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WordPress Hosting

WordPress has become one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) because of its simplicity. However, in order to utilize WordPress’s CMS, you need a hosting provider, of which there are many. You can choose to have your website hosted by WordPress as well, however, some users prefer to use a different hosting provider to have more creative freedom when it comes to the design of their website.

While we can’t host a website for you, at StatCounter, we can help you track where your traffic is coming from and how users are interacting on your site. Of course, we also strive to provide necessary information to our valued members to help them improve their websites and make the best decisions for such. Having said that, let us fill you in on the ins and outs of WordPress hosting and how to find the best hosting provider that allows WordPress CMS integration.

Suggested Reading

Of course, you can move on to further reading with regards to web hosting by viewing the pages below:

WordPress.com VS WordPress.org

For many seeking to host their website using WordPress, it’s important to distinguish between their options. First, WordPress.com offers a version of WordPress CMS that is fulfilled by WordPress itself. Initially, everybody has access to a free version of the WordPress software that can then be upgraded in several ways. This WordPress offering gives the basic tools needed to create a blog with a few customization features for a small website.

While WordPress.com is a relatively cheap way to use the WordPress CMS, it is an expensive option for hosting a website. The prices for domains, themes, or additional storage are set at a much higher rate than most WordPress hosting providers. Additionally, users experience a lot of limitations to what they can do with a site hosted on WordPress.com. However, the WordPress CMS software is available through WordPress.org and gives users more freedom and control over their website.

Downloading WordPress CMS requires users to find a hosting provider to host their WordPress site. WordPress hosting is often less expensive than paying for upgrades on WordPress.com. WordPress hosting gives users better pricing on web hosting, domains, and storage space. Meanwhile, using the open source software gives users great control over their websites with access to plugins and custom theme installation.

Benefits of Hosting WordPress CMS

Businesses hosting their own WordPress site experience a lot more freedom with their website, as they can take advantage of the customization to create a site that better represents their company image. Here are some of the benefits businesses experience when using WordPress hosting:

  • Better Pricing: Scaling a website is much more affordable when utilizing a WordPress host. Upgrading websites to handle more traffic or customizing storage space to build bigger sites is easy and cost-effective as a website grows.
  • Install Custom Themes: Businesses have unlimited choices in themes. They can purchase and install any theme, or develop their own theme using PHP and CSS.
  • Access to Plugins: Plugins are a valuable resource for websites because they can perform any number of specialized functions. Plugins equip businesses with tools that add features to any website.
  • E-commerce Support: Businesses can set up web stores on their website. This is a feature that isn’t supported on WordPress.com.
  • Control Advertising: Businesses can monetize websites through advertisements. WordPress.com users are subject to WordPress advertisements and have to pay to remove those ads. Hosting from WordPress allows users to earn revenue off the ads they run on their site.
  • Customize the Code: For businesses looking to tweak the code on their site, they can easily edit the CSS to make design improvements.

Choosing a WordPress Hosting Provider

As mentioned before, you can choose to have your website hosted by WordPress, and for many this is a perfectly suitable solution. However, some website owners prefer to have more freedom when it comes to designing their website. Because of this, a number of hosting providers have allowed WordPress CMS integration to give users the ability to edit and write content for their site using WordPress and make design changes using the hosting provider.

When looking for a WordPress hosting provider, you will want to consider exactly what you want out of your hosting platform. Some things you will want to consider are:

  • Price: While many hosting providers offer similar services and capabilities, their prices can vary. Choose a hosting provider that has all the features you want for a reasonable price, but be wary of choosing the cheapest WordPress hosting provider.
  • Storage Amount: Even if your website isn’t remarkably large, you will want to choose a hosting provider that allows you to use a lot of storage space. Some hosting providers allow for unlimited storage space, so be sure to choose a provider that will allow you to use the amount of storage space that your website will need.
  • Customer Support: Even if you understand WordPress hosting, odds are something will go wrong eventually, and 24/7 customer service can make all the difference. Be sure your hosting provider has good customer support, should any issues arise.

As our trusted domain and web hosting provider, we recommend 1&1 for your WordPress hosting needs. You can learn more about 1&1’s WordPress hosting plans from 1and1.com to determine which plan is best for your site.

3 Steps to Finding a WordPress Hosting Provider

While the above considerations are key in determining which hosting provider will suit your needs best, there are a few steps you can follow to narrow down your options and select the more fitting provider for your website. As you start to seek WordPress hosting providers, follow the steps listed below:

  1. First, you need to find a trustable provider. Though you shouldn't have to worry much with the top companies, you may find a select few from the thousands available who are really out to just get your money. As you consider providers, take a look at our Web Hosting Reviews page.
  2. Next, you need to decide which type of hosting best suits your website. Your best options are going to be between shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting. If you’re unsure of which will suit your needs best, you can learn more on our web hosting page.
  3. Once you have an idea of the type of hosting you need and the trustable providers, it’ll be time to make your selection. In doing so, be sure to check out reviews to see what existing WordPress users like best, keeping the aforementioned key considerations in mind as well.

With web hosting being an absolute necessity, it’s important you find what’s right for your website. Of course, a better understanding of web hosting and the options within can help simplify the process.

Track Your Success with StatCounter

Once you have chosen a WordPress hosting provider and have built your website, you will want to track your traffic with StatCounter. With our web tracker, you can view detailed metrics about your site’s traffic and how users navigate through your site. With this information, you can then make educated decisions as to where to go next with your website in regards to design, SEO, and more.

If needed, you can check out some of our website advice by reading more of our Insights. If you are in need of assistance, feel free to fill out the form below.

As our trusted domain and web hosting provider, 1&1 offers easy WordPress integration to help you get your website off the ground seamlessly. If you are in need of a web hosting solution, we recommend 1&1.

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