An ideal WordPress hosting provider needs several things, and five of them are listed in this article. You should know that WordPress sites make up 40% of the web. This means that WordPress sites are one of the biggest targets for hackers and other cyber terrorists.
Your WordPress host is a critical element of protection from such persons. You're the one that operates the front gate where you stop people from accessing your files by going through your WordPress site. The host is the one who handles the back door, making sure that people do not gain access and control over the server.
What you need to do is make sure you research your host thoroughly. The tips below are all things you should look into when you purchase hosting for your WordPress site. This list is in no particular order.
#One that is not free
A free host is not always a bad thing, but it usually is. Generally, if a host offers you free hosting, they imply that you have no right to complain about their service. This means they may have poor security, sketchy updates, inadequate bandwidth amounts, and a whole host of other problems.
Additionally, they may even lock you into their hosting so that they can sell you hosting in a year or two when you cannot migrate your WordPress site to another hosting provider. They may also give you free hosting so that they can run their own adverts on your website. So, your best bet is just to avoid free WordPress hosting.
#One that offers you the ability to scale up
Running straight in and buying a lot of web space, a lot of bandwidth, or choosing VPS is not a very good idea. It is better to start small and work your way up. However, you should make sure that your host actually allows you to purchase more webspace and more bandwidth. It is also a good idea to check to see if their upgrade cost is reasonable. For example, they may have a bronze, silver, and gold package. If your bronze package was just a token of $50, make sure that the next upgrade is not $200.
#One that has an update/maintenance schedule
It is the host's job to update the host server regularly. You should check to see if they have a maintenance schedule, as this is an excellent indication that they actually maintain their server.
Also, a maintenance schedule is a lovely act of courtesy to their users. Some hosts update as-and-when they like, which then causes problems for the user because their website goes offline. Telling you when your website is going to be down is a curtsy that too few hosts give.
#One that has an up-time of 99%+
If your website is down for more than 1% of the year, then the search engines will not be impressed, and it will become challenging for your website to rise through the search engine results pages. You need to check that your host has an up-time of 99%+ and that their up-time claims are not just marketing banter. You need to check for complaints online or historical logs, showing that their server has been offline for more than 1% of the year.
#One that is secure
As it said in the introduction, the security of your host is paramount. You can lock down your files as much as possible, but they will be hacked via the server if they are somehow available online. It may take time for the hacked server to break into your files, but there is nothing you can do to stop them. Although it's up to your host to prevent people from hacking the server or adding viruses or malware to the server, you should also hire a reliable WordPress support & maintenance service provider to tighten your site's security further.
Your host should also pay attention to physical security. Once a server has been hacked, getting into the websites contained in it is just a matter of time. However, if you have a hard line to the server, breaking into it will not be easy.
