Why You Should Choose WP Engine for WordPress Hosting and Maintenance
You have chosen a great name for your website, developed a magnificent design, and named each page and post thoughtfully. Now it’s up to you to drive as many visitors as possible to your blog, and keep them engaged with content that is both useful and entertaining.
The thing is, without a sound structure and performance-optimized code, your beautifully designed and named blog can quickly turn into a bloated mess that will distract and confuse your visitors.
Luckily, there is a solution to all of this. You can choose from a variety of WordPress hosting plans from WP Engine, a reputable web hosting company that also supplies premium WordPress themes and plugins to ensure your blog can function at its best possible.
Features You Should Know About
Before we begin, let’s briefly cover a few important features you should know about.
1. Scalable hosting. Scalable hosting from WP Engine allows you to grow your blog’s audience and its functionality without worrying about paying for more than you need.
2. Free backups. WP Engine offers free backups, which you can activate by simply clicking a button. These backups will provide you with a safety net in case something happens to your blog.
3. Free domain privacy. When you sign up for a free domain with WP Engine, you will also get privacy protection so no one can identify your website when they browse the web.
4. Free SSL. Free SSL from WP Engine secures your website’s transactions, preventing hackers from stealing your visitors’ personal information. Additionally, free SSL provides an additional layer of protection against malware and data injections, which may harm your blog’s performance.
5. Free SiteLock. In case you’re running an eCommerce store or selling your own merchandise on your blog, you may want to consider getting a free SiteLock certificate which will protect your online reputation and keep out thieves and hackers.
One of the main advantages of WP Engine (besides the features we’ve already mentioned) is the company’s excellent customer service with real humans available to help you 24/7.
Why Do You Need WordPress Hosting?
WordPress is the most popular content-managed website platform on the web today, powering more than 27% of all websites according to Statista.
The reasons to choose WordPress range from needing a simple place to host your blog to wanting to use the platform’s versatility and massive community of developers to build the perfect blog (or website, or both).
Simplicity
Simplicity is surely one of the major perks of going with WP Engine. The web host offers a number of hosting plans, all of which are incredibly simple to set up and use. You will not need to fret about complex configurations or needing to learn a new set of skills to use their services.
Scalability
Scalability is another major perk of going with WP Engine. The company has designed their hosting plans with growing websites in mind. That way, no matter how much content you may start creating, the platform will still be able to accommodate your needs.
Community
The WordPress community is one of the strongest communities of developers and bloggers in existence. If you decide to go with the platform, you will be able to tap into an incredible network of people who can provide you with tips, tricks, and helpful resources.
Versatility
Versatility is yet another major perk of going with WP Engine. The web host allows you to build practically any type of website or blog you can think of using their intuitive drag-and-drop website building platform. Along with WordPress, you can also use their Control Panel to install different plugins and take advantage of the many features they have built into the software.
Top Tips For Bloggers
If you’re just getting started, or you’re looking for some tips on how to improve your blog’s performance, read on below.
1. Choose a reputable web host. With so many malicious hackers out there, security is of the utmost importance. To keep your personal information secure, you must choose a reputable web host that provides a strong privacy policy. If you’re worried about your personal information being stolen, then read our review of the best VPN services to learn more.
2. Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN). A content delivery network (CDN) is a web caching system that stores copies of your website’s content locally so that websites and mobile devices across the globe can pull content from a single source. The benefit of using a CDN is that it speeds up your site’s load time by distributing content across multiple servers that are close to your visitors.
3. Use the right plugins. One of the best ways to make your blog faster is by using the right plugins. Without them, you’ll be limiting the functionality of your site. To help you figure out what plugins to avoid and which ones to use, we have compiled a list of the best free and premium plugins that can help you with various tasks.
Choosing A Web Host For WordPress Blogs
Now that you’re armed with the basics of what a web host does and the advantages that a reputable web host can provide, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of picking a web host for your WordPress blogs.
Like with most things, there is more than one way to skin a cat, so to speak. While most web hosts will have you covered with an intuitive dashboard and easy-to-follow instructions, not all of them will allow you to install WordPress the way you want to without additional help. Some hosting companies may also require you to purchase additional features (like a domain) in order to set up your site the way you want it. So as not to overwhelm you with too many choices, here are a few suggestions.
1. Go with a company you can trust. One of the best ways to ensure you are getting the best possible experience from a web host is by going with a company you can trust. As a general rule of thumb, look for web hosts that are rated highly by their customers and that have a good reputation in the industry.
2. Avoid shared hosting. Unless you’re writing about personal topics (such as your own family or your childhood), shared hosting is not a good choice for your blog. It’s very likely that your blog will be affiliated with (or even owned by) a company, and in order to maintain good relations with your audience, the last thing you want to do is offend them by plugging products they can’t use.
3. Consider the datacenter your blog is hosted in. The location of the datacenter (or data center) can have a big impact on your site’s performance. A lot of web hosts will have you shift your site’s data center to the US or Europe in order to provide you with faster speeds. However, this can significantly limit the amount of visitors you can attract from certain regions (for example, anyone in the UK will not be able to access your blog if it’s hosted in a data center in the US).
How To Set Up A WordPress Blog On WP Engine
Installing WordPress on a new host is fairly straight forward. All you need to do is visit the WordPress homepage and click on the Get Started button. From there, you will be taken to the Subscriber Only Area of the WordPress site where you can preview and download the latest version of the platform. After downloading and installing WordPress, you will need to log in and click on the “Create a new blog” button next to “Get Started with WordPress” in order to activate your blog.
If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop for all your WordPress needs, then you can choose from a variety of hosting plans offered by WP Engine. These plans range from the basic to the premium, and all of them include free backups, free domain privacy, free SSL, and free SiteLock certificates. To get started, visit this special link and you will be directed to the WP Engine homepage where you can choose the plan that suits you best.