When we run a business online, selling products or services on the internet, our website is our storefront and also the main driver of revenue. It should be polished down to every detail to achieve the best possible conversion rate. But can it be improved even further? Is it worth investing in dedicated WordPress hosting, and how can it be better than the classic option?
What is hosting?
Hosting for a website is a service through which we’re given a server for our online infrastructure needs. An example of such a server is a VPS server — one of the most popular server choices on the market today. Nowadays we can find various types of hosting, depending on our needs. The main criteria are:
- hard drive size
- the degree to which services load the server
- the amount of data transferred over the internet connection
WordPress hosting — the differences
Once we know what hosting is, it’s worth understanding the differences between the available versions of WordPress. We may be dealing with either:
- WordPress.org
- WordPress.com
To clarify — the first, WordPress.org, is available as open source, so anyone can download and use it for free, installing it on any server. WordPress.com, on the other hand, is a commercial service. It’s free to use only at the start, with certain limitations. Only with the paid version do you gain expanded capabilities. So why is it worth investing in dedicated WordPress hosting, when we have the option of working with software that can run on any hosting plan? The answer depends on the provider’s offer. This version is designed for anyone who wants their site to run even better. Choosing dedicated WordPress hosting gets you:
- easier software installation
- higher performance
- improved ease of use
- increased WordPress security
When does dedicated WordPress hosting make sense?
As already mentioned, the open-source version of WordPress doesn’t have any special requirements when it comes to the database, server, or PHP support. To run it, we don’t need advanced hosting that supports the CMS system WordPress is built on. However, we will need better hosting once we recognize its benefits, and once our needs with respect to the site start to grow.
What makes dedicated hosting better?
Dedicated hosting improves our website in five key areas. These are:
- Easier WordPress installation — thanks to built-in auto-installers that eliminate the need to upload your own files via FTP
- A higher level of security — achieved through backups, auditing mechanisms, and firewall mechanisms
- Higher site performance — impacting conversion and SEO thanks to plugins that check page speed
- Access to WP-CLI — a command-line interface that allows many tasks to be performed quickly and automatically, such as running updates or creating a child theme
- Provider support — choosing the right expert support can prove very valuable, especially when you run into problems.
Dedicated WordPress hosting can increase a company’s revenue, especially when boosting conversion is a priority. Choosing this kind of software depends on the stage your company is currently at.