Choosing a Good WordPress Host

WordPress is one of the most popular blogging and content management system (CMS) options out there.

If you’re planning on using this platform for either, you’ll want to make sure you have a good host.

Not all hosts are equal in terms of what they provide. Here are some things that you should look for in any web host you’re considering for your WordPress platform.

Specialization

There are specialist WordPress hosts out there. There are also hosts that offer other types of hosting aside from WordPress hosting but that also offer a specific package for WordPress. Either is fine. The main reason that you want to look for a host that offers WordPress hosting specifically—but not necessarily exclusively— is that they likely have an automatic installation for the platform.

WordPress is famous for being easy to install. The original installation procedure, in fact, is referred to as the “Five Minute Installation” and it usually does take about that long to install the system. An automated install is easier still, however, and ensures that you do everything right from the start.

Particularly if you want to add very advanced features – secure shopping, membership sections, etc. – you may want the assistance of a professional developer. WordPress themes can make all of this much easier, but not everybody really has any experience working on the back end of a website and hiring someone who does is sometimes the best option.

Recommended Features

WordPress can run on most web server platforms, but the recommendations are:

• Apache Web Server
• PHP
• MySQL

The latter two are requirements, not recommendations. The version numbers that are required or recommended will vary as new versions of WordPress comes out. Most web hosts do a good job of keeping their systems updated to the latest version of WordPress. You’ll usually have no trouble finding a host that has the features that WordPress requires.

Dedicated or Virtual?

If you’re using WordPress because you don’t like dealing with technical issues, you probably don’t want a dedicated server. The cost of hosting has dropped a lot in recent years. In the past, dedicated servers were so expensive that it was obvious that they were meant for very high-traffic and corporate pages.

Today, the cost is actually reasonable in some cases, but it’s always less than virtual hosting. Virtual hosting means that you share a server with other sites, but you’re unable to get at their files and they’re unable to get at yours. On the servers, the companies that share it never actually see one another’s files.

The main advantage in getting WordPress hosting as a virtual server package is that there is usually more tech support and convenience to be had with a virtual server. Dedicated servers are usually provided with the assumption that the company renting it will handle all of the technical issues themselves.

All in all, there are a lot of great hosts out there and the competition among them keeps prices low and continues to lower them. If you’re interested in WordPress hosting, it may just come down to which company you like the most.

See if you can take a look at what their administration area looks like and talk to their sales people. The packages available for WordPress hosting at this point are so inexpensive and easy to use that just about anyone should be able to afford to have a WordPress site running.

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