Heather Acton [email protected] http://heatheracton.com ! WPLC Meetup 01-15-2014 ! Adapted from Trafton Esler’s “Don’t Panic. A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Web Hosting” WordPress Hosting Demystified 

Intro • Former mechanical engineer turned independent web developer • Specialize in custom WordPress implementations for businesses & nonprofits • Organizer WordCamp Chicago 2011 & 2012 • Founder / Organizer WordCamp Lake County Meetup Group • Love Dave Matthews Band and craft beer 

What do you value in a WordPress host? • Cost • Convenience • Ease of setup • Security • Availability / uptime • Support Take note of these now, as you’ll use them later to choose the right option for your needs. 

What hosting options are available? • Shared hosting • Dedicated server • Virtual or cloud hosting • Application specific - aka “WordPress hosting” 

Let’s talk about Shared Hosting • GoDaddy, Bluehost, Hostgator, JustHost, 1and1, and many more providers • Many websites hosted together on one server • Low security • Slow page loads • Low availability - expect some downtime • Low cost - less than $10/month • Free email hosting • WordPress “one-click” installations • Hosting-only support 

How about a Dedicated Server, then? • Rackspace, Linode. Many shared hosts also offer dedicated plans - GoDaddy, Hostgator. • High cost - upwards of $100/month • One whole server, just for your site(s) • Very fast • Very secure • YOU are responsible for setting up, securing, and maintaining the server itself • Email hosting on same server…or not • Hosting-only support, sometimes paid required for advanced help 

Dedicated Servers sound scary. How about Virtual or Cloud Hosting? • Amazon Web Services, LiquidWeb, Media Temple (dv) • Mid-range cost - $30-75/month - varies based on use and the build • More complex to set up than shared, but not as hard as dedicated • Flexible to scale - add more resources as traffic grows to optimize page load and avoid downtime • Fairly secure - not as secure as dedicated but not as dangerous as shared • Hosting-only support, sometimes paid required for advanced help 

Managed WordPress Hosting • WP Engine, page.ly, Pressable, Synthesis • Pay by site and/or by traffic - $30/site/month, $100/10 sites/month • Easiest setup. Most deliver a WordPress base install with paid hosting. • Easiest ongoing optimization and maintenance. They do it all for you. • Pay when you need to scale • Hosting configuration is optimized for WordPress • Very secure • Very fast page load • Very high availability • Hosting AND WordPress support, typically top-notch and fully included in the monthly rate 

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