How To Choose the Best WordPress Hosting
WordPress is one of the most prolific blogging platforms on the Internet. It makes operating a website incredibly easy as most of the back-end tasks are done for you automatically. Once all of the settings are established, all that is needed is regular content. With all of the webhosting companies that are on the Internet, how do you choose the best one for your needs? One of the biggest things that will influence this decision is what you wish to accomplish.
Your Own Desires for WordPress
The WordPress content management system was designed to handle regular and consistent input from its user. Before looking at different hosting companies, create a plan for what you want the website to do as a whole. Common questions to ask yourself include:
- Is this a company website?
- Will you plan on selling goods in the future?
- Do you need unlimited email potential?
- Do you plan on expanding the site?
- Will you need assistance marketing the blog?
Having an idea of what you want the site to achieve will weigh heavily on what features will be more attractive through the various hosting companies. The more solid your plan is, the better the idea of what you're looking for in a provider. After all, many companies will offer features that you may not necessarily need.
Common Features for WordPress Hosting to Consider
When it comes down to choosing the best WordPress hosting company, many features may be more alluring than others. By learning some of the most common attributes for hosting, you can make a more informed decision and quite possibly save you a great deal of money and aggravation later on.
Unlimited Bandwidth
Every time someone visits the blog, a certain amount of bandwidth is used to transfer the data. Unlimited bandwidth means that you will not be charged extra, no matter how many people access the website. Some hosting companies will tack on a fee each month if the bandwidth becomes too heavy. This might not be an issue if you don't plan on having hundreds of thousands of people visiting your site.
Unlimited Space
Every website takes up a small amount of space on a hard drive. It's when things - such as images and sound files - are added the site can become large. Unlimited space allows you to upload and expand as much as you want without being charged extra fees for surpassing size quotas. This option is ideal if you plan on showing a large number of images, uploading music or incorporating eCommerce into WordPress.
Advertising Credits
Advertising credits are used to help market the blog on various search engines and other platforms. A lot of the time, they can be used for pay-per-click campaigns on sites such as Google AdWords. This can be a good bonus if you're interested in creating a robust site. If you plan on creating one or two blog posts per week, it might not be that important and could be more of a waste of time and effort.
Domain Names
Some hosting companies will offer domain names as part of the package deal. This can be useful if you don't want to have a third-party registrar. For example, you can always use sites such as GoDaddy to register your domain and then a second company to host the WordPress website itself.
Support and Developers
It may be useful to have access to support staff and WordPress developers should you need advanced changes on the site. Many hosting companies will offer unlimited services that can help create everything from custom themes and designs to fine tuning the style sheets to create a unique appearance.
What Your Provider Needs to Deliver
There are several things a WordPress host needs to deliver if you want to have a successful website. These include: speed, stability and disaster recovery.
- The speed of your site will play a role in how search engines rank the blog.
- Stability ensures that the website will be online 24/7.
- Disaster recovery is important should malware or something drastic happen to the site.
There are many factors to consider when looking for the right WordPress hosting provider. Remember to have an idea of what you want the blog to become. Learn what each company provides before making your decision.
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