How to choose hosting for a WordPress site: what to look for?

WordPress is one of the most popular CMS (content management systems) on the market. More than a third of websites work on it. But are all hosts suitable for use? What requirements and features should be taken into account. In this article we will answer the main question of many inexperienced users: How to choose a hosting for WordPress? Also give a couple of tips on choosing a hosting.

WordPress requirements for installation

This is the easiest point in the article. WordPress does not require incredible hosting power, a bunch of plugins and a personal system administrator. You have no restrictions on the platform or software. You can create a site on Linux and Windows, but the priority is still the first OS.

The main requirements of WordPress: PHP 7+ and MySQL 5.6+. This is because the platform plugins do not work on older software.

Features of hosting for WordPress

The popularity of this CMS dictates the conditions in the hosting services market. All major companies offer WordPress installation in one click. When choosing a hosting, the main criteria are reliability, speed, fault tolerance and quality service. This minimum set will allow you to start looking for a suitable site. This approach will save time and resources. You should also pay attention to the price, technical capabilities, the availability of a convenient control panel, such as cPanel, the location where the server equipment is located, the type of hosting and customer reviews. Let’s consider these points in more detail.

Price for hosting with WordPress

For many, this is the deciding factor. However, if you choose WordPress hosting only by price, you may find that expensive options may be worse than cheaper ones. Carefully read the characteristics of the tariff plans before buying. Do not forget, any hosting provider is aimed at making a profit, and, for example, unlimited traffic may be limited. This practice is common among foreign hosters. It is best to start by buying a shared hosting plan for WordPress with the possibility of expanding its functions in the future. Web hosting will be affordable for any user.

Server response speed

Always study the server hardware that is used on the site. RAM, computing power and allocated disk space play a significant role in the fast functioning of your site. The choice of hardware depends on the purpose of your site.

For high traffic websites it is better to use fast SSD drives. But it is worth noting that if your capacity is not enough, a reliable hosting provider will allow you to expand the amount of resources consumed for a fee. You can also easily change the tariff.

Technical customer support

This point would like to call the key. If the hosting provider does not have a round-the-clock support service with convenient communication methods, then it is better to pass by. Always choose a resource where there are several main ways to contact. We would recommend the following set: online chat, phone number and ticket system in the control panel. We also advise you to test the work of the support service. This way you will understand the real level of customer service.

This method will allow you to check the integrity of the hosting providers themselves, who like to embellish the efficiency of their employees.

A plus will be the availability of documentation on the site.

Control Panel

A control panel is always provided to work with hosting. Some sites have their own, but also use third-party ones, for example, cPanel.

cPanel is convenient and understandable for beginners. A large community allows you to find an answer to any technical question. If the resource has its own control panel, then be sure to test it.

For example, Hosting Ukraine offers its users a panel of its own design. It is distinguished by thoughtfulness and ease of use.

Technical capabilities

WordPress is not the most demanding content management system. The main difference when choosing a tariff is the operating system used by the server. Most standard sites offer Linux. But it is possible to use Windows. The first option is usually cheaper because you do not need to pay for a Microsoft license.

Location of data centers

The closer the better. This rule should be followed when choosing the location of server equipment. If your project and target audience are from the same country, you should choose the same country. The proximity of data centers will allow you to instantly receive a response to any problem. It will also ensure high speed of loading the site.

Types of hosting

This is the next important step in choosing a WordPress hosting. Its key difference is that you need to look not at what is offered, but what exactly you need.

State your goals and objectives for the project. After that, you can start choosing the appropriate type of hosting. In total, there are 3 main types:

• Virtual hosting. The cheapest and most popular option. This is your choice if you are looking for a budget option for a site that requires a small amount of server resources. Ideal for beginner bloggers or business card sites.
• VPS/VDS hosting. Ideal for those who do not have enough shared hosting capacity, but it is too early to think about buying a dedicated server tariff. You are allocated space on the server, so the problems of other users will not affect you.
• Dedicated server. Here the client is given a separate server that works only for your site. The main type of hosting for large projects with huge traffic.
• We did not bring it to the main types, but this hosting service is gaining popularity lately – managed hosting for WordPress. This feature is that the hosting provider takes over all the functions related to administration.

How to choose hosting for WordPress: our recommendations

After all the above information, we can make a recommendation that will help you choose a hosting provider suitable for your WordPress project:

• Do not make the price the deciding factor when choosing a hosting. Sometimes an inexpensive option may be what you need.
• Carefully study the server hardware that the hosting provider uses. The speed of your site depends on it.
• Do not rush to register a domain name. On most WordPress plans, the domain is offered absolutely free.
• Availability of round-the-clock customer support with several ways of communication. If you see that the hosting does not have round-the-clock technical support, then it is better not to even consider it for your project.
• The control panel should be convenient and intuitive. If the site does not have a control panel of its own design, then look at the availability of popular programs, for example, cPanel or ISPmanager.
• When choosing a data center, follow the rule: the closer the better.
• Start from your needs. You should not immediately take a dedicated physical server, because you may face the fact that you will have nowhere to put its power and resources.

Summary

After reading this article, you will know what factors to consider when choosing a WordPress hosting provider. Everything is not as complicated as it seems at first glance. We hope that our material was useful for you!