Best WordPress Hosting: Drag and Drop Site Builder or Premium Hosting?
WordPress is a popular content management system that allows users to build websites. It is incredibly powerful and flexible, and the range of plugins and add-ons available makes it suitable for almost any use case. Because of this, it is incredibly popular amongst marketers and businesses who want to build websites to promote products.
However, as with any technology, there are bad actors who attempt to abuse the platform. These hackers create spam blogs filled with useless content that only appeals to search engines. This type of content does nothing for users and drains resources that could otherwise be used to provide value to existing customers. Because of this, it is extremely important that you choose a WordPress hosting provider that you can trust. One which is committed to providing a secure experience for your users.
Which Type Of Hosting Should You Get?
There are two main varieties of WordPress hosting available to users; the first and most basic is a drag and drop builder which we will call a ‘Standard’ or ‘Free’ plan. These are the types of hosting often advertised on social media channels such as Twitter. With these types of plans, you get an allocation of web space that you can use to create your website. Essentially, all you need to do is copy and paste a short snippet of HTML into your WordPress dashboard to begin creating your website. You can then use the provided widgets or install additional plugins to further customize your site.
The second type of plan is the ‘Premium’ plan. This type of hosting is only available from professional hosting providers such as WP Engine and Endurance Web Hosting, and requires you to enter advanced billing information. The cost of this type of hosting is typically higher, but it comes with more features. These features range from security upgrades to the speed of your site. When it comes to speed, a site built on a premium plan will load a lot faster than one built on a standard plan because they utilize a more efficient web hosting environment. The downside to this type of plan is the extra cost and the fact that you will need to maintain the account and upgrade the billing information regularly. This can become quite a hassle if you are not a web professional, or if you are trying to do this on your own.
Why Is Security A Priority When Choosing A WordPress Hosting Provider?
The worst thing you can do is leave your website open to the public. This is why internet security is so important, and why you should always be wary of free hosting providers who claim to offer ‘secure’ hosting. The reason that you should not use free hosting is that they may not offer the same level of security as a paid hosting provider. Essentially, if you are using free hosting, there is a good chance that a hacker or spammer has already been through the process of compromising your account and using it to their advantage. They may even have deleted some of your content, or added content of their own to your site. This could potentially damage your reputation amongst existing customers if it goes undetected for long enough.
How Do You Protect Your Website When You Are Using Free Hosting?
The only way to protect your website when you are using free hosting is to implement measures such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and hiding sensitive files. MFA is a security measure that requires you to enter a code (typically a one-time-use code delivered via text message or via an authenticator app) in addition to your username and password to access your account. Hiding files is also a crucial step to take when protecting your website. You can use a tool like Widget Mask to hide specific files and folders from view, or you can add ‘hide from view’ tags to any file or folder you want to keep private. The key takeaway from this is that when using free hosting, you are always at risk of security breaches, especially if you don’t take the time to implement additional security measures. This is why you should avoid using free hosting if security is a priority for you.
The Dangers Of Free Hosting
It is extremely important that you are aware of the dangers of free hosting. This is especially important if you are using a free hosting provider that does not offer the same level of security as a paid hosting provider. For instance, if you are using a free hosting provider and it does not offer MFA, then you must ensure that you either a) Use a strong password b) Use a different username c) Use a different email address to log into your account. This way, even if your account is somehow compromised, the hacker will not be able to use it to access your other accounts as they will only have access to this one. Using a different email address to log into your account adds an extra layer of security because it is virtually impossible for a hacker to guess your email address.
Why Do You Need To Be Selective Of The Hosting Providers You Sign Up With?
WordPress is a very flexible platform and is suitable for a wide variety of use cases. This means that there are a lot of options when it comes to choosing a hosting provider. If you use the wrong provider, you could end up with a slow website or even one that is completely unusable due to downtime or malfunctions. For this reason, it is extremely important that you are selective of the providers you use for hosting because if something happens, you will not be able to access your site. Being able to access your site is crucial for maintaining a brand or business. Essentially, having a working site when you run a business is better than having a brand and losing business due to lack of functionality or performance.
The Different Types Of Hosting Available
As we mentioned above, there are two main varieties of WordPress hosting available for users; the first is the Standard plan which is free and the second is the Premium plan which costs more but offers additional features. To further complicate matters, not all places where you can host a WordPress site will give you the same level of service. For example, Green Geeks only gives you basic hosting, while Dream Host gives you both basic and premium plans. For this reason, it is important to read reviews before choosing a hosting provider. This will give you an idea of what level of service you can expect, and whether or not it is compatible with your chosen CMS.
At the end of the day, not all free hosting is made equal, and you must remember that you are always at risk of having your site hacked or spammed by malicious actors if you do not take the time to protect it properly. For this reason, it is always a good idea to choose a premium hosting plan simply because it will offer you a much safer and more comfortable experience when it comes to creating or maintaining your website. In order to minimize the risk of having a site compromised, it is crucial that you either have a paid hosting plan or take the time to implement additional security measures like MFA and file hiding.