They say that a website and its hosting should be the right fit for each other. Which is why finding the best WordPress web hosting for your website is essential. After choosing WordPress as a preferred platform for the website, ensure that you have enough knowledge about WordPress hosting plans and providers. This could be a make or break deal for you since everything right from the security of the website to the server’s uptime, resources etc. depends on your WordPress hosting. Moreover, with the number of options available, it is obvious for someone to lose track of important aspects that go into choosing the best WordPress web hosting. With this article, you will leave no stone unturned in choosing a WordPress hosting for your WordPress website. Moreover, you will also know henceforth about the type of WordPress hosting plan you should choose for your hosting. Sounds informative? Plunge right in then.
- Understanding Basic Requirements
We have seen quite often that people choose WordPress hosting after booking a meeting with the service provider rather than doing their own homework first. Be a step ahead with your research and understand what your requirements exactly are. So, as an exercise, start by asking the first question.
1) What budget have I allocated for my WordPress hosting service?
Budgets mean costs. Costs mean savings. And savings is money earned. Draw a budget according to the resources that you need. Do you need a lot of space? If yes then have a slightly flexible budget. This does not necessarily mean that you overspend to use all the resources. Chances are they may go unutilised. What a waste that would be. So, make sure that you create a resource structure in the beginning and then draw a budget that reflects it.
2) How much traffic do I estimate today and three months from now?
If you have defined the purpose of your website, you must already have a rough number of the number of users expected month on month. Also, this component depends on how much marketing you have planned to drive users to your WordPress website. If you are a business that expects frequent user activity, then you will need to make sure that your WordPress hosting package can bear the traffic. So, assume a number depending on what objectives and activities you have planned and select those resources accordingly.
3) Should I choose WordPress hosting based on the scalability? Do I need 24/7 support?
Well, you know how big a business you are better than we do. So, it is better to choose a WordPress hosting plan that allows you to scale as you progress. Hence, make sure that your hosting service provider already has this provision made for customers. With respect to support, we strongly believe that it again depends on the nature of your business. Most of the service providers do lend 24/7 support but a word of caution, avoid those who give you automated support which has a chance of not getting your problem resolved.
- Choosing a WordPress hosting service provider
If you have satisfactorily answered these questions for yourself, move on to the next bit, which is selecting the best WordPress hosting service provider for your business. As you change your course in a bid to choose WordPress hosting, here is a list of some must-haves to take into consideration.
1) Server up-time – A good server uptime is an indicator of the good health of your WordPress website. It is just like the pulse-rate which keeps your website beating. If you were to go by great standards for a server’s uptime, then anything beyond 99% is a very healthy server uptime. So make sure that you don’t settle for anything less than that.
2) Backup-recovery – Your service provider should have made the provision of a plan B for your hosting. In spite of the security and protection software used you can never know which attack proves lethal for your website. Which is why having a good backup and recovery plan is a must.
3) Security measures – To further the point made above, make sure the security of your WordPress hosting is not at stake. CodeGuard and Sitelock are key protection enablers for your WordPress website, so make sure that you know what your provider is giving you.
These are some basic pointers you need to take into account. Of course, there are several other things with respect to data center location, overall performance and reporting, software updates etc. But these are basic elements that should set your WordPress hosting up for good.
This pretty much will give you an idea as to how to choose the best WordPress web hosting plan stepwise. We hope you now have enough information to make a purchase decision now. There might be a probability that you feel a particular parameter or step is redundant. In that case, you do not have to make it a compulsion to include the same. These steps are given taking all kinds of businesses and users in mind.