Choosing Right WordPress Hosting (2023) | Guide For Beginners That Will Save You Money

It is tough for beginners to choose the type of WordPress hosting for their website or business. Especially if they are new and just starting with a new site.

I had the same dilemma when I was starting. I was confused with all terminology and options. My site was new, and I was not sure which hosting provider nor which type to choose for my website.

In the beginning, it is always best to use shared hosting because it is enough to start, and you can always upgrade later.

So I also recommend to all beginners that are just starting their online business or site to choose shared hosting (like InMotion, GreenGeeks, or Siteground) plan if you wish to take it slow and see how it goes. It will be enough for all your needs at the start, and it is affordable compared to other types of hosting.

For any serious business where you expect high traffic or intend to have an online store, I recommend Kinsta, WP Engine, 10Web, HostArmada, or Cloudways. If you intend to create membership sites, then WPQuickStart by Nexcess hosting is great option.

For WordPress sites, it is best to choose Linux hosting rather than Windows. Now you are only left to select an appropriate and affordable WordPress hosting provider.

 

Why Do You Need Hosting? Doesn’t WordPress Provide These Services? 

You probably have seen the option of using WordPress’ built-in hosting or going with a web hosting service of your own.

People often confuse WordPress.com vs WordPress.org. The former provides WordPress’s built-in hosting service, whereas the latter leaves that up to you. I highly recommend going with WordPress.org.

I will assume that you have decided to go with WordPress.org. Ultimately, you will have more flexibility and added features if you opt for WordPress.org.

TO SUMMARIZE:

–> Go with self-hosted website and WordPress.org.

–> Choose shared web hosting if you want to see how your website traffic will grow and if your earnings will be good.

–> Choose Linux hosting type as it is best for WordPress.

 

 

Which Type of Web Hosting Should You Choose? 

Before I get into all of the different types of web hosting available on the market, you should really think about what your goals are for your website and its intended use.

Consider elements like the level of expected traffic, the use of a particular website, and any future strategic growth plans for it. The different types of web hosting are:

• Free Web Hosting
• Shared Server Hosting
• Dedicated Server Hosting
• VPS (Virtual Private Server) Hosting
• Cloud Hosting
• Managed or Partially-Managed Hosting

I will now discuss what each type of hosting provides and when it may be more suited compared to the alternatives.

 

Free Web Hosting

While the word “free” may be appealing to many small businesses, beware that you often get what you pay for. Most free web hosting providers may limit you in terms of visuals, advertising, domain, and other essential features.

One of the first things that may stand out to you is your site’s domain. You’ll probably be required to list the service provider’s company name in one of two ways:

1. As a subdomain (example: http://YourBusinessName.FreeHosting.com), or
2. As an absolute path (example: http://www.FreeHosting.com/YourBusinessName).

Neither of these options is very appealing. The site name can also make you appear less professional to your customers and competitors. It’s good to save money, but it’s not so good to look cheap for your website’s visitors.

Another problem you can encounter is limitations in regards to the features you can access on your site. You can be restricted on security features, email accounts, and other options.

 

 

One of the most annoying problems with free web hosting sites is the number and placement of ads. This is something that you’ll probably have no control over.

Most website visitors don’t mind seeing a few ads here or there, but some free web hosting providers try to fill up as much empty space as possible with advertising.

This can be a significant distraction for visitors to your site. They’re too busy trying to avoid ads to learn more about who you are and what you have to offer.

Not all free web hosting sites are bad. Some offer free web hosting in exchange for either registering a domain name with them or transferring an existing domain name.

You’ll be paying for the domain, but the hosting is still considered to be free. This might be a good option for start-up companies or businesses who are starting their first or second website.

 

Shared Server Hosting

Shared server hosting is where a single web server is a host to multiple domains owned by many different users at the same time. These users are typically sharing bandwidth and disk space.

This is an excellent option for many start-up businesses. There are many shared server hosting companies to choose from.

The thing to remember about this option is that you are sharing server resources with others. Increased activity on some users’ sites can cause other sites on the same server to run slower than usual.

 

 

This is because you’re all sharing the same resources. On the other hand, if your site is experiencing significantly higher traffic than usual, your site may lag because you’re drawing from the same service as everyone else who’s using that host server. But shared hosting is a very affordable and great choice for smaller sites.

 

Dedicated Server Hosting

Dedicated server hosting gives you exclusive access to your own private server. No one else is using the same server that you are. This is a great perk, but one that often comes at a higher cost.

