In this episode, we talk about the different types of hosting options for your WordPress site – shared, managed, dedicated, or closed systems.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:06 — 21.2MB)
The Changelog
- First episode we’re recording in person, both in Bangkok with new microphones
- Thanks for the 5-star reviews!
- MoneyPlan SOS from US
- davbrn from UK
- LuisMartinspt from Portugal
- PiersJW from Australia
- downandproud from Australia
The Core
- We’ve seen people have bad experiences with shared hosts like BlueHost – slow, less secure
- Lots of hosting comparisons are skewed due to affiliate links to lower quality hosts
- Examples of these (we don’t recommend): BlueHost, HostGator, GoDaddy, DreamHost, etc.
What You Should Look for in a Hosting Provider
- Fast load times for usability and SEO, especially important for mobile
- Preventing malware and the chance of getting hacked
- High uptime – check your uptime with Pingdom, Uptime Robot
- Great support, ideally specialized WordPress support
Beginner – Shared Hosting
- Inexpensive but lower performance, security, etc.
- We only recommend this option for less non-business websites
- Recommendations:
Business – VPS / Dedicated Server
- Can be very cheap to start out (if you have low usage)
- Requires more overhead and a capable in-house team
- For most business, we don’t recommend this option
- Options:
Business – Managed Hosting
- WordPress-only, blacklist for some plugins (caching, backup, security, etc)
- Fast, secure platform
- Recommendations:
- WPEngine (David’s choice, has staging area) (non-affiliate link)
- Synthesis (most cost-effective for extremely high traffic sites)
- Flywheel (Doug’s choice, fastest and highest uptime)
Business – Closed System
- Can be a great solution depending on your requirements, upside is no technical work for you
- Limited features and customization, can’t install your own themes and plugins
- Options:
- WordPress.com (designed mainly for blogs)
- PodWP (Doug’s company, designed for podcast websites)
- EfficientWP (Doug’s company, designed for business websites)
Our conclusion: invest in quality and peace of mind.
What host are you using, and are you happy with them? We’re happy to give recommendations!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:06 — 21.2MB)
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