WordPress is one of the popular platforms for creating a website or blog. It is so simple and user-friendly that it supports approximately 35% of the websites on the internet. WordPress Hosting is simply a hosting which optimizes this platform’s performance and security offering several additional WordPress plugins and regular software updates.
Now, many might think if WordPress hosting a.k.a WP hosting is at all necessary to run WordPress? Technically, the answer is NO, almost all hosts are capable of running WordPress software on their own. However, this does not mean that a user will have a similar experience while using WordPress. WordPress Hosting is designed to optimize and support the software in the most efficient manner while helping users to run their website easily and creatively.
Types of WordPress Hosting
It is generally categorized into three types – Free, shared, and managed.
Free WordPress Hosting
Free WP hosting is a great option for users who are looking for trying the software for the first time or want to understand how it works. In other cases, if the software is to be used for professional or personal reasons then free hosting is never recommended. Free hosting users have to compromise with a general domain name, frequent maintenances and restricted features.
Shared WordPress Hosting
As it is clear from the name, shared WP hosting allows multiple users to host their website on one server monitored by a hosting provider. It is an attractive option as it offers low hosting cost as the cost is divided among the users. It offers features like cPanel, one-click installer etc. for easy management of the site.
Shared WP hosting promises to offer unlimited bandwidth and storage to all its users. However, it may be the exaggerated truth as the resources are never uniformly distributed and users have to work with limited reserves. Hence, it is recommended for small companies, start-ups or blogs with average traffic.
Managed WordPress Hosting
Managed WP hosting exists to manage a high traffic WordPress website which can be a tiring and complex task for any user. This type of hosting offers a complete package. Host providers deal with the technical activities related to site management such as site backup, server activation, monitoring, security, maintenance, and continuous updates. It is obvious to say that these features come at a higher cost when compared to the shared hosting option. This is a perfect option for high traffic established websites and for users who do not want to take care of the technical side of the business.
Benefits of WordPress Hosting
There are various types of WordPress Hosting, which we have discussed in the previous section, but irrespective of the type, users get following popular benefits of WP hosting. Other than these, few hosts also offer customized features which may include market place integration for themes or plugins, automatic WordPress backup, sFTP access to WordPress platforms etc.
1. Faster Speed
In the current world, time is money. It is true when it comes to a website performance also. A fast loading website offers better user-experience and secures higher ranking on search engines. Both shared and managed WordPress hosting offer high loading speed to websites and improve the performance. With managed hosting, users get personalized optimization for their website while having the support of an expert team.
2. Maximum Security
Many times users tend to compromise on security while trying to save some money, which ultimately proves expensive in case of a threat. A threat does not only affect the website but also its visitors and user data. Hence, it is always advisable to act smartly when it comes to the safety of website data. WP hosting offers a special benefit to its users by shielding them from any kind of software related risks. It also performs frequent safety checks and monitoring to ensure site security. General hosting services only cover common threats which are never enough. In case of managed WordPress hosting, With managed the host also help users to completely repair and retrieve future security risks in case of an attack.
3. Updated Software
Updating WordPress software is a simple but frequent task which is essential to maintain the website’s performance. Most of the time users overlook this simple task and risk the threat of an attack or low performance. WordPress hosting offers automatic software updates with its packages, to keep the latest version of the site up and running.
WordPress hosting is an enhanced web hosting specially for WordPress powered websites. It offers an inclusive package of high performance, high loading speed, high-security features, dependability and so on. This is why it is the preferred choice for many WordPress users.
If you have read the whole article till now then you must be wondering which hosting might be suitable for your website. As mentioned above, WordPress hosting will be the best option if the blog or website is powered by WordPress but between shared and managed WordPress hosting always think initially about the budget that you can afford. Low traffic website can save money by going for shared hosting option. Users with higher traffic can opt for managed hosting type to avoid spending their time on technical stuff.
Sonal Mishra is a management graduate from Pune. She comes from finance background and has found her true calling as a writer after gaining corporate experience for almost six years with companies like Capgemeni and HSBC. She has transformed her love for writing into a full time profession and currently works as a freelance content creator.
