A small intro into the world of websites will make you appreciate the importance of a reliable hosting partner.
Every website is after success. The definition of success may be subjective, but it is a goal nonetheless. A solid web host is an essential utility in building a successful website. No online platform has ever made it without reliable hosting.
Let’s assume you want to start a new website. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume you’re going to use WordPress as your CMS. After all, over a third of the websites in the world use it to run their websites on WordPress.
Running a reliable, secure, and high performance WordPress website would naturally require you to select a decent hosting partner. And when you dive into the world of hosting partners, you’ll be lost.
There is no shortage of options when it comes to choosing a WordPress web hosting partner. Nailing down the right web host is the real challenge. Getting stuck with a sub-par web host can derail your website and the overall brand it is meant to represent.
Given the increased use of tools like the AppMySite mobile app creator, the importance of web hosting further increases. Web hosts can even have an impact on mobile app performance for those using a free online Android app maker and iOS app builder like AppMySite.
The following sections bring to light some of the factors which you should consider when selecting your WordPress web hosting partner.
#1 – Customer Support
Would you like to trust your website with a hosting partner which doesn’t support its customers in a time of need?
There are many ways we can talk about customer support. You naturally want to choose a web host with a decent customer support infrastructure because you might need it at some point in the future.
A good customer support is not simply about the value you can gain from it. It also shows the general attitude of your hosting partner to its customers. You can trust a hosting partner that provides sound customer support.
#2 – Performance
A web host is defined by its performance. The first thing that comes to mind when someone says web hosting is website speed. This is a natural disposition and cannot be changed.
Your web host can’t be sluggish. A slow website is the fastest way to irritate and frustrate possible customers and harm your business. Think of all the websites and apps you avoid using because they’re slow.
Study performance metrics like speed and uptime. Ask your web host about the available storage and bandwidth. Don’t believe claims like unlimited bandwidth and storage. Nothing is unlimited in the world of web hosting. If you plan to use a lot of storage or expect a lot of visitors, get an exact estimate of storage and bandwidth.
#3 – Security
Malicious cyberattacks are a sad reality of the digital world. WordPress websites are often subject to malicious attacks from black hats looking to extort money and information.
The WordPress web host you choose must offer a high level of security to thwart black hats.
Some of the security protocols and standards you should ask about include-
- Data encryption – How does the web host plan to encrypt confidential data?
- Two factor authentication – How easy is it for a hacker to break into your website?
- User permissions – How can you limit the access of some users based on their role?
- General threat blocking – How does the web host current block threats from malicious hackers?
#4 – Affordability
Why is affordable hosting important? Think of it this way -do you want your business to spiral into deep losses because of expensive hosting costs?
Many hesitate to name affordability as a major factor when choosing a web host because it appears crass. This represents an impractical view of running a business. You cannot risk losing a capital on a hosting plan you cannot afford. It is thus wise to do a full accounting of your hosting needs and choose a host which provides the same at the best price.
Note the phrase ‘hosting needs’. Buying affordable WordPress hosting doesn’t simply mean buying the cheapest plan in the market. If that is your aim, you can even host your WordPress website on a free hosting site. The reason you pay for hosting is to make sure your website is up and running whenever called upon.
To sum up – identify your needs and choose a hosting plan which provides the same at the best price. Do not compromise with your basic hosting needs.
#5 – Nature of web hosting
You can either get a dedicated WordPress host for your website or a generic web host.
The basic difference between them is specialization. A dedicated WordPress host is designed to perform well in a WP environment. The same cannot be said for a shared web host. A shared web hosting partner won’t be able to provide you features and functions dedicated to WordPress users.
Working with a dedicated WordPress web hosting partner is thus a much better choice. You don’t need to compromise with a shared web host.
Our Recommendation – WP Engine
WP Engine is one of the best known dedicated WordPress web hosts around. Your website needs to meet a certain level of performance to be counted amongst the crème de la crème of the space in general.
WP Engine helps you get there like it already has already helped 90K others across 140 countries.
WordPress is a phenomenal CMS, but handling it backend can become a little tedious at times. WP Engine helps you run your website smoothly without worrying about hosting and maintenance issues.
Every plan WP Engine offers comes with a free CDN, an SSL certificate, and daily backups. It secures your website data with powerful data encryption and thwarts hacking attempts in their tracks.
Here are some of the highlights of the web hosting service WP Engine provides –
- Simple Management – WP Engine simplifies the task of managing your website. Setup your website quickly and offer blazing fast speeds to your visitors even as traffic fluctuates.
- Personalized insights – WP Engine will help your web developers identify areas where the front-end performance can be improved. Furthermore, it also provides insights on the best performing content to your content creators.
- WordPress Guidance – WP Engine will walk you through every step of the way as you set up your website. You can also call upon its award winning customer service support 24-7.
If you happen to use AppMySite and have a WordPress or WooCommerce app on the app stores, WP Engine can help a lot. Choosing WP Engine as your web host would also then have an impact on the performance of your app.
In conclusion
A reliable web host can be the difference between success and failure. It is crucial for you to identify a good hosting partner.
This piece covers some of the important factors you must consider while evaluating a WordPress host. We recommend you choose WP Engine as your WordPress web hosting partner. A careful analysis of the factors will also point you in the same direction.
