Have you ever taken a learning style inventory? It was something I had to do many years ago as a young teacher. We all learn through visual, auditory, or tactile/kinesthetic means; however, we all have one style that is stronger and comfortable to us than the others. What does that have to do with WordPress hosting?
Let me take a step back, first, and explain what an optimized host is. Then, like yesterday, I’ll offer you a few of the bigger services to check out.
Optimized Means Managed
Technically, an optimized site just means that all the server settings have been configured specifically for WordPress. In a shared host environment (like Bluehost or Site5), you could be running any number of programs: Drupal, Moodle, Zencart, just to name a few. So the servers run on generic settings — meaning things like how to access databases, etc. But on a server that has been optimized for WordPress you will only find WordPress. So all those technical things can be set to the way that makes WordPress happiest. There are a number of benefits to this.
Faster
An optimized site is a faster site. Hands down. Faster for your readers and on the other hand, faster for you too. We’ve all been there — waiting for that photo to load and it seems like it is taking forever (…and you know you didn’t upload the 5000px X 5000px shot so why the heck is it taking forever??????) The faster your site loads, the easier it is to keep your visitor from clicking away out of frustration and annoyance.
More Secure
The optimized host also keeps all things updated for you. The version of WordPress you run, all the plugins you have installed, even the theme if it receives an update, will all be updated automatically for you. Security patches come out all the time, so being up-to-date is vital for keeping secure.
This frees up your time to write and promote your blog. Unless something goes wrong. What if one of the plugins didn’t update with the latest WordPress version and now has a critical conflict that keeps your site from loading? Well, that’s when the final benefit would kick in.
Technical Support
Your site is down, and you can’t figure out why. With optimized hosting, just a call to the technical support line and you have an army of WordPress experts to walk you through fixing what is wrong. Without their help, your only option is to tinker around (this is where those TK learners would be in hog heaven!) or hire an expert (have you seen their rates?). All that support is included in the price of the service.
Expect to Pay More
So yes, an optimized host is more expensive. It’s kind of like the five-star hotel of the internet hosting world. Do you want standard and reliable Holiday Inn service? Or do want the care and attention of Ritz-Carlton service?
As you compare the costs, keep in mind how much your time is worth. Sometimes the fix is really easy and quick to figure out and sometimes it can take quite a bit of googling to find the cure. This is a very personal choice: do you want to spend your money or your time to fix the problem?
3 Optimized Hosts to Choose From
So, just like the range of plans we looked at yesterday, these WordPress specialized hosts also offer all sorts of tiers of products and services and the costs can range pretty widely. Again you want to find the plan that offers you the most flexibility for a price point that you are comfortable paying.
Here are three that I would recommend starting with: WPEngine, Pagely, Bluehost. (Again, links are not affliate.)
- WPEngine is one of the earliest host to enter the optimized marketplace. One of their key benefits is that they have the highest ratio of staff to customers. In other words, less time waiting for someone to help you. That’s pretty nice but expect to pay for it. They are one of the costliest providers.
- Pagely is also a great choice. They have partnered with Amazon Web Services and that means, for you, amazing scalability should you happen to hit the big time and get 500,000 visitors a month. It should also mean smoother serving of your site to your readers.
- Bluehost has just recently jumped in the optimized WordPress space and as a late arrival they are a great deal compared to the more costly WPEngine. On the other hand, you are limited to one domain. If you have a new idea, you’ll have to buy another plan.
The Choice is Up to You
And now comes the hard part. Find a host that you feel comfortable with. Decide how much money you are comfortable paying. Don’t get stuck researching for perfect. You’ll never find the perfect plan or the perfect host. Find one that is good enough and even more — good enough for now. You can always switch. You can always pick a different option at a later time.
Up Next:
Domain, domain, domain: the real estate equivalent to location, location, location
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