WordPress is the most widely used free and open source blogging tool and CMS (content management system), and the number of WordPress users are increasing continuously in recent years. Due to the fact that web hosting is one of the key components of every successful WordPress website, many of our readers have asked about how to find a good WordPress hosting provider.
In fact, when choosing a WordPress host, factors like pricing, uptime, page loading speed, and industry reputation should be taken due consideration. In this article, however, we do not discuss these common criteria, but 5 more technical requirements including the versions PHP and MySQL, .htaccess, custom cron job, custom php.ini, and WordPress hosting support.
Versions of PHP and MySQL
As we all know, WordPress is written using PHP and MySQL, and requires both of them for operations. But do you really know what are they?
PHP, or Hypertext Preprocessor, is a popular server-side scripting language designed specifically for web development and integration with HTML, and is also used in content management systems with MySQL.
MySQL is a widely used open source SQL (Structured Query Language) database implementation, which runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases and is a central component of the open source web application – LAMP (“Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP).
Undoubtedly, every web host offer the two as common features, but some hosting companies can be slow or hesitant to upgrade the PHP and MySQL from old versions to the latest versions. Note that using out of date PHP and MySQL can lead to problems, so once you receive an error message telling you “your PHP and MySQL versions are too old, please upgrade to the new versions”, meaning that the web host you choose fails to offer a rich WordPress hosting environment.
So, which versions of PHP and MySQL are preferred? As stated in WordPress official site (wordpress.org), to run WordPress your web hosting you need PHP version 5.2.4 or greater, as well as MySQL version 5.0 or greater. Therefore, you need to confirm whether your account can, at least, meet these minimum technical requirements before you deciding to pay for it.
.Htaccess
Hypertext Access, commonly abbreviated to .htaccess is a directory-level configuration file for use on several web servers like Apache Server. Originally, it only allows per-directory access control like requiring a password to access the content, but now it can override many other configuration settings including content type, character set, and CGI handlers, etc. But why is it important to WordPress host?
First, .htaccess file has a password protection, which can restrict access to some folders or subfolders on the Internet, so if you want a specific folder to be protected and only allows certain people can access it, then the .htaccess file can get you safely protected.
Besides, .htaccess 301 redirect is the cleanest way for webmasters to move their website to a new domain without losing the rankings on the search engines. You only need to go to your site’s root folder, download the .htaccess file to your local computer and edit it with a plain-text editor.
To Redirect Certain Page(s)
Redirect 301 /oldpage.html http://www.yoursite.com/newpage.html
Redirect 301 /oldpage2.html http://www.yoursite.com/folder/
To Redirect Entire Site
Redirect 301 / http://www.new-site.com/
Custom Cron Job
In fact, custom cron job is a time-based job scheduler in Unix-like computer operating systems, which is commonly used for automating system maintenance or administration. It allows webmasters to schedule tasks and let them run periodically at fixed times, dates, or intervals. Therefore, if you want to regularly backup your data, expire and erase cached data files, and auto-check your website content for broken links etc, then the custom cron job would be very helpful.
Custom PHP.INI
PHP.ini is a special configuration file for PHP and various flavors such as suPHP, with which you can declare some changes to your PHP settings. Note that your server is already configured with standard settings for PHP by the web hosts by default, and you cannot make any changes. But if you have to change specific settings to make your site run smoothly and securely, then you can edit the existing php.ini, or create a new text file and name it as php.ini.
Generally, you can make changes to php.ini via your cPanel. Here are some simple steps:
Login to cPanel.
Click on php.ini QuickConfig in the “Software/Services” section.
Enable QuickConfig if not already enabled.
Change the settings that you want to change.
Click the Save Changes button to save your changes.
WordPress Hosting Support
Here, we emphasize technical support due to the fact that the support teams offered by the majority of web hosts are specialized in shared web hosting, but have very limited knowledge on WordPress hosting. Therefore, the web host you choose should be able to provide professional WordPress technical support, and we highly recommend you checking this by asking their support staffs some WordPress specific questions before you purchasing the hosting service.
Summary
To be honest, these 5 important features discussed in this article are a little bit professional and technical for newbies. Therefore, in order to alleviate the burden of choosing good WordPress hosting based on the 5 criteria, we have listed the top 3 WordPress hosts, which have fully met all the requirements.
Rank
WordPress Hosting
Features
Price
1
BlueHost
Free domain name
WordPress expert support
PHP 5.3.x, suPHP, SSH, CGI, $100 Google AdWords
1-Click WordPress installation & 99.9% hosting uptime
Best WordPress Hosting named by WordPress.org
To learn more, visit http://www.bluehost.com/
$3.95/mo
2
InMotion hosting
Free daily backup
$250 marketing credits
Max speed zone technology, up to 6x faster than peers
Automated daily backup & 99.9% uptime guarantee
To learn more, visit http://www.inmotionhosting.com/
$4.89/mo
3
JustHost
Free domain name
Unlimited WP site hosting
1-Click WP installation
24×7 US support
$100 Google AdWords & $25 Bing/Yahoo Search
GA – 90 days FULL refund & ANYTIME post-rated refund
To learn more, visit http://www.justhost.com/
$2.95/mo