With a private server, you are also able to access the root server. This allows you to make overall changes as you see fit.

Dedicated server hosting is an excellent option for companies who are continuing to grow and need to be able to make changes to their website regularly.

 

VPS Hosting

VPS is a virtual private server. It’s the middle ground between shared and dedicated server hosting. In a way, it’s a bit of both service. VPS hosting is done through a shared server. This shared server is rationed out to smaller dedicated servers.

This option also grants root access, because VPS imitates dedicated servers while using a shared server. VPS hosting allows more customization and flexibility than other standard shared servers.

 

Cloud Hosting

When a group of servers come together to host several different websites, this is known as cloud hosting. The main benefit of using this type of hosting is that if one server goes down, then you have others you can rely on.

 

 

You may also find that this type of hosting makes your website quicker to load. This will lead to a much better experience for your visitors and means that they are more likely to return.

 

Managed and Partially-Managed Hosting 

This type of hosting service can be useful if you don’t want to deal too much with the technical side of running a website. This does mean that this type of hosting will cost a little more, but for some people, this is a price worth paying.

People can start a website with no prior technical knowledge, and using services such as this make it possible.

 

What Factors Should You Consider When Choosing a Hosting Provider?

There are more things to consider than just the cost when it comes to picking the right web hosting service. When finding the best WordPress hosting provider for your site, you should consider aspects of the service like:

Price Speed Security Customer support Uptime and downtime Refund policies and money-back guarantees Bandwidth and disk space

Renewal prices Length of contract term/subscription period Multiple domain handling capabilities Ease of WordPress installation Email addresses and online mail storage Control panel Other added perks like an SEM credit, a free domain, etc.

–> Look for hosting with cPanel control panel if using shared hosting

–> Look for hosting which provides HTTPS/2 and free SSL certificate (like Lets Encrypt free certificate)

–> Hosting that provides free backups

–> Hosting with the option to call or contact customer support via live chat

–> Hosting that provides you with the possibility to use latest PHP version

 

What You Need to Know About Hosting Pricing Packages? 

The price alone should not be the only determining factor when you are choosing a hosting company. But at the same time, you don’t want to pay more than you have to. Generally speaking, the more you pay for your hosting, the more will be included in the package.

It is not unusual to pay more than $100 monthly. Of course, shared plans will be cheaper than VPS or dedicated hosting, and limited feature plans will come at a lower cost than fully functioning servers with extended capabilities.

The general price level for some different types of hosting are as follows:

• Shared server hosting: around $2.5 to 15 and below (per month)
• VPS hosting: Anywhere in the range between shared and dedicated servers
• Dedicated server hosting: upwards of $100+

Now that we’ve got that out of the way let’s get into all of the other things to consider when picking the right WordPress hosting package for your needs.

 

What Should You Know About Web Hosting Speed?

Generally speaking, the more sites that are on a server, the slower the average speed. Slower web sites (how to speed up WordPress site) usually mean slower loading times for web pages.

It can affect your site’s performance and can drive potential customers away. Sites running on dedicated servers that allow only one site or just a select few websites to run on them rarely have these kinds of issues.

The server load can affect your web hosting speed. Increased site traffic can also increase the server load, which slows down your website’s hosting speed.

 

 

This can be an issue if you are sharing the server with other sites. When their site traffic numbers grow, that increase can also affect your site’s speed.

Fortunately, most shared servers have traffic limitations. Once a particular site reaches that limit, they can temporarily suspend the site’s and offer an owner hosting upgrade.

Shared hosting is a popular option because of its affordability. It can help startups and small businesses to establish their web presence.

However, this isn’t always the best option, especially for companies who want to continue to expand their client base. Cheaper hosting usually means slower site speeds, which can be very frustrating for businesses and their customers.

 

What Should You Know About Hosting Plan Security?

When we consider that web hosting is the space in which your website and its files are stored, there is no doubt that security is a top priority concern.

After all, we don’t want uninvited intruders to enter our personal digital space. The nature of your website will determine the level of security required.

 

1. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

Secure sockets layers (SSL) are found in a website’s URL. Instead of beginning with “http,” the site address will start with the “https” prefix.

You’ll need an SSL certificate (see how to add SSL to WordPress site) whenever you’re downloading or retrieving customers’ financial information. This is necessary to ensure your clients’ privacy and the security of their information.

