What’s the Difference Between WordPress Cloud Hosting and Host Gator?

WordPress is the #1 content management system used around the world. It is frequently cited as the most popular CMS, and it’s largely due to the tool’s simplicity and popularity that more and more businesses are turning to it as a means of self-hosting their websites.

Although WordPress is completely free, it doesn’t come with all the features you might need for your website. For instance, if you’re looking to host your site on a global level, you’ll need to consider paying for premium features like advanced caching and global redirects.

Fortunately, there’s an alternative — and it’s one that combines the popularity of WordPress with the advanced features you might need to make your site stand out.

Cloud vs. Dedicated Servers

The first thing you might want to know about WordPress cloud hosting is whether you should use a commercial or an open-source software solution. Now, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as it depends on your specific needs and situation.

If you’re just getting started with WordPress, go with the free version found on WordPress.com and use their cloud hosting service. Not only will this give you a chance to try out the platform and see how it works before committing to a purchase, but it will also help you save money.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a highly scalable solution that can provide you with exceptional performance, you might want to consider buying a dedicated server and installing WordPress on it. This form of hosting provides you with a level of flexibility and security not offered by WordPress.com’s free version.

Global Redirects

For quite some time, WordPress has supported the concept of redirects. This lets you, the website owner, determine where visitors should be redirected to after they’ve successfully visited your site. You can use this feature to direct traffic to different areas of your site, including specific pages and posts. For example, you can create a custom 404 page that provides visitors with useful information about your company.

WordPress’ built-in redirects are pretty robust, but if you want better performance and additional flexibility, you might want to consider using a third-party redirect tool. One example of a popular redirect tool is GT Matrix, which provides security, flexibility, and a reliable performance. So if you’re looking to integrate Google Analytics and other third-party services to track website activity, you might want to consider this solution as well.

In addition to these features, the dedicated server version of WordPress also gives you the flexibility to install different kinds of software applications on your site. Should you want to deploy a content management system (CMS) like Joomla! or Drupal, for example, you can do so with relative ease.

The only downside to this form of hosting is that you need to have sufficient experience with Linux and web servers to manage a dedicated server. If you’re looking for somebody to take care of all the technical stuff for you, this could be a viable option. However, if you want to take the reigns yourself, you might want to look elsewhere.

Caching

Another important aspect of a good website is a fast loading time. To achieve this, you need to utilize a content caching solution like WP Fastest Cache or W3 Total Cache. The first one is optimized for speed and visual appeal, while the latter provides you with additional security and reliability. Install these plugins on your site, and you’ll notice a considerable difference in your website’s performance.

Some people say that speed comparisons among various content management systems are somewhat meaningless. However, if you’re looking to create a truly responsive website with a minimum amount of effort, you’ll see an appreciable difference when you compare WordPress’ speed to that of a typical blogging platform (e.g., Tumblr) or even a basic CMS (e.g., Joomla!).

Scalability

Once you’ve determined that WordPress is the right solution for your needs, you can start to think about the scalability of the platform. How many visitors can you expect to get and how much content can you fit on a single website?

You can start by looking at the WordPress.com free version. This provides you with a certain amount of storage and bandwidth. If you decide that this is enough for your needs, you can proceed to purchase a domain and set up hosting with WordPress.

If you’re looking for a solution that is highly scalable, you might want to consider buying a dedicated server. This will allow you to install different applications on your site, including a database and a web server. You can take this a step further and install a caching plugin like W3 Total Cache or APC on your site as well.

Although it’s not mandatory, having a reliable, redundant power supply and plenty of storage is also necessary. If your website gets big enough, you’ll need to upgrade your supply and storage to keep up with the demand.

Dedicated servers are generally more expensive than commercial cloud solutions, but if you’re looking for a long-term solution that can scale to meet your needs, they are arguably the best option out there. Not only do they provide you with flexibility, but they also give you the confidence that your content will be safe and available as you need it. Should anything happen to your dedicated server, you can rest assured that you won’t lose a single bit of your content.

Additional Benefits

Before we wrap up, let’s not forget about the additional benefits that come with opting for a commercial cloud solution over a dedicated server. First, you get the advantage of using a popular and well-known solution. This makes it easier for you to find support when you need it. In addition, you get the benefit of being able to purchase additional storage and bandwidth as your website grows. This is a great advantage for those who want to build a large audience quickly. You can also use this feature to provide your visitors with a much faster experience by caching your content.

Now, if you want to create a truly phenomenal website that will make your visitors feel truly special, you might want to consider looking into a dedicated server solution. Not only does WordPress provide you with an exceptional solution for your needs, but it also allows you to integrate different applications like Google Analytics to gain even more insight into the performance of your website.

To create a successful WordPress website, you need to understand the basics behind making a website load faster and how to make your content shine through. Make sure to take a look at the differences between WordPress cloud hosting and dedicated servers before making a decision. In no way is one solution better than the other, but you should consider what’s best for your needs.