Whether you recently launched a new website or you’ve had the same website for years, it’s important to regularly check in on your hosting package. Your website is the face of your company online; it’s important that it is dependable, secure and up to date at all times. For the purposes of today’s conversation, we are only focusing on WordPress website hosting options.
If your hosting plan is not up to date, it could not be compatible with your WordPress installation. This could cause the site not to function, or it could not allow for use of the most current versions of WordPress and your site’s associated plugins. This would cause the site to be vulnerable to malware and increase susceptibility to hacking and loading delay times. Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about upgrading your website’s hosting plan.
Why should I update my website’s hosting package?
- If you have an outdated or low-end hosting package, your website may not be getting critical security updates and thus could be hacked. For example, all websites should now be HTTPS encrypted. (Check yours by visiting your website. It should begin with https://.). This update protects a visitor’s information from malicious attacks and provides an all-around safer user experience. Secure connections are now the standard for all websites, and certain browsers will warn and deter a visitor before allowing them to enter an outdated website.
- Websites with old hosting plans often take a longer time to load. Google has found that over 50% of people will abandon a website that takes longer than 3 seconds to load. A slower site could keep potential customers away!
- An outdated hosting plan may not offer you the appropriate bandwidth and storage. This could create additional performance issues, especially with the images and videos on your site. Over time, your website may rank lower in Google searches/SEO as a result.
What’s considered a “good” website hosting plan?
WordPress requirements are ever changing. However, we consider a “good” WordPress hosting plan to include three major components:
- PHP version 7 or greater
- MySQL version 5.6 or greater OR MariaDB version 10.1 or greater
- HTTPS support (SSL)
How often should I update my website hosting plan?
Since plugins and WordPress versions are often updated, we recommend assessing your hosting needs on a yearly basis.
Who should I choose to be my website hosting provider?
You can choose from many website hosting providers, such as GoDaddy, Blue Host, GatorHost, etc. Your hosting provider should be a reputable company that is well-established in providing site backups and WordPress software updates. Click here for a list of web hosts that WordPress recommends.
What type of web hosting package should I get?
Different websites have different needs. There are many factors to keep in mind when selecting a hosting plan, such as projected site size and expected site traffic. We can help you determine if your web hosting package is due for an update and talk you through your options. Simply contact us to have a conversation.