Within this summarized walkthrough guide, we will help you to choose the best hosting for your website, taking into account speed and reliability. Choosing the appropriate hosting for your needs can dramatically improve SEO and help to increase the viewers. Web hosting is therefore one of the key components of any successful website.
What is a hosting and how to choose it?
Hosting is the acquisition of a corner internet space in which you can store photos, texts, data and videos on a non stopping computer connected uninterruptedly to the network (Also called Server).
For a website to function, a server must be supporting and storing it. If for any given reason the server is not working properly or falling down constantly, the site will be unreachable for anyone.
Given the severity of the matter, you should choose your hosting offer with special care.
What types of web hosting can I find?
There are many plans for any type of project. But to make it easier to choose the best hosting service, it can be categorized into 3 types of hosting:
1) Professional hosting
Professional hosting is intended towards high-end projects that are carried out by people with knowledge in the field.
They have large resources and are optimized to handle large amounts of traffic.
This type of hosting service is recommended if you are an organized team with hosting management knowledge. This is to enable you to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by this type of service.
It is recommended for hosting business websites or websites that expect to get a lot of users.
They are also great for those who are developing large blog networks and online stores.
2. Inexpensive hosting
Cheap web hosting is oriented towards small to medium projects developed by people with medium or low domain over website administration. The vast majority are optimized for a specific function.
The most common functions for which they are optimized are hosting of websites created within CMS, SEO, self-installation of the apps and webmail. This makes them very easy to use, to the point where everything is virtually received pre configured.
If you are building a basic blog, small affiliate stores, or small blog networks, these services are best fit for you.}
3. Free Hosting
There are many free hosting providers. However, there is something to keep in mind. Just like in your daily life on the Internet, if you don’t pay for something, it’s not really yours. This applies to almost all services provided by this medium.
Free hosting, while it can make your website functional at no cost, has really low quality in terms of loading times, availability, and storage. Not to mention the server IPs aren’t the best or most secure.
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Moreover, in the eyes of search engines, free hosting will not give the most professional signals for your project. So it’s not recommended at any level, further than testing and learning, to use a free hosting for a serious project.
Hosting prices and free hosting
Hosting prices range from 20 USD to about 1000 USD or more a year. Opting for the cheapest offer, will mostly lead you to a service with poor parameters and slow connection. Even the most amazing and beautiful page will not receive traffic or become a true embarrassment if the load time is transcendentally long.
A reasonable price for a whole year of hosting will range between $100 and $600 USD, which is a range suitable for 99% of sites (Can’t get without investment). Cheaper offers will probably cause you only problems and a big amount of migraines. This does not mean that a really expensive one will do all the tricks, as you might be only overpaying for a service. Such expensive offers are intended for very complex sites or with a really high audience; if you have more than 40,000 visitors a month, then this might be an optimal solution.
Some companies offer free hosting – however this might be a terrible idea even that it looks appealing. Free hosting is characterized by really slow connection and access, limitations in the amount of data that can be transferred (which may cause the website to stop functioning in the middle of a day), and above all – painful and invasive ads.
There is no such thing as a good free or cheap hosting plan. Being cheap in the beginning might mean the doom on later stages of your project. Hosting is the hearth and body of our page and an extremely important service for the base and smooth functioning of the website. Don’t seek to save money here.
Features to consider when choosing the best web hosting
Regardless of the hosting provider and plan you intend to hire, your hosting needs to have certain features to keep the basic functions running. These are some minimal features that any good hosting should have:
1. loading speed
The loading speed offered by the hosting provider is highly important. This one aspect alone will be the most appreciated by anyone when browsing through any site web. Furthermore, Google and other search engines take this into account for SEO.
You need to keep an eye on the bandwidth offered by the hosting provider as well as having proper optimization on the website so it can load quickly. This section can be improved with cPanel
If you are new to web development, it is prudent to be careful about the size of the media items you use. Also a WordPress template or any other CMS. It will be the same in any hosting.
If the page takes too long to load, you will have a very high bounce rate and will incur in SEO penalties for it. This means a very large drop in viewership. In any case, the best web hosting must offer excellent loading speeds to ensure users have excellent page loading rates.
