What should I expect from a WordPress host (ISP)?

What are the differences between different web hosting providers?

Speed - Hosting is the renting of computer space to deliver ('server') website files to browsers when they are requested. Like the computer hardware you use every day, the performance specifications and processing power of these machines can vary widely. Jargon is used widely in the sector and it can be difficult to understand the differences. If it seems cheap, it is likely to be on a lower-performance server. That means your website speed is slower and customers wait longer.

Speed again (!) - Low-cost providers can discount prices because they have adopted a volume strategy, packing as many website customers as possible onto the server. While the savings seem attractive, that means you will be sharing the bandwidth with many more people, and this too can slow down the serving speed of your content. More expensive providers typically have fewer clients.

Security - it is critical that you have an SSL Certificate for your website (padlock security). Without this visible added encryption, customers may abandon their visit. In addition, many browsers will display warnings about downloading content without it, deterring customers from accessing your website.

Support - levels of service and ease of contact vary greatly amongst Internet Service Providers.

What performance should you expect as a minimum?

Business continuity - Customer service is the most important aspect you should check before selecting a host. At some point you will need rapid support, either because of a security issue or downtime. Cheaper hosts often don't supply a telephone number and rely on ticketing systems, which can take days to reply. This is a cost-saving exercise that creates risk for your business.

Peace of mind - WordPress is a combination of the core software, a theme, and a range of plug-ins that have been selected. These are often all managed by different companies. These elements must all be updated promptly when hacking vulnerabilities are discovered by these suppliers. Failure to update increases the chance of a hacking event. Low-cost hosts (ISPs) charge additional fees for this task.

A proactive support package - Most hosts (Internet Service Providers) have no interest in speaking to you after you pay the annual fee each year.

What can you expect from the Business Think server?

Faster delivery of website files - our server is not a volume operation. The hardware is high-performance and shared by a select few businesses.

A personal touch - We don't host tens of thousands of businesses and we never will. Instead, our servers hold a maximum of five hundred WordPress customers at any one time.

Value for money - We will check in with you quarterly on the hosting performance, and we are at the end of telephone/email if you have a question.

The highest levels of security possible - our server includes SSL security and managing updates means vulnerabilities are addressed in a timely fashion.

A single point of contact - the named individual responsible for your hosting will rarely change. You will have a name and number to call on when and if you need help.

Proactive support - The Business Think package includes a quarterly review, regular software updates to maintain the security of your site, and a promise to fix your site in the rare event of a hack.

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Migration of existing WordPress websites is completed free of charge. After migration, an annual hosting fee of ￡235 (excl. VAT) will be applied. This package has a limit of 5 gigabytes of storage, which is sufficient to cover most WordPress websites. If the site usage is larger than 5 gigabytes, additional fees may apply.

Please reach out to us and we will complete a side-by-side speed test, placing a copy of the website on our server, and comparing performance in real-time.