Whether you're a novice who's setting up a website for the first time or you're more experienced with the procedure, choosing a hosting service will probably make you feel a little overwhelmed. There are plenty of hosts to pick from, and each one has unique advantages and disadvantages. Making the wrong decision will have an impact on both how well your website performs and how many visitors it draws, further complicating matters.
It's important to be aware of the essential features that every hosting service ought to offer as a minimum (as well as any extras that might be desirable for a premium) before you begin your search. The most crucial qualities to consider while choosing your next web host are broken down below.
Cost
The cost is typically the first aspect consumers take into account when selecting a Best WordPress web host. But keep in mind that often the cheapest options aren't the greatest, especially in the long run. The level of customer service and the state of the servers are only two examples of the many variables that affect web hosting expenses. When weighing your options, keep in mind that maintaining a knowledgeable and productive personnel, high-quality technology, and a solid network connection can be costly.
What you pay for is what you receive, is the reality. Cutting corners may be acceptable for optional extras, but it's always preferable to operate within a large budget when searching for something as important as a host for your website. Paying more for a reputable, dependable provider will guarantee little downtime, lots of storage, thorough support, and top-notch security. This is not to imply that there aren't many affordable suppliers who give excellent services as well, but if you want our advise, we'd always suggest spending a little bit more for all the mod-cons.
Website Security
You must pick a hosting company that can defend against cyber-attacks on your website. Web hosting security is crucial for any website, whether it's a small-scale e-commerce shop or a personal blog, for this reason. The security of your website is mostly decided by how it is constructed, but a trustworthy hosting company can also be extremely important in protecting your website from hostile attacks.
The top suppliers provide services like regular data backups to safeguard your information, cutting-edge cybersecurity tools to guard against website faults, and SSL certificates to ensure secure transactions. Finally, your hosting company should offer access control so that only authorised users may access the tools for managing your website, as well as the capability to whitelist IPs.
Reliability and Server Uptime Guarantee
The last thing you want when managing your own website is for it to stop functioning completely. Check your preferred hosting provider's availability guarantee to prevent this; if they offer anything less than 99.9% uptime, leave immediately! This might appear to be a respectable uptime rate, but over the course of a year, it will translate into almost 9 hours of downtime.
Technical Support
You'll eventually run into a situation where you need assistance with a technical problem. You might be having trouble using the host's control panel, or you might have made a mistake while altering a page and don't know how to go back to an earlier version of your website.
If you've ever dealt with subpar customer service, you know how frustrating it can be.
When choosing a host, make sure they give thorough help via a variety of channels; typical support should include phone, live chat, and email. Visit Trustpilot and go through the experiences of current (or former) customers to obtain a better understanding of a provider's level of customer service — they can be really eye-opening!
Website Backups and Disaster Recovery
We shouldn't have to emphasise how crucial it is to protect your sensitive information and priceless data. As a result, you should make sure that the security of your site will depend on the host you choose.
Every day, hackers target a significant number of websites, and new vulnerabilities are consistently found. For the best protection, use a host that provides automated backups across numerous servers.
Scalability
Select a host that will expand with your website. For instance, if you own an online store, you might discover that your existing hosting plan can't handle the escalating amount of consumers you're bringing in.
The top hosts will grow with your company. To improve the security and storage capabilities of your website, for instance, you might need to switch to a VPS or dedicated server. Choose a host that enables such upgrades to be completed without any noticeable disruption.
Compatibility with Plugins
The close relationship between WordPress and plugins is one of the main factors driving the popularity of the platform among bloggers and companies. Plugins can sometimes be incompatible with specific hosts, and in other situations they can even be openly forbidden. Make sure that any plugin you intend to use is totally compatible before deciding on a host.
Intuitive Control Panel
Due to its simplicity of use, an intuitive, thoughtfully built control panel will frequently go unnoticed by its users, whereas a control panel that is poorly made will quickly become a major source of annoyance.
One of the most crucial aspects to take into account when choosing your next web host is how simple it is to maintain your website on a daily basis, therefore pay special attention to the control panel's UI. How much control is granted? Major adjustments can be accomplished quickly, or are simple activities overcomplicated?
Latest Hardware/Software
How quickly are the servers at your web host? Are they more recent devices running more up-to-date software, or are they older devices? Are they able to withstand the expected volume of visitors on your website or will they give out under the strain?
Take a close look at the hardware your provider is using, and if you don't have the necessary technical know-how, ask someone who does. We know it can be challenging to make sense of all the jargon, but there's little point in making a leap of faith when it comes to hardware.
Recommended WordPress Hosting Provider
The details above should have given you some ideas about the qualities to look for when choosing a host. If you're still overwhelmed by the sheer number of options, we've included three of our top suppliers below:
Hostinger
All Hostinger plans include WordPress pre-installed, a custom email address, a user-friendly control panel, round-the-clock support, and at least 100GB of bandwidth. This is a fantastic, affordable option for companies of all sizes.
Bluehost
Bluehost is highly recommended as one of the three web hosting that WordPress itself has officially certified. The drag-and-drop website builder, automated updates, knowledgeable 24/7 support, free SSL certificates, and a CDN that speeds up websites are all included in Bluehost's WordPress hosting options. Even better, Bluehost offers a money-back guarantee. If you're unhappy with the service, just let them know within 30 days and they'll issue a full refund.