One of the most popular website-building platforms, a variety of websites can be built with WordPress. These sites range from blogs to photography portfolios. WordPress makes the website building process, simple and efficient.
What is WordPress?
WordPress is a content management system used for the creation of websites. It is structured in a way that complete novices can build and design a website. Professionals can build and design a website and also customize the website to fit their needs.
According to web data, 4.7% of all websites in the world are powered by WordPress. Over 500 websites are built using WordPress daily. The sheer bulk of websites built with WordPress necessitated the need for WordPress hosting.
WordPress Hosting
WordPress hosting is web hosting used specifically for websites built with WordPress. Hosting allows website owners to customize their websites according to their needs.
WordPress websites may have special features. These features require optimization to increase their functionality. To prevent issues like delayed loading time, it’s better to opt for WordPress hosting.
As with other forms of web hosting, finding the best WordPress host for your website can be difficult. It is difficult to know which companies are trustworthy and reliable. For a hassle-free hosting experience, BlueHost, HostGator, Heart Internet and WP hosting with Freeparking are some of the most trusted and reliable choices out there.
What Are The Types of WordPress Hosting?
There are various hosting plans offering different features and support. Choose a hosting plan for your site based on what you need.
Most hosting companies offer four hosting plans:
- Shared Hosting
- Managed Hosting
- VPS Hosting
- Dedicated Hosting
Shared Hosting
Your website shares a server with other websites in shared hosting. Your website shares memory, speed and other features with others using the server. This hosting plan is very popular among website owners and is suitable for new website owners who do not need many features. This plan is great for small e-commerce websites and low traffic blogs, for example.
Advantages:
- It is cheap. Shared hosting costs little compared to other plans. This is because the cost is split between all users of the server.
- It is useful for people who do not have sufficient funds to spend on hosting yet.
The major disadvantage is that the resources and control you get are quite limited. Loading speed and storage also suffer with this plan.
As your website grows, shared hosting may not be enough to sustain it. You will need more advanced features and resources.
Managed WordPress Hosting.
A managed hosting plan has a concierge or host that manages all the technical aspects of running a blog. A managed hosting plan is ideal for established website owners who do not want to deal with the technicalities.
This hosting plan offers premium features and resources to the website owner. The website gets constant updates,advanced security coverage, and automatic backups. You also get a free restoration in case of hacking incidents.
Many kinds of websites can use managed hosting, from small blogs to large scale e-commerce websites. However, small websites and blogs do not need to splurge on this hosting plan.
Advantages
- You don’t have to worry about the technicalities and website maintenance.
- The plan offers advanced features such as server configurations to meet your needs. Infinite scalability and built-in caching are achievable with a managed hosting plan.
- It offers increased operating speed and great performance.
- Your website gets premium support in case of any difficulties.
- Your website will not experience any downtimes.
Its major drawback is its cost. Managed hosting can be expensive but will be worth it. In addition, the plug-ins you can use are limited. This is because the host blocks any plug-ins that decrease speed.
VPS Hosting
VPS means Virtual Private Server hosting. Here, each website is assigned a partition on a virtual server. Each user gets a set amount of computational power and storage. VPS hosting is ideal for websites that are growing quickly.
Advantages
- The performance of your website is not affected by surges in demands placed on the server by other users.
- Full root access to the server is available whenever the user needs it.
- The option to modify performance features like speed and memory is available. As your website grows, you can make changes at an added cost.
Dedicated WordPress Hosting
Here, the website owner leases a physical server from a host. Established businesses creating a website will benefit from this plan. Dedicated hosting is adequate for sites and blogs with very heavy traffic.
Websites requiring intensive computational power and using complex applications will love this option.
Advantages
- The website owner has full control over the administration and maintenance of the website. Unless you have a high level of technical knowledge, you will have to use a system administrator.
- The server runs only your website, so its entire memory and computational power are at your disposal. These ensure high performance always.
Disadvantages
- This type of hosting can be quite expensive. Owners may spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on their servers.
- They need extensive technical knowledge to set up and operate.
- Website owners without the necessary knowledge may need to use an admin. This may result in higher costs and lower control
- Scaling may be difficult as they operate with a specified amount of computational power and memory.
What Should You Consider When Choosing a WordPress Hosting Service
The service and hosting plan you choose will depend on your budget, requirements and technical expertise. However, there are four essential factors to consider before choosing a service.
Speed/Performance
The performance of your website is essential. Websites that load slowly can repulse visitors and impact your SEO ranking negatively. Choose a host that promises server load speeds below 300 ms.
Uptime
100% is preferred but might be impossible. In the absence of 100%, 99.9% uptime is good enough. Find a host that guarantees uptime of 99.9% backed by a reimbursement policy.
Support
Running a website is not a bed of roses, you are going to need help at some point. Choose a host that has a quality support system. Check their availability periods and read reviews before making a choice.
Your Needs
Pick a service with features that fit your website type and size. Take storage, computational speed and the level of control you need into consideration.
WordPress hosting is a good choice for websites developed on the WordPress platform. It ensures that features specific to WordPress maintain their functionality.
When choosing a hosting service, choose a host based on the your website’s requirements. Hosting is not a one size fits all template, what works for others may not work for you. Make sure to read reviews and ask questions before committing to a service.
