Last Updated on May 8, 2024 by Paula

You know you want a WordPress Website, but where should you host it? This is an important question and one you should do some research on.

To help you make an informed choice I came up with a few questions to ask when choosing your hosting company so that you can make the best choice for your coaching website’s new online home. But before we dive into that let’s take a look at what web hosting and domain names are.

What are Domain Names?

You need two things to get your website up and running and those are a domain name and web hosting. You have an address for your home and that is what a domain name is—an address. It’s your website’s online address. It’s what people will type into their browsers to find you.

For example my domain name paulasextonhickey.com. You can choose from lots of different extensions like .com, .net, .org, .blog, or .co.

For most business owners .com will be the best choice. But if you’re in a specific niche, a different extension might be more appropriate.

You’ll want to come up with more than one iteration for your domain name just in case your preferred choice isn’t available. You also want to ensure that your domain name is on brand and memorable, so try not to make it too long.

One of my favorite places to purchase domain names is Namecheap, though you may also be able to purchase your domain name from the hosting company you choose.

What is web hosting?

So what is web hosting? Well if your domain name is your address then hosting is your home! It’s where your website will live! Everything from your images, blog content, and videos will be found here.

Questions to ask when choosing your web host

1. Are they equipped to handle WordPress and the plugins you need for your site?

Many hosts offer WordPress-specific hosting and that’s because WordPress is a beast! You also want to make sure that the platform can handle any additional plugins you may want to use like WooCommerce if you plan to have a store. Or Elementor or Divi if you plan to use a page builder. Or Learndash if you plan to have a course platform on your website.

There’s nothing worse than purchasing your hosting and finding out you need to upgrade because your current plan doesn’t support the things you need to build your website.

2. What does their pricing look like long term?

They may be offering an irresistible deal now, but how much will that pricing go up when you renew? This is where so many hosts get people! You get the first year or couple of years at a low price but when it’s time to renew it’s several hundred dollars more.

3. How helpful and responsive is their support team?

Do some research into their customer service. You can ask around in Facebook groups or ask a colleague you know who hosts with them.

4. Do you have to pay extra for things like an SSL certificate, Malware scanning, and email storage?

You will need these things, but you shouldn’t have to pay extra for them. But many hosts will charge an arm and a leg for these basic things that every website should have.

Be sure to keep these things in mind when choosing your host and in case you wondering who I host with…

The Webhost I Recommend

My host of choice is Lyrical Host! Lyrical Host’s WordPress platform was designed just for WordPress and they only allow WordPress websites on it. It’s designed to meet WordPress’ every need.

With Lyrical Host, there are no hidden costs or sneaky upsells. They have flat-rate pricing so you don’t have to worry about a huge increase when it comes time to renew your hosting.

Their support is quick and efficient and they never make you feel silly for the questions you ask.  

You also get free malware scans and cleaning, a free SSL certificate, and email storage. Which is so nice!

And another thing I love about Lyrical Host is their big heart! They are committed to supporting other small businesses. They give to many great charities like Kurandza’s #IStandForGirls and Trees for the Future. All donations come from customer spend so you know the money you spend with them is helping others which is wonderful!

Use my code, PSHSolutions to get 10% off your first hosting plan payment!

You can also check out my post on how to get started with Lyrical Host here.

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