How to Choose a WordPress Hosting Theme
If you’re looking for an easy-to-use, yet powerful, free blog platform, then you’ve probably heard of WordPress. Created by WordPress founders Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little in 2004, WordPress is the #2 most popular blogging platform in existence, with over 75 million active monthly devices, according to WordPress.com.
You may be wondering how to choose a WordPress hosting theme. This guide will help!
Consider Your Needs
One of the first things you should do before choosing a host is to consider your needs. What are your blogging needs? Do you want a free blogging platform or do you want to pay for hosting? The pricing plans and features of different hosts will be discussed in further detail below. But, for now, it’s important to take a few moments to consider your needs and wants before making a decision.
Do you need a free blogging platform or do you want to pay for hosting? Free blogs are extremely easy to set up and can be accessed from anywhere at any time. However, if your goal is to grow your blog into a large, thriving business, then a paid hosting plan may be the best choice for you. WordPress offers a shared hosting plan, which provides you with a free domain and allows you to install and run your blog on their servers. These types of plans are extremely affordable for entrepreneurs and small businesses, offering you the flexibility to grow your blog without worrying about paying for expensive hosting services.
Features
Another important decision you’ll have to make is which features you need and which you don’t. The more features a blogging platform has, the more functional it will be. To that end, WordPress is incredibly feature-rich. One of the best things about WordPress is that it was designed with usability in mind. Even beginners can easily use the platform and achieve great results. WordPress has a built-in search functionality, which is great for SEO. Additionally, WordPress is extremely customizable, allowing you to change the look and feel of your blog to fit your needs. You can even install third-party plugins, which provide additional functionality to your blog. And last but not least, let’s not forget about the community. WordPress is a hub for bloggers and content creators, offering a wealth of knowledge as well as the opportunity to discuss and brainstorm ideas with fellow bloggers. Not only that, but WordPress is also extremely active, with over 30 million downloads per month, so you’re sure to find an audience to whom you can lend a hand if you need help.
Pricing
An important decision you’ll need to make is how much you’re willing to spend on hosting. Just like with most things in life, there is a range of costs associated with hosting a WordPress blog. The price varies by plan and can range from free to $15 or more per month. Here’s a quick rundown of the different plans and their pricing structures:
- Basic (free)
- Choice (free)
- Plus ($5)
- Choice Plus (free)
- Choice Premium ($10)
- Choice Plus Premium (free)
- Pro ($15+)
As you can see, the pricing for WordPress hosting plans varies widely. The best part is that you can use different pricing structures for each of your hosting needs. For example, if you’re just starting out and don’t have much traffic, you may decide that a free, basic WordPress hosting plan is suitable for your needs. Alternatively, if you have a growing blog with heavy traffic, a premium, dedicated hosting plan may be what you’re looking for. It’s all about how you use the platform and how you want to monetize your blog!
Choosing A Free Blogging Platform
One of the great things about WordPress is that it’s a completely free blogging platform, which provides you with a wealth of functionalities and features. This aspect alone makes it worth considering as a blog hosting platform. You’re not tied to any service agreements or commitments, and you can access and use the platform to its fullest. WordPress also powers millions of blogs around the world, so if you think that a free blogging platform sounds good, but you don’t want to commit to a paid plan, then WordPress is the ideal solution for you.
The Downsides
While WordPress has many awesome features and is extremely popular, it also has a few downsides. One of the biggest downsides to WordPress is that it’s not mobile-friendly. This means that if you write a blog post on your laptop, and then you decide to leave the house and try to read the blog post on your phone, then the text will be extremely small, and a bit difficult to read. This problem doesn’t occur if you’re using a desktop or tablet device, as the text is displayed in a better quality.
If you have a WordPress blog and are worried about the mobile-friendliness of the platform, then you may want to consider switching to a different blogging service. There are many popular, free blogging platforms out there, like Blogger and Google’s own BlogSpot. These platforms offer amazing support, are mobile-friendly, and have a wide array of features. If you decide that Blogger is the best fit for your needs, then you can simply switch your blog from WordPress to Blogger.
Where Can I Host My WordPress Blog?
Another important decision you’ll need to make is where you want to host your WordPress blog. There are several different hosting platforms out there, each with perks and drawbacks. For example, Amazon’s Elastic Beanstalk is a great option for those looking for a free, cloud-based hosting platform. Alternatively, you can use WordPress.com to host your blog for free. These types of services allow you to install and run your blog quickly and easily. The biggest downside is that you’re only given 5GB of storage, which may not be enough for some bloggers. Plus, WordPress.com’s free hosting plan limits the amount of traffic you can pull in each month.
Hosting On Your Own
Of course, if you’re looking for the full control of your blog’s hosting, then you can choose to host it on your own. There are several different hosting providers out there, each with their own perks and drawbacks. The decision is all about what you’re looking for. If you prefer having complete control over your blog’s hosting, then you can choose to self-host it. The best part is that you can install and run WordPress on just about any computer or server. You may need to purchase an SSL certificate to ensure your blog’s security, as well as setting up a database, installing WordPress, and configuring the CMS (content management system) to work with your chosen domain.
The downsides of hosting your own blog are that it requires a lot of technical knowledge and it’s rather expensive, as you’ll need to purchase your own computer or server. Additionally, you may need to consider investing in web hosting services specifically designed for bloggers, like Dreamhost, which offers a free package for bloggers with limited storage.
Ultimately, the choice is all about what you want out of a blogging platform. If you’re looking for a simple platform with a free community, then WordPress is the ideal solution. If you’d like to host your blog on your own, then you can purchase an SSL certificate and all the necessary equipment to run WordPress. It’s all about what you want out of a blogging platform!