Do You Need Specific Hosting for WordPress?
There are two domains for using WordPress to create a website: .org and .com. If you choose WordPress.com, you can get a free site and domain. You don’t need to sign up for hosting. The .com domain is a good option for some but not others.
This article will draw attention to the differences between the two versions, provide an overview of hosting options, and help you make the best decision.
Self vs. Other-Hosting
With the .org domain, you will be hosting your website. You will use a sub-domain with the .com domain, and the site will also be hosted on it. WordPress is an open-source CMS, so everyone using it is free to code and develop for it. Its governing entity is WordPress.org.
Differences
The .org domain is the informational website that provides all the information about new software releases and using WordPress in general. Users can download software from it and move it to any hosting provider.
You will need hosting for this version, or it can be installed on your server. WordPress.com is like the business version of the platform.
Types of Hosting
Most hosting platforms can accommodate WordPress because it is very lightweight. The hosting options differ not only by type but also by features. The most common types of hosting are shared hosting, managed to-host, and dedicated hosting.
What is Shared Hosting?
Most startups, blogs, and small businesses start with shared hosting. It is a beginner-friendly option that all kinds of websites can use. Shared hosting’s most significant advantage is the price. It doesn’t take more than several minutes to install WordPress with the one-click installer included.
Eventually, your platform will outgrow shared hosting. It’s an excellent option for starting out and offers everything you need to grow and develop.
What is Managed Hosting?
Managed hosting is the next level of hosting. This type only allows WordPress sites on the server, rendering it well-optimized for the WordPress platform. You have no responsibility for managing hosting. WordPress does it for you.
Compared to shared hosting, the only downside to managed WordPress hosting is the price. You can expect it to be slightly more expensive, given that your site will perform much better, and you won’t be bogged down in technical tasks. The pros outweigh the cons by far.
What is Dedicated Hosting?
You can opt for dedicated hosting, where you rent the whole server for your website. Nobody else uses it. You can customize it with any software, hardware, and operating system you wish to use.
Dedicated hosting is only a good option if your website gets a lot of traffic. You will need to hire an expert to upgrade, maintain, and troubleshoot your server. If you can’t afford this or the traffic volume isn’t that high, managed to host is the wiser choice.
Hosting Service Criteria
Many factors are essential, but the ease of use, price, compatibility, performance, and support are critical.
Intuitive Control Panel
This is a must for all those getting started. Ease of use is paramount when installing WordPress and managing your server. An intuitive control panel will also help you add domains to your account, create an email specific to your domain, etc. cPanel is the most popular control panel, but you might get a different one depending on your hosting provider.
Well-Priced
Expensive hosting isn’t always necessary, even if you can afford it. Shared hosting won’t cut if you have low traffic and only a few web pages, but your traffic is valuable. When you exceed your hosting package’s limit, it’s time to upgrade.
Technically Compatible
WordPress needs to be supported by your host. The good news is that running WordPress doesn’t take much. All you need is compatibility with MySQL 5.6 and PHP 7. Ask your prospective host if they have support for them. They likely will, considering how standard WordPress has become. Still, you should check before committing to a hosting package.
Reliable Support
The support team is the link between your server and your website. If you experience any problems, they should be by your side. You need helpful and competent staff to address issues quickly. If they can’t help you, there’s no point in having support at all.
Look into what kind of support is available and what channels it’s available across. Ideally, you should have phone, email, and live chat access.
Performance
Your site will suffer in rankings and user experience in the absence of a high-performing host. If you choose managed or dedicated hosting, you will have quality performance, but shared will work well if you start your WordPress site.
By using a CDN, you can always improve your performance and speed. You can also increase speed by installing several specific plugins.
