded and used by anyone. The community-driven development of WordPress ensures that it is always evolving and expanding to meet the needs of website owners. However, not all WordPress hosting plans are built equal, and as a website owner, it is important to understand what you are purchasing when signing up for a hosting plan. This article will advise you of the best practices and information you need to know in order to choose the right WordPress hosting service for your needs.

Features You Will Need

Before you make a decision, it is important to understand what kind of features you will need. If you are looking for a free blog hosted on one of the most popular platforms today, then you will most likely be pleased with the features that WordPress offers. However, if you are looking for a feature-packed hosting service with all the bells and whistles, you may have to look elsewhere.

Here is a list of some of the most important features to look out for when selecting the best WordPress hosting plan for your needs:

Multiple Sites

One of the biggest draws of WordPress to site owners and content marketers is the fact that it is very easy to setup and use. Even those with limited tech skills can get their blog running in no time at all.

WordPress has a built-in feature that allows you to create as many sites as you need for your business using a single installation. Within moments, you can have a fully-functioning, multi-site setup that can host multiple blogs and/or websites.

What is great about this feature is that you can take advantage of the already built-in caching functionality in WordPress. When a visitor visits your blog, WordPress will save the page content in a cache file on the server and serve it to the user faster next time. The feature ensures that your content is always available and you never run out of storage space.

If you are using WordPress for a personal blog or project, setup may not be a problem as you can manually create each site as you need it. However, if you are looking to use the platform for official business purposes, you will need to consider paying for the above features.

Fully Customized

Another important feature of a quality WordPress hosting service is that it comes with a fully-customized control panel. A control panel is a web-based interface that lets you manage the configuration settings of your server. The best WordPress hosting providers give you full access to the panel and allow you to get to grips with all the settings yourself.

Not all hosting providers offer this level of customization, so you should look out for this especially if you are not tech-savvy. You should also ask yourself whether or not you will need help setting up your blog. While a lot of the information is easy to follow, some people may need some hand-holding. Especially those who are completely new to the internet environment and technology in general.

What is great about this level of customization is that you can make the panel look and function the way you want it to. You can install a third-party app called a widget to the panel, which will give you more room for displaying content. You can also add more features to the panel via extensions or create new ones. For instance, you may want to create a mini-store on your blog with all your favorite products or a contact form that automatically emails you when a new lead comes in.

The downside to this level of customization is that you will need to learn how to code if you want to update or add new features to the site yourself. So if you are not a tech-savvy person or a programmer, you may find this feature intimidating. You may also end up spending a lot of time trying to debug problems that are caused by the complicated panel. In some instances, you may need to hire a professional to help you fix server errors that are caused by the panel.

Secure & Private

In a world where more and more people use the internet to gain more information about almost everything, privacy and security are major concerns. You do not want your personal information to be stolen and used without your permission. This is why you should look for a WordPress hosting service that is completely dedicated to privacy and security. The best WordPress hosting providers ensure that your content is fully secure and private. They also take the security of their customers seriously and ensure that all the settings are up to date.

What is great about this level of security is that you do not have to worry about the hackers getting in. The security of your personal information is their top priority, so they will make sure that your content is not viewable by anyone else. They may also allow you to set up VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to ensure that your information is always kept secure. Even if your data is stored on a server that is close to the public, you will use the VPN to connect to it. This will encrypt all your data before it is sent to the server and keep it secure. You can use the service to browse the internet anonymously and securely.

Unfortunately, not all the hosting providers out there take security and privacy seriously. You should be weary of any company that does not offer this level of diligence when choosing a WordPress hosting plan. It is also important to note that as your business grows, so does your exposure to security risks. This is why you should ensure that your WordPress hosting plan is up to date with the latest security patches and always use a different password for your admin account.

Bandwidth & Storage

Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred across the internet in a given period of time. With more and more people using the internet to watch videos, stream music, and download large files, bandwidth has become a major concern. The best WordPress hosting services ensure that your content is not affected by slow connections and congested networks. They also give you the bandwidth you need to ensure that your blog posts, videos, and other content are consistently available to your audience.

Storage is the amount of space available on a server for storing files. This can also be referred to as ‘disk space’ or ‘disk quota’. In order to create a successful blog, you will need a lot of storage space to store your posts, images, and other content. The best WordPress hosting services give you the storage space you need without hogging all of it for themselves. What is great about this level of storage is that you can upload as much content as you want, and the platform will automatically figure out how to make room for it. Your content will then be served automatically without any slow downs or errors due to insufficient space.

As your blog grows, so will your storage concerns. Having enough space to store all your posts is essential in order to ensure that your site does not get bogged down by errors. Even if you are using a WP-Rocket optimized blog with minimal content, you will still need at least 1GB of storage space. It is also advisable to choose a hosting provider that offers a dedicated IP (Internet Protocol) address. A dedicated IP address is used to identify your computer or device on the internet and allows you to access your site without any problems. This can be purchased from a reputable web host for around $10 a month.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)

SSL is an abbreviation for ‘Secure Sockets Layer’ and is one of the most popular and essential security protocols created by Netscape. The purpose of SSL is to allow encryption of data while it is transferred from one website to another. The data is encrypted and cannot be easily read by anyone else, including hackers. This makes it much more secure.

When an internet user visits your website and clicks on a link or button that takes them to another site, that site will be recognized as being ‘trusted’ by the user due to the fact that it is using an SSL connection with a trusted certificate. If, however, the connection to the website is not encrypted, then the website owner has no control over who may or may not be reading their sensitive information. This is one of the biggest benefits of using an SSL connection – user privacy and security are both guaranteed without any problems.