Are you struggling to find the best WordPress hosting provider for your website? Does the act of narrowing down your choices seem overwhelming? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Whether you’re a small business, professional blogger or simply looking for a hosting provider to setup your family vacation pictures, navigating throughout the endless array of WordPress hosting providers can be a daunting task.
When you’re looking for the best WordPress hosting provider for your specific needs, the secret to finding your ideal provider is easier than you may think. While it can take some time, if you follow a few simple tips, you’ll soon be the proud owner of a sparkling new WordPress website.
Tip #1 – Managed WordPress Hosting or Traditional Option?
When it comes to figuring out your best WordPress hosting provider, the first step is deciding whether you wish to go with a managed WordPress hosting provider, or a traditional self-operated hosting account.
So, what is a managed WordPress host? It’s an easier way to get your site up-and-running. There are several key benefits of a managed WordPress hosting plan, which include:
• Establishing Server Access
• Installing WordPress
• Migrating Previous WordPress Site to New Account
• Managing Backups of Your Site
• Managing WordPress Plugins and Updates
• Overseeing Security and Handling Hacking Attempts
• Managing Appropriate Bandwidth Based on Traffic
A managed WordPress hosting provider takes care of all the technical aspects of keeping your site running as smoothly as possible. While it’s possible to take care of these elements on your own, unless you’re an experienced webmaster, managed accounts make it much easier to run a personal or professional account.
Tip #2 – Review Hosting Server History and Reliability
There’s nothing more frustrating than having your WordPress site go down because of hosting server unreliability. Before choosing a web host, make sure to review its uptime average and reliability.
As a general rule, only choose a WordPress hosting provider who features a minimum of 99 percent uptime availability. Anything less than that, and you’re risking your site being unavailable for extended periods of time.
While this may not be as important for a personal blog, if you’re a small business or looking to monetize your blog, you should absolutely avoid any hosting provider who’s unable to guarantee near-constant uptime. This isn’t just important for your visitors, but Google determines site availability as part of its ranking algorithm.
Tip #3 – Signup Price vs. Standard Price
It’s easy to be swayed into a WordPress hosting plan because its signup price is so cheap. In some cases, you can receive a domain name and a year of hosting for less than $20. However, if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
Make sure to review that renewal, or standard, price for your hosting plan before agreeing. In some cases, the renewal price can be anywhere from 50 to 100 percent more than what the signup price is. The last thing you want is to spend a year cultivating a successful website only to be hit with an invoice for hundreds of dollars. Make sure to do your homework, your bank account will thank you.