2. Server Availability
The servers and infrastructure of a good hosting provider should have a fairly high uptime. To give you an idea, a 97% uptime is considered bad.
It depends on whether your website or online store is working. Remember that people who use your project will connect directly to the hosting. This means that if the hosting is not active, your project will not be accessible
To consider a web hosting provider as the best, an uptime of 99.99% would be ideal. The services that can be found in this guide offer an almost uninterrupted service.
3. Quality of support
Technical support is essential, even if you are an expert in server and cPanel administration. They can help you with certain tasks that are beyond your capabilities and reach due to the limitations of your hosting provider. Evenfither, if you are not very knowledgeable, technical support can help you configure multiple items in cPanel. They can even install WordPress or Woocommerce for you.
For these reasons alone, the best web hosting must have an exquisite knowledgeable technical support. The services recommended below will have 24/7 technical support with a team of outstanding specialists. You can count on dedicated help.
4. Technological requirements of your project
This is a very, very important step, so take the time to identify your project requirements. This applies to small, medium and large websites. For any sort of web project.
The reason why this is so imperative is simply due to proper requirements, failing to do so will lead you to a great struggle to operate it. This could be, for example, load speed or server failure due to saturation or size.
On the other hand, if you don’t have any structured and well-defined web-page requirements, you could end up paying hundreds of dollars in accommodation with more benefits than necessary.
5. Location of web hosting servers
The location of the provider’s servers is important for both you and your users. This factor can help a lot with positioning and loading speeds.
If your audience is located in Spain for example, it is best to hire a provider whose servers are physically located there. This will greatly improve your loading times and give you some bonus as positioning comes.
You need to make sure the servers are physically where they are offered. Many hosting providers simply geo-locate your IP when their datacenter is elsewhere. You won’t get any benefits this way.
How to install hosting
Hosting installation is a fairly abstract concept. A routine can have many variables, determined by the project you are working on
In order to create your website and load it you will need to follow a few steps which will be very easy for you. First, create a free hosting user without the need for a credit card or additional data.
After creating your account, you need to download cPanel for website management and a CMS such as WordPress, which is currently the easiest to use and the most popular.
After the page is created, it can be uploaded to the hosting server. You can also manage each domain or subdomain and its associated webmail.
After starting registration, you will have to select one of the available packages. You will notice that the free ad-supported package will give you more space and bandwidth than without it.
After filling in the required fields of the registration form, you will receive a confirmation via your webmail. Your account will then be created, in just a few minutes and without complications.
Hosting technical support must help with this task, so the services we present to you have this plus. Of course, you can always install and configure your hosting yourself, in case you prefer it to be.
It is also important to know that many providers have options to install web hosting in 1 click. Of course, this option is specially made for projects that are very simple and do not require any kind of adjustment.
Cloud Hosting
There are thousands of providers all over the world, all of them claim to offer the best hosting services. The Digital Trail gives you a list of hosting providers that provide a true price-quality offer.
- SiteGround – Best customer service
- Hostinger – Best Cheap Hosting Plans
- Bluehost – Best Web Host for Beginners
- HostGator – Best Scalability for Price
- Dreamhost – Most Affordable Monthly Plans
- GreenGeeks – Best Eco-Friendly Hosting
- WP Engine – Best Managed WordPress Hosting
- A2 Hosting – Fast & Reliable Shared Hosting
SiteGround
SiteGround hosting offers you one of the best cPanel and outstanding tools for any website. This provider offers hosting plans for WordPress and all its functionalities functionalities.pre-installed and ready to use.
If you aim for a website or blog, this is the right place. SiteGround’s hosting service offers plans for any kind of website you have in mind. Shared plans, WooCommerce hosting, cPanel hosting and WordPress hosting.
SiteGround offers different services such as webmail, management, registration and domain transfer. Also it provides outstanding technical support, features and various locations
Pros(+)
- Good loading speed.
- Optimized for WordPress.
- Optimized for WooCommerce.
- Free SSL.
- Approved by WordPress.
- 30 day money back guarantee.
Cons(-)
- Limited storage, 10 GB to 30 GB
- Unspecified bandwidth.
