Changing website hosts can be a daunting task. With so many options to choose from, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. And how do you even transfer a site to another host once you choose one?
In this MakerHub blog post, I will show you how to choose the right host for you and provide a couple of options for you to choose from. I will also show you my favorite hosting company, where I store all my websites. And ill show you the easiest way to migrate your entire site from one hosting company to another.
What Are the Characteristics of a Good Web Host?
Before we get started, we first need to know what makes a hosting company good in the first place.
Constant Uptime
When looking for a good web hosting company, uptime is one of the most important things to think about. Uptime is a percentage of the time your website is up and running and accessible to visitors. So, the higher the percentage of uptime, the better. A good web hosting company will guarantee and deliver consistently high uptime.
In addition, great web hosting companies go above and beyond by providing duplicate servers within the same data center. So, if the server on which your website is hosted fails, a backup server takes over to ensure that there is no downtime.
A hosting company can also go above and beyond by having data centers in multiple countries to help protect against data loss from natural disasters. Think about it. If servers are located in different parts of the country or even a different region of the world, your site has a much better chance of remaining up and running.
The best web hosting companies provide an uptime guarantee, and if they fail to deliver, they will compensate you for lost business with free services or pay direct damages.
Speed
This is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a hosting company. Slow websites lose leads and customers, so the speed at which your website loads and functions is critical. Faster is better, and reputable Web hosting companies are constantly striving to improve the speed of the sites they host.
The best web hosting companies will use servers with solid-state drives (SSDs), which access data much faster than traditional hard drives.
Limit sits on a single server.
Having too many websites on one server can severely impact your website speed. A good hosting company will limit how many websites can be stored on a single server.
Server caching
Server caching can pre-load unchanged parts of your site: when a part of your site is cached. This means your website will load faster because the server does not have to request all the resources every time it loads.
Security
As more and more small businesses come under attack, cyber security is becoming a hot topic. Good web hosting companies protect your site with industry-standard security measures like automated malware removal.
Malware can take your site offline, and it can be used to take over your site, use it to send SPAM, and even launch attacks on other sites, jeopardizing your website’s reputation. Automated malware scans warn you of the threat.
Integration with CloudFlare
Many of the best hosting companies now offer integration with Cloudflare, a well-known solution that provides additional security for your website.
Firewall management
Having a firewall up is standard procedure. Great hosting companies go beyond by allowing each customer to configure their own firewall, allowing them to manage access and security 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without submitting a support ticket. I have never personally used this feature, but it’s something to consider if security is a top concern.
Customer support
Having help available when you need it alleviates the stress associated with managing your website. For example, good web hosting companies provide a system for submitting tickets, which are then resolved by their staff. Nothing beats picking up the phone and speaking with a live person who can answer your questions and help you solve your problems right away.
The best hosting companies will provide you with a phone number that you can call 24 hours a day and get immediate help if something goes wrong with your site.
Priority support
If you can’t reach a live person, having the option to pay for priority support, where your tickets are moved to the front of the line, is the next best thing.
VPS Hosting vs. Managed Hosting
Before continuing, consider the difference between managed hosting, VPS, cloud sharing hosting, and having a dedicated server.
Shared hosting
The hosting company has multiple sites from different customers, all competing for the same resources on the same server inside the same operating system. Consider it like living in a house with roommates. The kitchen, living room, and bathroom are all shared by everyone. You’ll have a problem if the same person spends four hours a day in the bathroom. Some shared hosts, like landlords, are better at mitigating these issues, but it’s still like you are still sharing a bathroom with other people.
Shared hosting is typically the cheapest, but you might experience a decrease in performance if there is a lot of traffic on your site.
Managed hosting
Managed WordPress hosting is when your service provider takes care of any server resources specifically dedicated to your WordPress setup, such as installing and updating the platform and performing backups.
Managed hosting has many benefits, including access to high-quality support and customized scalability. You can rely on managed hosting to keep your platform up-to-date and secure if you don’t have the time to do it yourself. This allows you to concentrate on your site without worrying about the nitty-gritty details.
VPS & Cloud Hosting:
Sites from different customers continue to run on the same server but on different operating systems and virtual computers. For example, consider living in an apartment complex. Although you technically have many neighbors who live in the same building, your shower is always available regardless of how many people are taking a shower at the same time.
