Who would you recommend for WordPress Hosting and why?
Who would you recommend for WordPress Hosting and Why_
I see this question posted many times in the Facebook groups I am in. Let’s understand what prompts this question, questions to ask yourself before you post a familiar question and some suggestions.
What you don’t know – YET
When you are a DIY’er or just starting out, there are so many pieces of the puzzle to put together. It can be overwhelming. You complete one part and then move to the next, but then you feel like you are back at stage one and at the beginning of a mountain of learning. We all go through that phase of knowing you don’t know something.
So, you turn to others for help. And asking a similar question to this is completely understandable. However, you have no real idea why they initially decided on that Hosting company, what their needs are, where they are in their business, or what type of business they have.
What to ask yourself first
If you are going the self-hosting route, then you should ask yourself some questions so you know what you are looking for.
- How many domain names or subdomains do I currently have (and how many do I think I will have in 12 months’ time)?
- What type of files and functionality will be on my site? Just text and a few photos, or lots of photos, video, audio? In other words, think about the file sizes you can expect so you can know what level of storage you may need.
- Do you want email hosting and forwarding as well?
- Do you want automatic backups and updates?
What is your tech comfort zone? And how do you like to communicate? It’s best to be honest here. Do you want someone you can call? Are you happy with a large support team on chat? What are the response times? There is no right or wrong, just what suits you. - How easily is their interface/cancel to use?
- Do they offer an SSL certificate? This encryption of information sent over the Internet changes your site from HTTP to HTTPS. Plus, you will also have a little padlock next to your URL.
What is your budget?
These questions are a good starting point to understand what to look for in a hosting company. This can help in your research AND allow you to ask a better question.
Which Hosting Company to choose
As every business (and business owner) is different, there isn’t a one size fits all. The other key point to remember is (although it may sound scary at the moment) your decision isn’t set in stone. It is usually a pain-free experience to move from one hosting company to another. And it is usual for the new hosting company to offer to move your site for you. Many do this for free, but it’s always worth a check.
So the traditional route most people take is
Use a Big Name Hosting Company.
A year or two later move to the Hosting Company most of your industry uses.
Then move to more specialist hosting company.
My guidance here would be to reach out to 3-4 of your biz friends within your industry who already have hosting. Most people will be happy to give you their two pennies/cents worth. And do your research. Then make a decision. Know you can swap your hosting at a later date. This approach reduces overwhelm with a variety of people’s options, allows you to ask people who are actually using that hosting company about their own experience and also stops you from procrastinating on the decision for too long.
If you are moving from Wix, Weebly or Squarespace and would like a website review, I offer a FREE Strategic Website Consult Call here. Our calls are totally no-pressure. We are trying to help you solve problems in your business, not sell you stuff you don’t need.
