8 must-haves features with your WordPress hosting provider
Introduction: WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) running the majority of websites around the globe. It’s easy to learn and manage for beginners, but the success of a WordPress website depends largely upon the hosting provider. A poor hosting decision may lead to slow website loading times, frequent downtime, security breaches, and poor SEO ranking. In this article, we will discuss 8 features or options that a hosting provider must possess in order to be great for hosting a WordPress website.
1. Server Uptime:
One of the most important things to look for when choosing a hosting provider is server uptime. A reliable hosting provider should offer at least 99.9% uptime guarantee. Downtime can occur for various reasons such as maintenance, hardware failures, or attacks, but the hosting provider should take necessary measures to minimize any downtime. A perfect example of a hosting provider with an excellent uptime guarantee and fast load times is SiteGround. They have optimized servers specifically designed for WordPress hosting, and their reliability rate is unmatched.
2. Speed:
Website speed is another critical factor that affects the users’ experience. A faster website results in a higher engagement rate, better SEO rankings, and a lower bounce rate. Google includes website speed in its ranking algorithm, so it is crucial to choose the right hosting provider. The provider should use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to ensure fast website loading times. Another crucial factor that affects website speed is server location. Hosting providers with servers closer to your audience will have faster website load times. The best hosting provider for WordPress should be optimized for speed, such as WP Engine, with cutting edge technology focused on ensuring high website speed.
3. Security:
WordPress is the most popular CMS globally; this makes it an ideal target for hackers. Thus, as a hosting provider, it is imperative to focus on website security. A hosting provider should provide security measures such as SSL certificates, firewalls, and regular backups. A great hosting provider should also offer additional services such as spam filters and two-factor authentication. Cloudways has an excellent security system with firewalls, frequent backups, and SSL certificates, giving you peace of mind knowing that your website is secure.
4. Customer Support:
Customer support is essential for any online service. Your hosting provider should offer excellent customer support services. Hosting providers will offer customer support via phone, email, and live chat. Other providers may include a ticketing system for support like A2 hosting. Whichever the option, it’s essential to go with a hosting provider with 24/7 support, fast response time, and a knowledgeable customer support team to help you in case of any issues.
5. Ease of Use:
The hosting provider should have a user-friendly control panel dashboard that makes it easy to manage your website. A great hosting provider should offer features such as easy installation of WordPress, website management options, and one-click backups and restores. Bluehost is one of the most beginner-friendly hosting providers that offer easy installation of WordPress, a simple control panel, and one-click installations of themes and plugins.
6. Scalability and Reliability:
A good hosting provider should be able to adapt to your website’s increasing traffic. As your website grows, it should be easy to upgrade hosting packages with a click of a button. Additionally, your hosting provider should have a comprehensive backup and restore system to ensure if your website goes down, you can restore it to a previous state. Kinsta an enterprise-level managed premium hosting used by million-dollar businesses, have a highly scalable infrastructure capable of handling millions of visitors with backups and quick scalability.
7. Server Resources:
The hosting provider should provide sufficient server resources to run your WordPress website. At a minimum, the provider should offer dedicated resources such as RAM, CPU, and Disk Space. The resources should be scalable to meet your website requirements. In addition, the provider should offer features such as server caching, HTTP/2 technology, and SSD drives that speed up your website. GreenGeeks is a provider that uses renewable energy and provides shared hosting plans that offer high-performance resources, including SSD-based SAN storage, containerization technology, and custom in-house caching.
8. Pricing and Value:
Pricing is a crucial factor when choosing the right hosting provider for your WordPress website. Hosting providers should provide affordable hosting plans without hidden fees. The provider should offer transparent pricing plans with all-inclusive features for the affordable pricing. It’s also essential to compare prices between different hosting providers and evaluate the value they offer. Hostinger strikes a balance between affordability and quality hosting. They offer some of the cheapest WordPress hosting plans with all the features required for a WordPress website, making it a great value for money option.
Conclusion:
Choosing a great hosting provider for a WordPress website is crucial for the success of your website. The provider should offer features such as server uptime, speed, security, customer support, ease of use, scalability and reliability, server resources, and affordable pricing. A good provider that offers all these features will ensure your website runs smoothly, is secure, and offers an excellent user experience. Check out the listing of the best WordPress hosting providers at beginnertuts, a site dedicated to WordPress beginners.
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Written by: Steven Iversen 21-06-2023 Written in: Guides