 

 

This will be seen as a positive because it’s showing your customers that their information is safe. Google’s SEO algorithms also rewards website that offer this added protection for their site users.

 

2. Dedicated IP

Hosted domains are usually assigned an IP address. Sites on shared servers have an IP address that is similar to other sites on that server.

Dedicated servers give sites IP addresses that are unique. Your IP address won’t be shared with other sites. This is especially important for companies that conduct financial transactions or collect personal information from their customers.

 

3. Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP)

This may sound like a regular File Transfer Protocol, but the difference is an additional level of security. With SFTP, you don’t have to worry about files containing sensitive information being tampered with or tweaked without your knowledge. This is a common risk with standard FTP sites.

 

4. Site Backup

Technology changes constantly. Backing up your site (check free WordPress backup plugins comparison) regularly is essential for avoiding information loss. There have been countless reports of companies losing information because they failed to back up their data.

 

 

Site backups help businesses avoid having to put in extra time and effort to re-enter that information. It’s a stress-free way of knowing that your information will be saved and secure.

No matter if your hosting plan offers free backups, you should still install and use a backup plugin like Duplicator, BackupBuddy (check BackupBuddy review), WPvivid (see WPvivid review), etc.

 

What to Look In Terms of Customer Service?

Customer service is a crucial component of every business transaction. When looking for a hosting provider, you need a company that has a good work track and provides excellent customer service.

They need to be available to answer questions and respond quickly when problems occur. Real-time support options are especially important because of the sensitive nature of web hosting.

If your site goes down for an extended period, you’re losing money and missing potential sales every hour that you’re down. To stay competitive in your industry, you need a hosting company that is proactive and can resolve the problem promptly.

There are various support channels that you can choose as a customer. Ticket support, live chat lines, telephone calls, knowledgebase access, and frequently asked questions are just some of the many available options.

 

 

Social media is another popular support channel that you may want to use. From my experience, you sometimes get a faster response via Twitter and other social media channels than traditional support ticket requests.

Your website’s uptime is essential. That’s why you need to work with a company that answers inquiries quickly and has your best interests in mind. This includes the amount of time that customers are put on hold while waiting for their support request to be resolved.

To succeed in a crowded online marketplace, it’s essential to have a website that’s always available for your customers, any time of the day or night. Customer support should also be available for you whenever you need it.

Having a sudden outage or extended period of downtime in the middle of the night without proper customer service support could be a disaster for your business.

When you’re looking for the right hosting service, think about their response time and their abilities to answer your questions and solve problems efficiently.

Take some time to read reviews to learn what other customers have said about the response time and service quality for each company you are considering.

 

What to Look For in Terms of Uptime and Downtime? 

You will see that most hosting providers guarantee 99.9% uptime. This is realistic and expected from the hosting provider. You’re paying a considerable rate for their service, so you shouldn’t have to settle for anything less.

Most hosting services have questionable uptimes. Increased downtime is a sure sign of problems. It can cost you time and money every time your site is down. You’re losing out on revenue and reaching more potential customers.

There are a lot of resources that you can use to measure your site’s downtime. Some are entirely free, and others offer a free trial with a paid subscription. I recommend using Uptime Robot for monitoring site downtime. They offer free and paid plans.

 

What You Need to Know About Refunds and Guarantees? 

Moneyback satisfaction guarantees are a good sign. These guarantees will be offered usually for the first 30 to 90 days of service, or even longer. You’ll want this type of guarantee if you’re considering signing up with a company that requires a long-term contract commitment.

Make sure that you read the user agreement so that you are aware of its refund and return policies. There are many conditions and hidden areas in which cases refund is made, so I repeat that you read terms carefully.

 

 

There are also uptime guarantees. Some hosting companies offer 100% uptime guarantees, even though that’s very unrealistic. These guarantees promise that money will be refunded to you whenever you experience downtime due to hosting problems.

No company wants to return money due to these issues, so they do whatever they can to minimize such issues. Companies that offer uptime guarantees typically have higher levels of service.

 

How Much Bandwidth and Disk Space Do You Need?

Look for a plan that offers the disk space and bandwidth you need at a reasonable rate. High traffic sites should look for unlimited disk space and bandwidth (check how much bandwidth and disk space WordPress site needs) . Even though these services aren’t actually unlimited, they usually provide more memory than average websites.

Just keep in mind the fact that cheaper subscriptions typically limit the amount of memory, or only provide a specific amount of memory that might not be enough for your needs.

