With so many web hosting providers and the proliferation of cloud services, it can be overwhelming to choose a host that’s right for you.
The right web host can make all the difference for your site. A poorly performing or small host can bring your site to its knees.
It doesn’t matter how great your site is if it crawls at a snail’s pace or goes offline frequently. Before signing up with any host, you should understand what they offer and if their services are a good fit for your site.
If you keep these 8 tips in mind when choosing a host, you won’t go wrong.
1. Be wary of free hosting
Free hosting is a tempting proposition. You get a cheap or even free website with no upfront costs.
However, the hidden costs of free hosting can outweigh the benefits. Typically, free hosts will limit your upload space and the number of domains you can host on a server. You may also experience performance issues since there are often higher levels of server contention. Y
ou may also have to put up with security issues because free hosts often have smaller security precautions and limited resources. If you’re not careful, your site could get hacked and then you could get a nasty surprise when your host terminates your account and deletes your data. There are also legal issues if your site contains illegal or infringing content.
Even if it’s not directly related to your site, your host may decide to shut you down to avoid legal action. Your best bet is to sign up for a low-cost managed WordPress hosting plan. They’re affordable, reliable, and provide excellent value for money.
2. Check for reliability and performance guarantees
You can tell a lot about a host by the guarantees they offer. A host that boasts huge server uptime percentages, but doesn’t tell you how they achieve it, is probably lying.
It’s also possible they’ll experience a server failure, but be unwilling or unable to compensate you for any downtime. A host that guarantees a certain percentage of uptime will usually back up their claim with a money-back guarantee if they fail to deliver.
This is a good sign that they are confident in their ability to provide consistent service. Look for details of what is included in the guarantee and read the terms carefully.
If a host guarantees 99.9% uptime but also includes a clause that they don’t cover network maintenance, their promise is worthless.
It’s also worth checking if the guarantee is third-party audited.
A third-party audit is a more rigorous and independent testing process than a host can do in-house. It’s a good sign if a host has an audited guarantee.
3. WordPress-specific hosting is a must
WordPress is by far the most popular content management system (CMS) on the web. While you can install WordPress on nearly any web host, you should use a host that specializes in WordPress.
WordPress hosts have WordPress-specific knowledge and experience. They can help you optimize your WordPress installation to get the best performance and reduce the chance of hacking.
WordPress hosts can also assist with the setup of a secure WordPress installation and provide advice on the best WordPress hosting plan to fit your needs.
WordPress hosts are optimized for WordPress and provide you with a better WordPress experience.
4. Check the Network Infrastructure
A good host will provide detailed information about the network infrastructure they use. You should be able to find information about the server location, type, and connection type.
Ideally, you should look for a host that uses a low-latency network. This will help your site load faster by reducing the distance your data has to travel. You should also check how your host deals with denial-of-service (DoS) attacks and other network issues. Is their network protected against DoS attacks? Are there any network issues on their end that are bringing down servers? Does the network have any other issues that may affect your site?
All these factors should be detailed in the host’s network information.
5. Check the user platform and customer support
The user platform and customer support desk are two areas that hosts often skimp on. It’s worth spending a few extra dollars/pounds per month, to get a host with excellent customer support.
Poor customer support can lead to lots of headaches and wasted time trying to get help with your site. The best hosts will have a large and experienced support team. They will also have a variety of support channels, such as email, live chat, and ticket support.
Ideally, you should look for a host that has 24/7 support available via at least two different methods. Be wary of hosts that promise 24/7 service, but don’t specify how many support methods they employ.
Conclusion
When choosing a web host, you should keep these 5 tips in mind. Free hosting is often unreliable and unsafe, so don’t use it.
You should only use a host that specializes in WordPress. You should also check the network infrastructure and the user platform and customer support before signing up with any host.
Once you’ve found a host that checks all these boxes, you’ll be on the right track. With the right host, your site will be faster, more secure, and better optimized than ever before.
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