- Siteground Offers and Plans
Prices
SHARED PLAN 1
- $3.55 /Month
- 10 GB
SHARED PLAN 2
- $5.35 /Month
- 20 GB
PLAN VPS
- $70 / Month
- 40 GB
Hostinger
Hostinger Websites have become fundamental in the lives of those who wish to build a web project. Hostinger offers extremely easy to host your CMS websites such as WordPress, games and even mobile applications.
Hostinger serves millions of people worldwide providing great support, reliability and constancy. In addition, Hostinger Hosting offers more than 75,000 weekly subscriptions .
They stand out thanks to the great amount of features that contain its cPane, with which you can use almost any type of web project. Its speed, usability, efficiency and, above all, the prices are among the factors that contribute to its large number of subscribers and great reviews. One of its most important features is the guaranteed available locations of physical servers.
Pros(+)
- 100% availability.
- SSL Service Center.
- Unlimited access to the site.
- Low prices.
- 24/7 technical support.
- Intuitive website design.
Cons(-)
- Does not have dedicated servers.
- No specific plan for WordPress.
Prices
SHARED PLAN
- $ 1 / Month
- 10 GB Space
VPS PLAN
- $ 3.95 / Month
- 20 GB space
DEDICATED PLAN
- $ 7.45
- 100 GB space
BlueHost
Bluehost is one of the largest web hosting providers on the planet. It has over 10 million active domains and a great number of highly satisfied users. It is fully compatible with WordPress and its servers support cPanel.
The host includes an amazing and wide array of hosting plans , so you can choose a very specialized plan that fits your needs. It also offers great prices and discounts on all its services.
Pros(+)
- Top 10 best WordPress services.
- High level WordPress technical support.
- Free domain with every plan.
- Affordable prices.
Cons(-)
- Technical support only in English.
- High prices for renewal.
- Doesn’t offer free migration.
- Annual plans only.
Plans
SHARED PLAN
- $ 7.99 7 Month
- $ 2.95 / Month
- 50 GB space
VPS PLAN
- $ 29.99 / Month
- $ 18.15 / Month
- 30 GB space
DEDICATED PLAN
- $ 119.99 / Month
- $ 79.99 / Month
- 500 GB space
Hostgator
Specialized web-design hosting server that offers great prices in terms of virtual hosting. It also comes with a cPanel for configuring WordPress.
It is a highly reliable provider, with stable and safe operations. Its uniterrumped service and great customer support makes it a wonderful alternative for everyone seeking to host a great looking. You will never have to worry about failures or loss of vital information.
Pro(+)
- Affordable prices.
- Fast servers.
- Optimal accessibility.
- Variety of plans.
- Good support service.
- Efficient and intuitive website
Cons(-)
- Service entirely in English.
- Weekly backups.
- Limited WordPress support.
Plans
SHARED PLAN
- $ 2.08 / Month
- UNLIMITED space
VPS PLAN
- $ 19.95/ Month
- 120 GB space
DEDICATED PLAN
- $ 89.98 / Month
- 1000 GB space
DreamHost
Dreamhost is without doubt a ‘AAA’ hosting company which provides an outstanding and worldwide service. It stands out by an excellent price offer and provides specialized administration software similar to cPanel and optimizations towards WordPress.
Choosing a web hosting service is a task worth dedicating your time to, and you can rest assured Dearmhost will meet your needs and will guarantee a reliable and stable service alongside great support 24/7 no matter where you are.
Pros(+)
- Good price.
- Domain included.
- 1 click installation.
- Easy to use.
- SSD storage space.
Cons(-)
- Occasionally, you can experience slow speeds
- Technical support in English only.
- Basic plans limited to 1 site.
Plans
SHARED PLAN
- $2.59 / Month
- 10 GB space
PLAN VPS
- $10 / Month
- 30 GB space
DEDICATED PLAN
- $149 7 Month
- 1000 GB space
GoDaddy
GoDaddy is a well known domain registration company that provides web hosting services . It is considered today as one of the leading companies in the sector with over 40 million registered domains. It is simply one of the best options out there to use WordPress
There is a really wide variety of hosting plans that fits almost every type of user . From The ones who develop basic WordPress projects to advanced developers with a very large and dynamic network. Having a cPanel, included in their offer, is great for this.
GoDaddy has an amazing and well known support that will help to fix every problem you encounter. Their guarantee of cero problems with the service and smooth project development, can put anyone at ease to know it will always work
Pros(+)
- Great prices.
