WordPress Hosting and Support: What You Need to Know to Find the Best Option
If you are looking for a way to take your WordPress blog to the next level, then you have come to the right place. We will help you find the best option for hosting and support, as well as give you some tips on how to improve your blog’s performance.
The Essentials
Before we get started, it is important to note that there are essentially three essentials to consider when choosing a WordPress hosting plan. These are 1) WordPress (of course!), 2) storage, and 3) support.
WordPress is, by far, the most essential part of the equation. It is used to create and run your blog, so the quality and performance of WordPress influence the user experience of your entire site, especially as it relates to posts, pages, and user-generated content (i.e. content uploaded and edited by users). A good WordPress hosting plan should be able to offer high performance and reliability, as well as a smooth and pleasant user experience when creating content.
Storage is an essential part of any hosting plan, as it determines how much space you have to work with. Your storage space will be shared with other customers on the hosting plan, so you want to make sure that you get enough space for the amount of content that you will be storing. Ideally, you would want to ensure that your storage is at least equal to—or greater than—your expected content load.
Finally, support is vital. You will undoubtedly need technical support at some point when operating your blog, and good WordPress hosting plans should be able to provide you with trained support personnel, as well as excellent customer service, when you need it.
Choosing The Right Hosting Provider
With that out of the way, let’s discuss some of the more specific details about choosing a WordPress hosting provider. There are a few general guidelines that you can follow to help you narrow your search and identify the best option. These include 1) price, 2) data transfer limits, 3) service level, and 4) support.
Price
You can find low-cost, shared hosting plans from time to time, but if you are looking for a full-fledged professional-level WordPress hosting plan, then you will almost certainly need to spend more money.
There are a few tricks that you can use to find the best-value hosting for your needs. First, you can compare the pricing of different hosting providers by using online tools like BestPriceCompare or HipeHosting. Second, consider the different plans that each host offers; some will have cheaper basic plans, while others have greater storage- or bandwidth-limits. Finally, be sure to read reviews and feedback from previous customers or subscribe to online communities that offer help and advice regarding web hosting.
Data Transfer Limits
Another important consideration when choosing a WordPress hosting provider is the data transfer limits that they offer. Comparing the data transfer limits of different providers is also a good idea, as it will help you understand exactly how much content—and how often—you can reasonably expect to upload to your site before reaching your data transfer limit.
Doing this will also help you determine how much space you need for your content, as well as give you an idea of how much bandwidth is being used by other customers on the hosting plan. More importantly, it will help you determine how much you will need to spend on a dedicated server, in order to avoid exceeding your data transfer limit.
In choosing a web host, you will certainly be interested in paying as little as possible for good service, but you also want to make sure that you are not restricted by overly-restrictive terms and conditions. That is why it is advisable to perform a bit of research before committing to a particular plan or provider. This will help you find a balance between price and service level that is best suited to your needs.
Service Level
Another important consideration when choosing a WordPress hosting provider is their service level. Broadly speaking, there are two types of service levels that you should look for. The first is downtime, and the second is response time. Downtime is the amount of time that your site is unavailable, either because it is down or experiencing some unexpected downtime (e.g., the service is temporarily unavailable). Response time is how long it takes for a web host to respond to a service request (e.g., setting up an account, ordering a product, etc.).
Depending on your needs, you can have both good and bad downtime experiences. If you are looking for a way to build a brand or website, then you probably do not want to choose a web host that is going to be down frequently or experience unexpected outages. On the other hand, if you are looking for a way to quickly set up a blog to attract potential customers, then you may want to consider a hosting provider that offers exceptional response time.
In addition to this, you should also look for a web host with a money-back guarantee; this way, if you are not satisfied with the service, then you can request a refund, without fear of committing to a contract you cannot fulfill.
Support
Something that is often overlooked by prospective customers is the level of support that a particular web host provides for customers. This is an important aspect of any hosting plan, as you will inevitably need some form of technical support, at some point or another, when operating your blog.
If you have chosen a reputable web host that offers a solid reputation, then you can rest assured knowing that you will receive the best possible support available. Good web hosts will provide you with knowledgeable support, and make sure that your experience is as painless and straightforward as possible. Finally, it is also important to keep in mind that good support is never cheap, and you should always expect to pay for good support.
Additional Considerations
With the basics of choosing a web host out of the way, it is time to discuss some of the more specific considerations and additional aspects to keep in mind. These include 1) compatibility, 2) security, and 3) backups.
Compatibility
One of the most important things to consider when choosing a WordPress hosting plan is overall platform compatibility. Essentially, can you run the software on the platform? This is especially important if you are planning on using a product, tool, or library that is only available for certain operating systems (e.g., macOS vs. Windows). Simply put, if you can’t run the software on the hosting platform, then you are essentially wasting your time and energy. This is why most good web hosts provide instructions, along with every product/service that they offer, regarding platform requirements and restrictions.
Security
Another important consideration when choosing a WordPress hosting plan is security. Many web hosts, especially those that offer shared hosting, will have access to your billing information, as well as your site’s content. This is why it is essential to use a secure connection when accessing your account or placing an order on your site. The more you know about web hosting security, the better; there is a lot of material available from reputable sources, like GitHub and Cloudbleed, so you can get a good understanding of how and where to focus your efforts.
Backups
Finally, it is important to back up your site and content regularly. This is especially important if you are using a non-traditional hosting platform (e.g., a VPS), as you may lose all of your content, along with your site, if it were to be accidentally or deliberately deleted, or if it were to crash.
There are many different types of backups that you can perform, so find a method that works best for you. Some common options include: 1) uploading your content to OneDrive or another cloud storage service, and 2) doing regular database backups, via the WordPress dashboard, to ensure that your content—and database structure—are always available for restoration, in case of an accident or unexpected downtime.
To help you find the best option, as well as assist you along the way, we have compiled a list of questions that you should ask yourself, before making a decision. These questions—and more—should help guide you towards selecting the right solution for your unique needs and requirements.