What are the Differences Between WordPress Website Domain Hosting and Website Hosting?
WordPress is a popular content management system, and its associated hosting is also very popular. But what exactly is WordPress hosting? And what are the differences between the two? Let’s explore.
What is WordPress?
If you’re reading this, I assume you already know what WordPress is. But for those of you who don’t, WordPress is a content management system – or CMS for short. It’s a free and open-source platform that allows users to easily create and manage a website with a variety of features.
CMSes allow website owners to update their content without needing to contact a web developer, which in turn saves them time and money. WordPress was originally built for blogging, though it can be used for many different purposes, including creating a news website, a magazine, or even a corporate website.
What is WordPress Hosting?
When you install WordPress, it comes with a default hostname – such as “example.com” or “hello.com” – and a domain name that points to that hostname, such as “myblog.example.com” or “awesome-widget.com”.
When you host a WordPress-powered website, you’re essentially renting a space from a web hosting provider and allowing WordPress to live in it.
Web hosting providers rent out large numbers of computers that are then connected to the internet. When a website visitor requests the content, the computer instantly sends the information to the right place. The web host then pays the provider according to the number of visitors they get.
There are different types of web hosting, but generally speaking, the more expensive the plan, the more features you get, and the more machines you can host on it. For example, a shared hosting plan from Bluehost typically costs $2.95 per month, and with that price you get a free domain, plus you can install one website or several WordPress sites. Plus, you can install a WordPress website with cPanel, which is a popular hosting control panel.
Other popular web hosts include DreamHost, which is famous for their affordable pricing and special offers, and InMotion, which provides an easy one-click WordPress install.
What is the Difference Between WordPress Website Domain Hosting and Website Hosting?
A few years back, the terms “website domain hosting” and “web hosting” were used interchangeably. But today, they are not quite the same thing. Here’s why.
Domain Name
A domain name is a word or a phrase that represents your website. For example, if you have a blog about fashion, your domain name could be “fashion-blog.com”. When a person visits a website, the internet automatically looks up the domain name and sends the request to the server.
If you want to install WordPress on a domain name that you already have, you have two options. The first option is to use a free domain name registrar, such as [ https://fastdomains.com/ ], and then point the domain name to your hosting account – the second option is to use a virtual private server (VPS), which we’ll discuss in a bit.
Security
You can’t beat having a secure website. Having an SSL certificate (secure socket layer) installed on your site makes it much more accessible to visitors. An SSL certificate ensures that your data is kept private and that your website is authenticated when a potential customer visits it.
An SSL certificate adds another layer of security to your website, making it more difficult for hackers to access your personal information. Most browsers will display a lock icon next to secure websites. If a person clicks on that icon, they’re presented with a green bar that looks similar to the one below. If you don’t have an SSL certificate yet, simply go to your website provider’s website and follow the instructions to obtain one.
If you install WordPress on a domain name that you already have, you will need to purchase an SSL certificate from your website provider. Otherwise, you can use a free certificate from a certificate authority, such as LetsEncrypt.
Speed
There’s no point in having a slow website. The second you install WordPress, you’ll notice a drastic difference in the speed of your site. Why? Because the platform automatically compresses all the static content on your site (such as HTML, JavaScript, and CSS files), which in turn makes your site load faster. In addition, the automatic image optimization tool within WordPress makes it easier to find the right image for your content.
The bottom line is this: if you want your site to perform well, use a reputable web host that offers fast speeds, a free domain, and an SSL certificate. Otherwise, you’re wasting your time and bandwidth.
Other Considerations
Apart from the essentials discussed above, you should also look for these other things when choosing a web host:
- Feature-rich control panel
- Ability to install multiple WordPress sites on one server
- Multiple data center locations
- Dedicated customer support
- Optional SSL certificate
You don’t need to buy all these things in order to use WordPress, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.
Choosing a web host takes into consideration many factors, including speed, security, and features. But aside from those essentials, you should also look for these other things.