Building a WordPress website requires completion of several moving pieces. While the primary focus is typically on design, development, and content, it’s critical you not overlook the importance of using a quality hosting service.

For the uninitiated, your web host is the company that provides the space on the internet in which you can house your site. Think of it as the mall landlord and your site is renting one of the storefronts. Extending that metaphor, consider what would happen if the landlord never opened the front doors on time, didn’t bother to install locks, and didn’t offer insurance for the goods in your store on the chance the mall burned down? The same concepts apply to your website.

  1. Site Speed — Your hosting service must offer enough speed so your website loads quickly. Online visitors don’t have the time now to wait for pages to appear on-screen. They expect immediate results and excuses like too much traffic don’t pass muster. These days, anything longer than .80 seconds is on the slow end of the scale. Your hosting service should also be looking for ways to increase speed, too.
  2. Back-Ups — What happens if your site goes down? You certainly don’t want to lose all the content you’ve worked hard to create. As precaution, you should be backing up your WordPress site occasionally, but it adds a sense of security knowing that your hosting service is also providing a back-up. Hosted back-ups are a last resort for disaster recovery, but it’s nice to know the service is available.
  3. Security — Websites and servers are constantly under fire from hackers and other nefarious sorts. You want to have several layers of security keeping your site safe. Your hosting provider should provide you with a high level of security to ensure you don’t worry. After all, it behooves them to stay secure. If their servers go down, word of the deficiencies will travel far and wide quickly, and that’s bad for business.

Are you figuring out which hosting service is right for your website? Contact us today to learn more about what’s most important in ensuring successful hosting of your WordPress site.