WordPress Hosting for a City
It’s time to reveal the truth… WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) used worldwide and it’s gaining popularity in Canada as well. Most people who use WordPress do so because of its ease-of-use, highly flexible content publishing features and the huge community that supports it. It is a common misconception that WordPress is only suitable for online use; in fact, you can use it to create a fully functioning website that serves as your business’ online storefront as well as its blog.
In case you’re wondering, WordPress is a free and open-source CMS that you can download and install on your own server. It was originally created in 2004 by Matt Mullenweg and currently resides on the WordPress.org platform.
WordPress comes with a variety of pre-installed features (known as the “starter plan”) that can help you get up and running quickly with a basic blog or eCommerce site. If you go beyond the basics, you can choose from a variety of affordable paid plans that range from the starter plan to the business plan. Let’s take a closer look at what each plan includes and what you will need to know to choose the right one for your needs.
The Starter Plan: What You Get
The starter plan provides you with a free domain name, a free blog hosting service and a free weekly newsletter. You also get access to the WordPress.org community forums and a personal support representative via live chat. The starter plan is completely free and as a result, it provides you with a limited number of features.
You’ll find a full comparison of the starter plan and the standard plan (at the time of writing, this comparison is no longer available) here. As the name would suggest, the starter plan is ideal for those who are just getting started with WordPress and don’t need to spend a lot of money on hosting or design fees. If you’re looking for a free and simple blog platform, the starter plan is a good fit.
The Standard Plan: More Than You’ll Need
On the opposite end of the spectrum, you’ll find the standard plan which provides you with all the same features as the starter plan but at a discounted price. In fact, the standard plan is a great choice for anyone who is looking for a reliable, feature-full blogging platform.
The standard plan also comes with a free template builder that lets you create and install custom web templates in a matter of minutes. This plan is the perfect choice for photographers, designers or small businesses who need a simple way to publish content on their website.
As you can see from the name, the standard plan provides you with all the features of the starter plan but at a discounted rate. It is a good choice for those who want to use WordPress as a cheap and easy way to create a professional-looking blog or website.
The Business Plan: Everything You Could Want
The business plan is the most popular WordPress plan among web hosts since it provides you with all the features of the standard plan along with a free SSL certificate, free backups, and free weekly website maintenance. Most importantly, you get access to a team of experts who are available to help you through any glitch that you might encounter.
If you’re looking to create a serious blog or website that needs to function without any glitches, the business plan is the perfect choice. It is also a perfect choice for those who want to create a simple ecommerce store or want to integrate their blog with an eCommerce store.
As you can see, the business plan comes with a lot of perks and it is ideal for those who want to use WordPress to its fullest potential. It’s important to keep in mind that just because a lot of features are included in this plan it doesn’t mean that you won’t need help from time to time. Remember, you’re still a novice and things might not work out exactly as you expect. That’s why it’s best to be prepared for any eventuality by choosing the right hosting plan beforehand.
Hosting
Once you’ve decided which plan to go with, it’s time to move on to the next step which is choosing a hosting provider. Just like with any other type of internet service, different web hosts offer different levels of service and some are more expensive than others. You should, however, be careful when choosing a web host since some of them are a little on the expensive side.
You have a couple of options here. You can either choose an economical shared hosting plan from a reputable web host that offers excellent customer support or go with a premium hosting plan from a more established web host. The main difference between the two is the level of service that they offer.
You should go for the shared hosting plan if you’re looking for a stable, simple and affordable blogging platform. Premium hosting plans usually come with additional perks such as free backups, free domain privacy, etc. That being said, shared hosting plans are much cheaper than premium ones and in most cases, you won’t need additional perks since everything is included.
Design
Once you’ve picked the right web host and have activated your account, it’s time to move on to the next step which is choosing a theme (this is where the fun begins).
There are hundreds of free and premium WordPress themes that you can download and use to build your website. Like with any other type of website platform, themes vary in quality and some are better than others. The good thing is that you’re not bound to any particular theme since you can choose any one that you like once you’ve activated your account.
Choosing the right theme is very similar to choosing a web host. You want to find a reliable, security-minded company with a good reputation that offers an amazing customer experience. Another important thing to keep in mind is the support. Since you won’t be tech-savvy yourself, you might encounter problems that are beyond your ability to fix. In these cases, you need someone who can help you out.
One last thing before we move on, make sure that you back up your site frequently! It’s a good idea to have at least two copies of your website data somewhere in case one of them gets corrupted or destroyed somehow. That way, you’ll be able to get your content back without too much hassle.
Conclusion
As you can see from the example sites that we’ve looked at thus far, WordPress is a great choice for anyone who is looking to create a simple blog or website. It is, however, a misconception that WordPress is only suitable for online use; in fact, you can use it to create a fully functioning website that serves as your business’ online storefront as well as its blog.
In case you’re wondering, WordPress is a free and open-source CMS that you can download and install on your own server. It was originally created in 2004 by Matt Mullenweg and currently resides on the WordPress.org platform.