How to Choose the Right WordPress Hosting – Speed Matters

You want to launch a WordPress website or blog, but you’re not sure which web host to pick. There are so many options available, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the choices. In this article, we will discuss how to choose the right WordPress host. We will cover the most important factors to consider, including price, features, and customer support. Before you make up your mind, it’s a good idea to read our in-house expert’s take on the best web hosts for WordPress.

The Most Important Factors To Consider

When looking for a hosting provider, you will come across a variety of terms and phrases that can be quite confusing. When picking a web host, you should have in mind the following:

Security

This is one of the most important factors to consider, as a hacked website can do a lot of damage. A lot of web hosts are known to be insecure, and even the biggest and the most established ones have been cracked. When it comes to web security, you should look for the following:

  • A trusted security certificate (Let’s Encrypt, GeoTrust, and Symantec are just a few of the trusted security certificates)
  • Regular updates to patch any security holes
  • A dedicated support team that is available 24/7
  • Secure FTP access
  • Dedicated IP addresses
  • Scanned daily for malware
  • Free backups
  • Uptime guarantees

Some experts even recommend choosing a host that is not even in the cloud, but rather runs on a private, dedicated server. The cost of such a solution can be quite high, but the amount of security and privacy that you get is priceless.

Features

Another important consideration is the features that the host offers. Naturally, you want to look for a host that is highly rated and well-known for its features. There are a few features that you should check for in any WordPress host, regardless of whether you are using it for a website or blog:

  • SSH access: An SSH access allows you to remotely connect to the server and manage it via a command-line interface, which is a lot more secured and convenient than using a regular FTP account. Most web hosts offer this feature, but make sure that they are aware that you will be using it for development purposes only.
  • MySQL support: The database is the backbone of any web-based application or website. You can’t expect a website to perform well if the database is not optimized for speed and security. Some good hosts offer MySQL databases for free, while others offer them for a low price. In either case, make sure that they support your desired features.
  • PHP version: The hypertext preprocessor (PHP) is the language that is used to create your website or blog. Not all web hosts support the same versions of PHP, and it’s important that you check for the version that is supported by your chosen host. Most PHP versions are free, and the host will typically provide documentation for installing and using the product.
  • Server load: Some web hosts can be quite the resource hog, especially when you are launching a lot of websites or blogs from the same host. Make sure that the host can handle your desired volumes without slowing down. There are some tools like Plesk, which is a popular control panel that can be used to monitor server load. If you want a fast, stable, and secure server, this is something to consider.
  • IPv6 support: According to industry experts, almost all web users will soon be using IPv6 to connect to the internet. As more and more people shift to this protocol, the demand for IPv6-compatible hosting services will rise. Make sure that the host is prepared for this increased demand.
  • Free domain privacy: If you are launching a site to make money, you don’t want anyone to know that you’re doing it. A free domain privacy ensures that no one can guess the true origin of your site, while still being able to reach it via a familiar domain. You can prevent unwanted email contacts by using a free domain privacy.
  • Geo-location privacy: Geo-location privacy keeps your exact location hidden from others, while still being able to reach your site from any device. You can take advantage of this feature if you want to restrict the location of your site’s readers. Most web hosts provide this feature for free. Although there are some exceptions, you should opt for this feature since it’s so valuable. It’s always nice when visitors can find your place, and it makes the experience much more personal.
  • SSL support: Even though HTTPS is now considered to be the standard protocol for secure communications, it is still not entirely safe to use it for e-commerce transactions. For this reason, it is best practice to use SSL when communicating with customers. The vast majority of web hosts offer this feature for free, so you won’t have any excuse not to use it. It’s easy enough to setup and requires minimal maintenance. Most importantly, it provides a measure of security that is simply unmatched by other protocols.
  • CDN support: Content delivery networks (CDNs) are services that some web hosts use to deliver content that is hosted on their servers. CDNs speed up page loads for users, while still keeping costs low. The most popular CDNs are Cloudflare and MaxCDN. If you expect a lot of web traffic, or your site contains a lot of media-rich content like videos, images, or slideshows, then CDN is a feature that you should look for.
  • Free backup: If you are the kind of person who constantly forgets things and loses important documents and images, then you should look for a host that provides a free backup service. It is preferable that this service be automated, so that you don’t have to think about it. The host should also provide instructions on how to restore these files in case of a crash.
  • Free domain privacy: Even though free domain privacy is great, it can still be quite cumbersome to always have to check if your personal domain is still secure and private. For this reason, it is better to have a dedicated IP address that is assigned to you by the host. If you aren’t comfortable with this, you can opt for a free domain privacy, which will hide your true origin while also providing email forwarding and custom email templates.
  • Fast loading pages: Even though the majority of people use powerful computers these days, many people are still on slower devices like laptops and tablets. For this reason, it is important that the pages that you view are quick to load. There are some tools like PageSpeed that can help you find the optimal loading speed for your site. If you want to ensure that your site is prepared for users on all devices, then you should look for a host that provides a fast loading experience.
  • Money-back guarantee: If you are not satisfied with the service for any reason, you can ask the host to provide a refund. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, but it’s good to know that you can. The vast majority of hosts offer a money-back guarantee for one month. This way, you can try the service out and see if it is right for you.
  • Free website traffic: Most web hosts will give you free, targeted traffic from Amazon, Google, and other popular platforms. These are some of the most significant factors to consider when choosing a WordPress host.

    The Best WordPress Hosting For Developers

    If you are a developer who is interested in creating applications and websites using WordPress, then it is important that you select a hosting service that is optimized for this purpose. The following are the best WordPress hosts for developers:

    Web Hosting Company: 1+3 Media

    1+3 Media is one of the most popular web host providers, and it is known to be reliable and secure. Its solutions are suitable for both personal and business websites, as well as projects of all sizes. 1+3 Media provides a free domain privacy for its customers, as well as a variety of features, including free backups, free domains, and free installs of WordPress.