Which WordPress Hosting Plan Is Right For Your Business?

WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world. Launched in 2003, it has grown to include a community of over 500 million users and is completely free to use. While the software is amazingly versatile and easy to use, it can be difficult to understand what plan best suits your needs as a business owner.

There are several different WordPress hosting plans available, from shared hosting to the expensive but highly efficient option of WooCommerce Pro.

Which one you should choose depends on your business’ requirements and goals. We’ve put together this guide to help you make the right decision.

Features You Should Look For In A WordPress Hosting Plan

Before you commit to one particular plan, it’s a good idea to consider what features you need and want for your site. Here’s a shortlist:

• Secure Website – Is your web content protected by military-grade encryption techniques? If so, chances are you’ll need a dedicated IP address and the plan that supports this is the GoDaddy Classic Plus plan.
• Efficient Page Loading – Does your site load quickly? If not, it’s time for an upgrade! The best host for your site will depend on how much content you have as well as how much content you want to have. Consider hosting a blog with several posts published each week, or a site with lots of videos uploaded daily. The latter will require more resources from your servers, so make sure you’re prepared to pay for the extra bandwidth used.
• Flexible Space For Growth – How much space do you need to comfortably accommodate your site’s growth? The best possible scenario would be to have a host that provides you with a few hundred gigabytes of storage that you can gradually expand as your site grows. Most hosts will give you a solid 100 GB of free storage with their plan, so you won’t have to pay for extra space until your site becomes significantly larger than that.
• Backup And Restore On-Demand – Do you need to be able to frequently restore your site from a backup? Or, on the other hand, does your site’s content always need to be up-to-date and secure? The best host for your site will offer you either one or the other of these options, but not necessarily both.
• 24/7 Customer Support – Are you looking for a web host that provides round-the-clock support, for whatever you might need? Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, having a team of experts at your fingertips is what sets the best hosts apart from the rest. Even if you don’t need this level of support, it’s often worth it for peace of mind.
• Free Software Updates – The best hosts will provide you with free software updates, either through an annual subscription or via a daily/weekly/monthly credit towards updates. These are great for keeping your site secure and up-to-date, especially if you’re running a business online and don’t have the time to keep up with software upgrades yourself.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (2FA) – Is your site dealing with financial transactions or storing incredibly sensitive information? If so, you’ll want to look for a host that supports multi-factor authentication, using either hardware or software tokens. The former is preferable as it keeps your information secure even if the device is stolen, while the latter is useful if someone is trying to impersonate you.

Now that you have a better idea of what features you need in a hosting plan, let’s move on to the next step: Choosing A Hosting Provider.

Choosing A Hosting Provider

It’s important to choose a web hosting provider that is a reputable source, and one that is familiar with running websites similar to yours. A reliable host will have an impressive portfolio of previous clients, along with testimonials from those users. If possible, look for hosts that are members of industry-leading organizations such as the Direct Connect Platform Associazione (DCP), the Internet Society, and the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C).

Choosing a hosting provider is definitely not an easy task, as there are many options out there. While it’s best to choose one that is already well-known, it’s also important to read reviews from previous clients, as this will help you determine whether or not this is the right choice for your business.

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is one of the more cost-effective options for businesses looking to start a site or blog. This type of hosting allows you to share a server with multiple other websites or blogs. You’ll typically pay a one-time setup fee, along with a monthly fee that varies based on the size of your site. Smaller sites can expect to pay around $5-10 per month, while larger ones will be charged more like $20 or so.

Shared hosting is easy to setup and requires very little maintenance. If you’re looking for a simple solution, this is the perfect choice for you. While it does have its perks, it’s not the best option if you’re looking for a long-term stable platform for your site. If you’re not sure what type of hosting will be best for your business, this is the option to go with.

VPS Hosting

A virtual private server (VPS) is essentially shared hosting in a box. What’s different is that you get your own dedicated IP address and a slice of server’s RAM (Random Access Memory) that is dedicated to your use. This makes VPS hosting extremely versatile, as you get the benefits of a dedicated IP address and the resources of a high-powered server, all for a one-time setup fee and monthly fee that varies based on the size of your site or the services you want to use.

A VPS provides you with an unparalleled degree of customization, along with the added bonus of security and privacy. You’ll typically only need to pay for what you use and can even set up automated billing so you don’t have to worry about remembering to pay your monthly hosting fee. If you’re the type of person that likes to tinker with the code or look into how things work, this is the perfect choice for your business. It’s also a great choice if you’re wanting to create a site that requires a lot of bandwidth or storage space.

Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting is a type of hosting that provides you with remote server space that you can use to create and run your site. This type of hosting is incredibly flexible and allows you to scale up or down as needed with minimal effort. Simply upload your site’s content to the cloud, set up the domain, and you’re ready to go.

The best thing about cloud hosting is that you don’t need to have a precise knowledge of how servers and network works to utilize their services. While it’s not the simplest type of hosting to set up, it’s incredibly easy to use and doesn’t require any special skills to manage. The best part is that you can scale up and down as needed with minimal effort, by simply hiring more staff or renting additional servers.

WooCommerce Pro

Last but not least, we have WooCommerce Pro. WooCommerce is the most popular e-commerce plugin for WordPress, with over 1.7 million downloads to date. It is a fully functional e-commerce platform that requires no technical expertise to use. What makes this option special is that you don’t just get a webstore, but a multidimensional platform that allows you to create an entire digital store, including inventory and orders, all without needing to write a single line of code.

WooCommerce is a great option for those looking for a one-stop-shop for their e-commerce requirements. It offers everything from product display and inventory to shipping and payment processing. If you want to create a fully functioning e-commerce store with a minimum of effort, this is the perfect choice for you.

When choosing a host for your site, be sure to consider the various features that each one offers. While some hosts might provide you with a cheap and cheerful option, the best ones will provide you with a stable and secure environment that can grow alongside your business.