WordPress hosting needs to provide a number of things for its customers. Unlike traditional hosting for basic HTML website, WordPress hosting must take into account a variety of factors. When considering WordPress hosting for your website, here are a few critical things to consider.
Basic Server Requirements
All hosting will have a set of standards that must be met to host a website. In the case of WordPress, there are some additional items required. While it can, in theory, run on most platforms, WordPress relies on Linux hosting with MySQL for the database. Ideally, access to CPanel (the control panel software used by most hosts and, incidentally, located just a couple miles from our offices in Houston) should be available to help manage all the components necessary for your WordPress website.
Shared vs. VPS vs. Dedicated
Many WordPress hosting companies now offer things like basic setup for your website or one-click setup. This might work for a small website. For a larger website or one with unique needs, one-click setup is almost always inadequate. Beyond the setup, shared hosting is most common for inexpensive hosting plans. Anything less than about $30 per month, and you are on a shared host.
Shared hosting means you are sharing resources (software, database space, etc.) with perhaps dozens or even hundreds of other websites. If other websites have loads of traffic, it can slow your website’s performance significantly. VPS (or Virtual Private Server) is like having a portion of the server all to yourself. Costs for VPS normally run between $35 and $300 per month depending on your needs. Because you don’t share resources with other websites, VPS is much more stable, reliable and fast. But like shared, WordPress hosting with VPS means dedicated customer support for your plan.
Dedicated hosting is large-scale for big companies with very specific requirements and normally runs $250 per month into the thousands.
The majority of our clients use VPS hosting, including those who have WordPress hosting through Site Mender.
Restrictions on Content or Plugins
It is not uncommon for WordPress hosting companies to place certain restrictions on plugins or content to protect their networks. This may or may not have an impact on your website, but it should be carefully considered before signing up. While hosts who have such restrictions are well intentioned, there are certainly instances where security can go too far, preventing your website from accessing important service offerings from plugins.
WordPress Hosting Support
Perhaps the most overlooked element of a good WordPress hosting provider is support. In many instances, your hosting is only as good as the customer support that is provided for it. Because we are dedicated to providing extremely high levels of customer support, this is at the top of our list of importance.
If you are looking for quality WordPress hosting and maintenance for your WordPress website, call us at 888-424-6363 or contact us via email today!