- Servers around the world.
- Variety of plans.
- Domain auction program.
- Convenient website.
Cons(-)
- Slow customer service.
- Server saturation.
Plans
SHARED PLAN
- $ 4.37 / Month
- 100 GB space
VPS PLAN
- $ 5.47 / Month
- 20 GB space
DEDICATED PLAN
- $ 80.03 / Month
- 1000 GB space
GreenGeeks
An international hosting service with great quality and convenient features such as a cPanel tool for WordPress or webmail.
GreenGeeks hosting has been tailored to give you the best from its platform. By taking into account every detail they offer extremely high quality service to all its customers.
Pros(+)
- 24/7/365 technical support.
- Simple operation.
- Good loading speed.
- Good prices.
- Unlimited traffic.
- Unlimited space.
Cons(-)
- Its availability is slightly less than the recommended 99.99%.
- The website is entirely in English.
Plans
SHARED PLAN
- $ 2.95 / Month
- UNLIMITED space
VPS PLAN
- $ 39.95 / Month
- 50 GB space
DEDICATED PLAN
- $ 109.95 / Month
- 150 GB space
WP Engine
WP Engine is a handful managed hosting provider for WordPress users. It’s known for offering high performance, and most of its plans are designed towards WordPress developers.
The downside here is the prices. WP Engine’s Starter plan costs $35 / Month, which is far more expensive than most other blog hosts. Plus, you only get access to WP Engine’s best features through its higher tiers.
WP Engine is a solid choice for any blog – as long as you have the budget. The Startup plan only supports a single website, and it can be overkill for a small blog. Even so, if you have experience with website development, you know you’re paying for a great set of features.
Pros
- A developer-friendly host with access to powerful functionality
- Top 5 fastest WordPress web hosts
- Ten different server locations, distributed around the US, Europe, and Asia
- WordPress pre-installed
- Access to over 35 premium themes from StudioPress.
- Access to staging, production, and development environments
- Integrated CDN
- Automated Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates
- Automated backups
Cons
- Requires development experience to take advantage of the full range of features
- A lot of features, such as Multisite support and automatic plugin updates, are billed as add-ons
- Starting costs are very steep for small websites
Plans
Startup
- $35 7 / Month
- 1 website
- 10 GB of storage
- 50 GB of bandwidth
Growth
- $115 / Month:
- 5 websites
- 20 GB space
- 200 GB of bandwidth
Scale
- $290 / Month:
- 15 websites / 30 GB of storage / 400 GB of bandwidth
- Custom: on a case-by-case basis
A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting offers practically every type of hosting plan you’ll need for your project. They offer WooCommerce plans, Virtual Private Servers (VPSs), and many others
When it comes to blog hosting, you’ll find several low-cost WordPress plans to choose from. It is an intuitive and beginner-friendly web service and it boasts excellent performance, which is an essential aspect that can’t be ignored.
The service is a cost-effective option for small blogs requiring less functionality than many other advanced provider. If you wish to benefit from their blazing fast performance promised, you will need to acquire the Turbo plan.
A2 Hosting provides a month-by-month payment option, but to get the really good deals and promotional rates, you’ll have to lock yourself into a 24- or 36-month long contract.
For the performance and features you get, you’re better off signing an extended contract with another web host. On the other hand, if you want a month-by-month option that offers the necessary features you need for your blog, A2 Hosting can be a good choice.
Pros:
- One of the cheapest host outhere
- They offer plans for the most popular blogging platforms,
- Server locations in the US, UK, Canada, France, and Australia
- Bundled-in theme collection
- Free SSL certificate
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Access to in-house WordPress optimization plugins
Cons:
- Performance is nowhere as good as advertised with the starting plans
- Month-by-month payment options are considerably more expensive
Plans
Lite
- $2.96 / Month
- 1 website
- unlimited space
- unlimited bandwidth
Swift
- $3.70 / Month
- Unlimited websites
- Unlimited space
- Unlimited bandwidth
Turbo
- $7.03 / Month
- Unlimited websites
- Unlimited space
- Unlimited bandwidth (this plan also gets you access to what they call their ‘Turbo’ speeds)
