How to Host a WordPress and WooCommerce Website
As the name suggests, WordPress is a platform for creating websites. Although the name usually implies just that, it’s actually a content management system (CMS). CMSs allow you to build a website without having to manually enter all the content yourself. You can use pre-made templates or you can go the DIY route and build the template yourself. One of the best parts of WordPress is its active community and the abundance of help and resources available online. If you’re looking to get started with WordPress, this is the perfect guide for you.
The Ultimate Guide to WordPress Hosting
A WordPress host is what allows your site to exist online. When someone goes to your site, they don’t have to go through a bunch of meaningless navigation bars and load up on ads or malware. Additionally, a WordPress host gives you the flexibility to upgrade your site whenever you want (for free) or to move your site to a different server if the current one is experiencing troubles.
There are many different types of WordPress hosting available, so you can find one that suits your needs. In this article, we’ll discuss the five most popular types of WordPress hosting along with some of their perks and quirks. We’ll also cover some of the more obscure options too, in case you happen to need them.
1. Free Blogger Host
The very first type of WordPress hosting is the free blogger host. With this type of hosting, you don’t need to register an account with WordPress to use their services. You simply need to insert the html code for your site into a free blogger account and you’re good to go. You won’t need to worry about hosting costs either because blogger hosts are usually hosted on Google’s servers which are charged on a per-month basis.
The advantage of a free blogger host is that it’s incredibly easy to set up. You don’t need to know any html to get started because all the necessary codes are already embedded in the pages. Additionally, you can literally drag and drop to reorder the blog post lists or to switch between the front page and the magazine-style blog layout. The disadvantage of a free blogger host is that, depending on how popular your site becomes, you might end up having to upgrade to a premium account to continue receiving the free hosting.
2. Cloud-Based Services
The second type of WordPress hosting is the cloud-based services. In this type of hosting, all the data for your site is stored on servers that are maintained by third parties (typically companies owned by Google). You don’t need to worry about the server being down because the data is stored centrally and there’s always someone on hand to fix it if it breaks down. The advantage of a cloud-based service is that you won’t need to worry about upgrade costs because the data is automatically backed up and you can regain access to your site at any time. The disadvantage of a cloud-based service is that when it does come down, you could lose all your content. If you’re looking to host a business website with a substantial amount of content, this is the type of hosting you should look away from. Even then, you should still consider the advantages because it’s still more convenient than having to manually enter your content into a new server every time it comes down.
3. Amazon Web Services
The third type of WordPress hosting is Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS is one of the largest hosting providers in the world, so if you’re looking for a premium host that is well-known, this is the type of host to consider. Like the other types of WordPress hosts, you don’t need to register an account with Amazon to use their services. You simply need to enter the html code for your site and you’re good to go. The advantage of an AWS-based hosting is that you don’t need to worry about upgrade costs because all the server resources are automatically upgraded whenever needed. Additionally, you can connect your AWS account to multiple domains, incorporate social media platforms like Twitter, and even set up email notifications when someone subscribes to your channel on YouTube. The disadvantage of an AWS-based service is that they charge you based on how much data you use, so if you happen to use a lot of storage, you’ll need to decide whether you want to continue using their services or not.
4. Softlayer
The fourth type of WordPress hosting is Softlayer. Similar to the other providers on this list, you don’t need to register an account with Softlayer to use their services. All you need is the html for your site and you’re good to go. The advantage of a Softlayer-based hosting is that you don’t need to worry about upgrade costs because all the server resources are upgraded and maintained by the company. The disadvantage of a Softlayer-based host is that, like the other hosts on this list, you don’t have much control over the appearance of your site. The template system is fairly basic and you won’t have access to many different styles to choose from. Additionally, there’s no customizability when it comes to the appearance of your site (besides the occasional button which is sometimes placed on the right sidebar).
5. GoDaddy
The fifth type of WordPress hosting is Godaddy. Similar to the other providers on this list, you don’t need to register an account with GoDaddy to use their services. All you need is the html for your site and you’re good to go. The advantage of a GoDaddy-based hosting is that there’s a free domain included with the service (yourname.com). Additionally, GoDaddy is one of the most popular domain registrars in the world, so if you have a choice of web hosts, this is the one to consider. The disadvantage of a GoDaddy-based service is that you don’t have much control over the appearance of your site. In most cases, you won’t have access to many different styles to choose from. Furthermore, it’s not unusual for websites that are hosted with GoDaddy to have performance issues. Since their servers are shared, every site that is launched on the server inevitably affects the performance of all the other sites on that server. If you’re looking for a reliable and stable host with a generous amount of customizability, this is the type of host to avoid. However, if you just need a free domain and don’t require any additional features, GoDaddy is still the safest option out there.
The Perks of Hosting a WordPress Website
When choosing a web host, the first thing to consider is whether you want to go with a free or a premium account. As discussed before, all the data for your site is stored on a third party’s server, so you don’t need to worry about upgrade costs. Since you don’t have to register an account or pay for a premium account with a free blogger host, you don’t need to worry about storage space either. However, as your site grows in size and popularity, you might end up needing more storage than what’s offered for free. In this case, you can always move to a premium account with a free blogger host or choose a cloud-based service which offers unlimited storage.
One of the best things about hosting a WordPress site is that you don’t necessarily need to be tech-savvy to run your own blog. Even if you’re not a techie, you can literally drag and drop to rearrange the blog posts or to switch between the front page and the magazine-style blog layout. If you ever needed to make a quick change, this is the type of host to consider because all you need is HTML code and you can get back to working right away. Another advantage of a WordPress website is that you can have multiple domains point to the same URL. For example, you can have yourpersonalblog.com and yourcompanyblog.com point to the same URL (yourname.com). With a standard (free) blogging account, you can activate the free ‘custom domains’ feature which places a small ‘dot’ in front of your site’s domain name (yourname.com)”)
The final perk of hosting a WordPress site is that you get to use the ever-popular WordPress dashboard. The dashboard is essentially the control panel for your website. It provides you with all the information you need to manage and update your site. Additionally, it allows you to install various plugins which can enhance your experience on the site. For example, you can use the dashboard to install a contact form which sends an email message to someone (you) when a contact is made.