The creation of WordPress began in 2003 as an offshoot of a popular blogging application known as b2. It was further developed as a blogging platform, and it soon overtook its predecessor. More recently, the company has expanded into a full-featured web content system for websites of all types, offering dynamic WordPress options to the masses.
Today, over 68 million websites run on WordPress, and users cite several reasons for the award-winning platform's popularity. Their software is free and open-source, which allows a multitude of developers to contribute unique themes, widgets and plug-in modules to customize websites and provide powerful yet easy-to-use administrative tools.
Understanding WordPress hosting first requires some general knowledge about web hosting. All of the websites on the Internet are operated from specialized computers known as servers. Although it is possible to own and operate a server, the cost, training and time commitment required make it prohibitive and inefficient for most individuals and many businesses. To mitigate these costs, companies known operate dozens, hundreds or even thousands of servers from a central location. They then lease their servers and server resources to individuals and businesses at affordable rates.
WordPress hosting is very similar to web hosting. The only difference is that the servers all meet the minimum hardware and software requirements to run the this hosting platform. This allows the platform to integrate seamlessly into the server and process data requests through the Internet quickly and efficiently. Because the demand for WordPress hosting is so high, nearly every reputable company offers WordPress hosting, and several options are available for a range of requirements and budgets. Someone who just wants to put a personal blog online may choose to go with a shared WordPress plan while large businesses often opt to lease one or more entire servers.
To install and operate it, a host's servers must meet a few prerequisites. To run the 3.1 version, servers must meet the following software requirements: PHP version 4.3 or later and MySQL version 4.1.2 or later. For 3.2, the requirements are PHP version 5.2.4 or later and MySQL version 5.0.15 or later.
In addition to the above software, experts recommend using either Apache or NGINX Web servers running the optional Apache mod_rewrite module.
Choosing a hosting provider is a big step because your website will rely on and be restrained by the host's servers and service. Several factors can be evaluated and compared when choosing a host, including all of the following:
With more than 2 million websites internationally, Bluehost is one of the most popular web hosting services in the industry. And that’s not hard to understand when you look at what’s being offered. 1-click WordPress installation, 24/7 expert support from trained professionals, and a 30-day money-back guarantee are just a few of the reasons we’re so impressed by Bluehost.
Not too many people will fail to recognize the familiar friendly gator, the mascot of HostGator. The service is one of the most prevalent in the country, and it has the perks to keep customers coming back. HostGator kicks things off with a 45-day money-back guarantee, 24/7 live chat customer support, and a solid 99.9% uptime guarantee.
You’ll no doubt be familiar with GoDaddy, the somewhat snarky, slightly scandalous, and seriously silly hosting service that combines humor and website hosting in a professional and reliable way. Between that and perks like affordable pricing, 99.9% uptime, and a free SSL certificate with most plans, GoDaddy is a great deal.
