What to Bear in Mind When Picking a WordPress Hosting Service?

With so many web hosting providers out there, picking the right host for your WordPress website can be more exhausting of a task than it should be. You think you’ve found the perfect provider, then you read a few negative reviews that make you have second thoughts about it, and then you’re back to square one!

Well, that’s usually how it works, and ultimately you’re gonna have to pick the service that best satisfies your own needs and spending plan. For example, Verpex is a good option for WordPress hosting. They offer different packages with various specifications. There are, however, some important points that should be on your checklist as you weigh up different candidates to host your WordPress project. The following are the most noteworthy of those.

Determine Your Technical Requirements

Before you even begin searching for a web host, you should have a precise idea or at least a calculated estimate of the amount of server resources you’ll need. How much CPU, RAM, disk space and monthly bandwidth your website will be consuming? What is the estimated database size? What are the recommended server specifications for the theme and plugins your website is using? How many concurrent visitors do you expect during peak hours?

All of these are important questions you should have answers to, because if you choose a plan that doesn’t provide adequate resources, you can expect to experience frequent downtime of your website, especially during peak hours.

Managed vs. Non-Managed WordPress Hosting

Managed WordPress hosting makes it much easier for beginners to smoothly run a website without worrying much about the technical sides of installation and maintenance, since those will be done for you by the provider. This type of managed hosting is tailored to websites using WordPress, and normally offers better performance, speed and security than regular hosting services.

Features like automatic updates, backups, CDN, caching, staging and malware protection are commonly included with managed WordPress hosting services. You should also expect higher quality technical support from agents who are experienced with WordPress and are able to fix any problems in a timely manner.

However, managed hosting is remarkably more expensive and may not be cost-effective for simple websites. It is often used by small business owners looking to host an e-commerce WordPress site and need a higher level of performance, reliability and support service. However, if you have the knowledge and experience to do the technical work yourself, then you can save a lot of money by going with more affordable non-managed hosting.

Test Their Support Team

If you’ve previously had experiences with poor technical support, then you know how crucial it is for a hosting company to have a competent support team that is available 24/7, and can promptly resolve any problems or difficulties you face with your website.

Most providers of cheap web hosting outsource their support to poorly qualified agents who may not be much more helpful than a self-help article from the knowledge base. If the company has live chat support, then start a chat conversation with them and ask a few technical questions about their services in order to test their knowledge and responsiveness. The deeper and more intricate questions you can think of, the better idea you’ll get about whether you are dealing with real experts or inept amateurs.

Check User Feedback and Reviews

Numerous websites publish reviews of hosting companies, but only a few of them are trustworthy while the rest are mostly biased affiliate websites. One of the best places to look for genuine and impartial customer reviews is Trustpilot.

If you’ve been browsing through reviews of different hosts, you must have noticed that there is almost no company with a perfect customer satisfaction score. You should inevitably find some complaints from disappointed customers, and this applies to even the most reliable of providers.

A small percentage of bad reviews is something quite normal and expected in this industry, but what should worry you and raise a red flag is a significant number of repeated complaints about a certain issue or aspect. Another potential warning sign is when the company doesn’t bother to respond to the negative feedback or try to make things right.

Renewal Costs and Refund Policy

In order to encourage new customers to sign up, many providers offer discounted prices for the first billing term, and you usually get a trial period during which you can cancel the plan and get your money back if you are not satisfied with the service.

Some people may not notice that the renewal cost of the plan is often much higher than the discounted price they paid for the initial term, and may be surprised by a big charge on their credit card when the service is up for renewal. Make sure that you are aware of the renewal rates before you place an order, and also make sure to carefully read the refund policy. Some fees (e.g. for setup or add-on services) may not be refundable.

So, keep the above-mentioned points in mind the next time you are searching for a hosting service for your WordPress website, and you’ll hopefully make the right decision with no regrets down the road. You will never be 100% certain about your decision until you actually try out the service firsthand, so it may be better not to commit to a long-term plan from the start.