If you want your business to succeed, you should purchase a subscription plan that has enough memory for future growth and higher site traffic volumes.

Bandwidth is the amount of memory needed to run all of the content on your site’s pages. Many web hosting companies advertise plans offering unlimited bandwidth.

In reality, there’s usually a cap, similar to plans offered by cell phone companies. Factors that affect bandwidth include traffic volume, site content and layout, and nature of site files.

Disk space is the amount of space required to hold your website and all of its contents. How much space is needed directly relates to your site and all of the information and files on it. If you’ve run out of disk space, you may have to delete text files, video, audio files, or other content to free up extra space for new content.

Less expensive web hosting services usually involve shared servers with lower amounts of disk space. This may be an appealing option for individuals and startup companies, but it can also affect your site’s content and performance.

 

Check Renewal Fees When Exploring Different Hosting Plans

Hosting companies often try to lure in new businesses by offering a low introductory rate. That rate usually increases significantly after the first year. The difference can be anywhere from a few dollars to ten dollars or more for each different type of subscription level.

These services may be affordable at first, but they can be more expensive in the long term. Pay attention to the introductory pricing and regular contract pricing when reviewing renewal fees. Pay attention to those details before signing a contract so that you won’t be shocked by any “surprise” price increases.

The moral of the story here is to watch out for any introductory rates that seem too good to be true. If you don’t read the fine contract print, you may be shelling a lot more money for your hosting service than anticipated.

Some hosting companies will offer lower rates for locking into a multi-year contract. From one to 3 years is standard. For anything beyond that, you should be cautious. A drawback with many reduced rates or low tier plans is that they often limit how many domains you can have on their server.

 

 

Companies offer these plans in the hopes that you’ll eventually upgrade to a more expensive plan with better support options. By then, they might not be the best option for your needs.

Usually, taking two or more years of hosting will get you the lowest price. Be noted that after that period ends, you will be charged regular price. You can always just migrate to another hosting and use its introductory pricing.

The downside of accepting long term contact is if you are unsatisfied with hosting, you will not get your money back. I always recommend taking one year for a start with a particular hosting. If you are happy with them and want to stay, just ask for a discount on renewal.

 

Are Email Addresses and Mail Storage Important?

Having an email address that includes your company name is more professional than an email such as MyCompanyName@gmail.com.

Working with a hosting company that allows enough email storage is a lot less frustrating than having to continually delete emails because you’re working with a service that offers limited storage.

Think about how many email addresses you want. Even though having a couple of email addresses may be enough initially, you’ll want to work with a company that allows you to add additional email addresses as your business grows.

 

Choosing Right WordPress Hosting Final Words

There are a lot of WordPress hosting providers to choose from. However, not all hosting services are the same. Finding the right WordPress hosting plan isn’t always easy.

Prices can vary greatly. Some companies offer plans for a few dollars a month, while others cost several hundred dollars or more. Service quality can also fluctuate. Some companies are frequent quality award winners, while others should simply be avoided at all cost.

Higher quality service results in better uptime and download times, which help improve conversions, site authority, search engine optimization, etc.

No two companies offer the same services, either. Some only offer bandwidth and storage space options. Others offer email, free SSL, backups, and other various services and add-ons. Most companies make upgrading or downgrading easy.

Some hosting providers will move your site from another service to their service at no extra charge. Some companies will give you a domain name. This is nice, but that also means that they own that domain name for at least a year. They may also prevent you from moving your domain to another hosting service.

Generally speaking, more expensive hosting providers also offer more features and better quality. But not everyone needs the highest-priced system. All you really need to do is to find a plan that matches your hosting needs. You can find a wide array of WordPress hosting services that are free, dedicated, managed, VPS, and shared.

Think about the needs of your WordPress site when considering hosting service providers. You shouldn’t buy a hosting package that’s more than what you really need.

If your site content is basically a brochure of your products and services that only certain customers need access to, a hosting package that offers unlimited storage and allows millions of site visitors a month is not necessary.

However, if your site has many texts, video, or photo uploads every month or conducts thousands of transactions regularly, a shared hosting plan isn’t the answer. High traffic sites on shared servers will eventually slow down the speeds for all sites on that server.

Remember that the term “unlimited” doesn’t always mean unlimited. Extra services are usually available at higher rates. Keep these and other considerations in mind so that you can find a plan that offers just what you’re looking for.