As a new blogger, there are key features you should look out for when choosing a WordPress hosting service:
Cost - What you pay for is what you get; the quality you can expect from your hosting platform often comes down to the cost. Companies that offer lower entry prices will make back their money at your expense! Hosting providers that offer ‘unlimited’ services should be avoided as that is purely a marketing ploy – there are always limits.
Cheaper hosts may advertise exceptionally low prices, but their renewal fees (which will be more hidden) are far higher than expected. These hosts may even go on to sell your personal information our auction off your recently removed domain.
Services - Managed WordPress hosting is good for a beginner, your hosting provider will take care of all the technical maintenance for you. They should offer site backups for emergencies, as well as strong security features like DDoS and WHOIS Protection.
Performance – Is the hosting provider known for their load speed? Can they handle a large amount of traffic? Some Hosting providers are designed to facilitate high traffic volumes more than others. Downtime is another serious concern, research your host’s downtime history through customer feedback.
Customer Support – Having a responsive tech support team is a deal-breaker, too many companies have support staff that either dodge the question or bounce their customers around. Does your host have Live Chat? How quickly can they respond? It is crucial to be able to reach customer support when you need it.
Reputation – Seeking out independent reviews, as well as customer reviews, can offer valuable insight into the practicalities and day-to-day experiences of real customers. Does the host display testimonials on their site? A simple Google search can offer up page after page of bad reviews for certain companies.
My personal recommendations would be WordPress,com and Apps4Rent Hosting since they are reliable, personable, and tick all the boxes listed above.
Customer reviews will tell you a lot about the practical issues with each host. They’re all different, so search around to find the best ones!