Dedicated Hosting
You rent an entire server and do not share it with anyone else. This is overkill for the majority of sites. And, this is by far the most expensive option, but if you collect sensitive data or run a high-traffic eCommerce website, this might be the choice for you.
The three best hosting companies of 2022
Now that we understand how to choose a hosting company, we can look at some of the best companies.
1. SiteGround
Let’s start with my favorite hosting company, SiteGround. I use it for all of my websites. I have been a customer for over three years, and I can’t stop raving about them.
The company has been making a name for itself in the WordPress community for quite some time. Their hosting platform is perfect for WordPress, and they offer managed WordPress hosting. It’s also worth noting that SiteGround is one of the few official WordPress.org recommended hosts.
I recommend the GrowBig or GoGeek plans. They are a little more expensive, but they include extra features like staging sites and free PCI compliance if you want to run an e-commerce store.
You can also select the location of your server during the setup process. Five data centers are available, located in the United States, Asia, and Europe.
SiteGround claims to provide “unrivaled” support, which is difficult to argue against. They always pick up my calls when I give them a ring. Aside from accessing your account and resolving any issues, the support agents are also knowledgeable about WordPress and WordPress hosting and can assist you with various other issues that aren’t strictly hosting-related.
3. Kinsta
Kinsta is a slightly more expensive web host. However, Kinsta takes pride in being able to provide great performance and scalability for growing WordPress websites.
The basic plan allows you to receive up to 25,000 visitors per month. If your website begins to attract a larger audience, Kinsta will be an excellent platform to grow with.
Kinsta also provides access to many data center locations worldwide, 24/7 support, and a very user-friendly control panel, making managing your server a breeze.
3. Bluehost
Bluehost is another popular, low-cost hosting option—specifically their shared WordPress hosting plan. Unfortunately, Bluehost does not have monthly payment options, so you must pay one year upfront. However, they have a solid money-back guarantee policy.
Bluehost has a one-click WordPress installation that can make it easy for you to launch multiple new sites fairly quickly. From what I have read online, customer support is quick and friendly.
My Recommendations
I strongly recommend going with SiteGround. Like I said above I have used them for a long time and they have never done me wrong. Every time I call they are very quick to respond on the phone, and I’ve also used their live chat feature to have some questions answered. My websites have never gone down, and I’m very happy with their service. And I have a very, very fast website so, I think they’re doing something right. The price is reasonable and I can’t say enough good things so, SiteGround is my recommendation.
I recommend the go big plan for anyone. This plan allows you to have multiple websites on the same plan. Even if you think you’ll just have one website, I would still go with this plan.
How to Transfer a WordPress Site to a New Host
Ok, great, so now that we know what to look for in a hosting company and have some options in mind, how do we actually transfer our WordPress website to any hosting company? It’s actually really simple. And we’re going to do it with a plug-in called “all-in-one WP migration.”
Here’s how to migrate a WordPress site using All-in-One WP Migration.
Exporting the site
- Log in to your existing site (the one you’re leaving).
- From the left-side menu, select Plug-ins > Add New.
- In the top right-hand search field, type “All-in-one WP Migration,” then click Install Now > Activate.
- Locate the “All-in-One WP Migration” menu (under “Tool” in the left sidebar) and click “Export.”
- Click “Export To,” then choose the “File” option.
- After the plug-in has finished loading, click the button in the pop-up window to begin downloading your file. The downloaded file will have the extension.wpress. Changing the name of this extension will cause the migration to fail, so leave it alone.
Importing the site
- Install the All-in-one WP Migration plug-in on the receiving site.
- Select “Import” from the “All in One WP Migration” menu on your new WordPress site (the to one).
- Drag the.wpress file you downloaded from your original site into the drag and drop window to begin the import.
- Once the file is imported, click “Continue.” (You don’t need to worry about anything being overwritten because this is a fresh install). And that’s it!
That’s all! You imported all of the data from your old site, including your old password. Check your new website to ensure that everything is in order.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this MakerHub tutorial. I hope you find the right hosting company for you. If you’re anything like me, you went with SiteGround, but feel free to shop around. And check out our full blog and educational modules if you like this kind of educational contact. Thanks for reading.