In the last few years WordPress has become the most widely used Content Management System (CMS) in the world, and is used to host millions of website around the globe. WordPress is easy to use, quick to setup, and allows for plenty of customization to adapt your website as you see fit. The first step when launching a WordPress website is choosing which web hosting provider and which package to go for. However you might be left wondering – what should I be keeping in mind before I make this decision?
Choosing your WordPress hosting can have more of an effect than you think, so in this article we will explain 9 key factors to keep in mind while choosing your WordPress Hosting.
Price
At the end of the day, price is usually the deciding factor with most things, and choosing a WordPress hosting plan is no exception to this. Ultimately most of us end up choosing the cheapest solution, however with that you run the risk of choosing an inferior package lacking in features or performance, compared to more expensive counterparts. Make sure to check all the features and offers of other providers and packages before making your decision.
Support
At some point in your web hosting adventure, it’s inevitable that you’ll run into some sort of issue along the way. When this does happen, you’re going to want good technical support to help you out. Some hosting providers offer much less support than others, so it’s worth properly checking how helpful their technical support is.
Customer Reviews
Never forget to check the customer reviews of the web hosting provider you plan to go with! Customer reviews usually represent an honest and transparent look at how the company operates, in terms of their performance, customer support, and reliability. Failure to check customer reviews can end up with you choosing a bad web hosting provider.
Uptime
These days you will find that most hosting providers advertise good up-time, however it’s still something to look out for when choosing WordPress Hosting. You want to look for something like 99.9% up-time, from a reputable web hosting provider. Doing this will ensure that you’ll experience the least possible downtime on your website.
Performance
One of the less obvious things to keep in mind when choosing WordPress hosting is the performance. While most hosting providers do have high performance plans, there are still plenty that provide inferior performance while still charging lots of money. Make sure to choose a web hosting provider with up-to-date hardware and fast server software.
Security
Another thing to keep in mind when choosing your WordPress hosting is the level of security your web hosting provider has in place. Most web hosting providers do have adequate security measures in place however there are still plenty out there with inadequate security systems, causing account compromises, spamming, and malicious activity. Make sure your hosting provider has a sufficient security system in place on their WordPress hosting plans.
Backups
Something that’s often forgotten about when choosing a WordPress hosting plan is the backups and restoration. If anything goes wrong with your website at any point, you’ll want a recent backup of all of your website files so that you can restore your website and get it back online. Many web hosting providers do have regular automated backups; however lots don’t – so ensure that your WordPress hosting plan comes with regular backups!
User Interface
The user interface in WordPress is simple enough to most people, and can be learned quickly – but what about your web hosting provider’s user interface? Don’t forget that at times you will need to login to your host’s customer portal and pay invoices, renew domain names, or order additional services. Therefore it’s important not to forget about the user interface when choosing your WordPress hosting plan.
Personal Preference
The last thing to keep in mind when choosing a WordPress hosting plan is your own personal preference. At the end of the day, everyone is going to be using WordPress for a different thing, so you’re going to have your own requirements and preferences with your WordPress hosting plan. Some website owners might want pre-installed forum software, or a multiple website setup for example. It’s likely that not all providers will offer exactly what you need, so do your research before making a decision!
