There are many WordPress hosting companies out there. But not all hosting services are created equal. With that in mind, how do you choose the best hosting provider for your WordPress website?

Choosing the right hosting provider doesn’t just make it easier to manage WordPress. It also ensures you get the optimal performance that will allow you to provide top-notch customer service and support. Trying to decide between different hosting plans and find a hosting provider that fits your needs and budget may seem daunting. But by doing your research, you can get the quality performance you need. Here are the factors you should consider.

1. Hosting Type

One of the first things you’ll want to consider is whether you prefer cloud hosting, shared hosting, or managed WordPress hosting. Shared hosting is a lower cost option in which your website shares the CPU, memory and storage of a single server with other websites. This option is cost-effective, but may not work as well if you expect a lot of traffic on your site. Your performance could occasionally be affected by other sites on the server.

Managed WordPress hosting is a more premium hosting option. Your server is optimized to your needs. These servers offer value-added features like scalability for traffic spikes, regular backups, and improved security against malware and other threats. However, managed hosting services tend to come at a higher cost.

Finally cloud hosting uses a virtual network of interconnected servers for a highly flexible approach that ensures consistent uptime.

2. Performance 

Uptime and responsiveness are some of the most important factors when you choose a hosting provider. Is your web hosting service going to keep your website up and running consistently? Frequent downtime could drive people away from your business site. Good web hosting providers have ample bandwidth, server response time, and caching for handling traffic spikes so you can enjoy consistent performance and reliability at all times. You don’t want to compromise on speed and stability for your WordPress site.

3. Pricing / Cost 

As with other industries, there is plenty of competition among WordPress hosts. There are many hosting providers which provide service at various tiers based on what you need and can afford. These types of plans are definitely worth considering if you expect your hosting needs to change over time.

Of course, you should also take time to figure out your own business or individual needs. Consider firewall needs, number of visitors each month, SSL certificates, and other factors could affect your website performance. Understanding your budget and making it a point to only pay for what you need is a good business practice to follow. Your hosting provider may let you get a lower price if you opt for a longer contract.

4. Customer Care

In the event that something goes wrong, how responsive is that particular hosting provider’s customer support team? Every minute that your website is down can cost you in one way or another, and being able to restore your site quickly is critical. What are the ways that you can contact customer care (i.e. phone, email)?

5. Additional Features 

Are you looking for regular backups to be included in your service? How about one-click features such as creating staging sites for development and other updates? Help managing automatic updates for your WordPress plugins? Although such options may add to the cost of your plan, having these additional features included with your service might be well worth it. In addition, some hosting providers include a free domain name to help you get started with WordPress.

Choosing a Hosting Provider Is About More Than the Price

Yes, price should definitely be a consideration when you choose a web hosting provider. But hosting costs aren’t the only thing you should look at. Going the cheaper route isn’t always the smarter choice. Ultimately, you need to make an informed decision based on what your site needs, looking at factors like how much traffic you expect and how large your site is. Your website is your main virtual presence and should be placed in the hands of a hosting provider that you can trust.

At Site Rockstar, we make it easy to keep your site running smooth with reliable web hosting through SiteGround for your new or existing WordPress site that is top-notch, competent, and won’t break the bank. Our team will become familiar with you and your site so you won’t be just another number. On top of that, we go the extra mile with robust security features and bandwidth to keep your site well-maintained while avoiding any downtime. Contact us today to see if we’re the right fit for your website.