Terrible Website Hosting Companies Should Scare You

I know that writing a blog post about website hosting isn’t the most exciting read, so I’ll keep it short.

If your website is hosted with a cheap, hard to understand, does-not-have-US-based-support type of company – you’re at risk. 

Your website is going to go down. At some point, because of a server error, software error, hack, whatever – it’s just the nature of the internet. What happens WHEN your site goes down is what separates the winners from the losers.

Who ARE the losers, you ask? Things change over time, where good companies start to slip, so you have to be vigilant. But here are the hosts we hate the most:

1. Godaddy. The biggest offender. We have used Godaddy for buying domain names, but NEVER for hosting.
2. Hostgator
3. Bluehost
4. 1and1hosting

The Winner

We are enthusiastic supporters of WP Engine Hosting (and yes, we are a preferred partner because we send all of our clients there, in addition to hosting our own site there) for several reasons. WP Engine Hosting has consistently proven to be awesome. For all the reasons. Support, price, speed, daily backups, scalability, and specifically engineered for WordPress.

What to Expect From The Losers

1. Too Much Downtime. This impacts not only your customers’ ability to access your site, it can also cause reputational damage, and hurt SEO. It should go without saying, this is the one thing hosting companies are supposed to get right.
2. Bad Customer Support. A company’s (and person’s, while we’re at it) real colors show when there’s a problem. If you have to jump through hoops, wait forever, or just can’t get through to someone who can understand your issue and help you quickly – there’s a problem.
3. Inexperienced Technical Support. If your hosting company isn’t employing top-notch technical folks who can fix your problem, once they know what the problem is – you’re in trouble.
4. Poorly Designed User Interface. I wanted to rank this one higher, because it’s one of my biggest issues. If you can’t figure out how to do the things you want to do with your site, or get to the right resource to help you – you’re going to get real frustrated, real fast.
5. There’s more, but they’re pretty straightforward things like lack of security features, outdated software, unexplainable charges, lack of server maintenance, etc.

What to Expect From An Awesome Hosting Company

1. Blazing Fast Website Speed: WP Engine is renowned for its exceptional speed and performance. Their hosting infrastructure is optimized specifically for WordPress, resulting in lightning-fast page loading times. With WP Engine, you can ensure a seamless and enjoyable browsing experience for your website visitors, improving user engagement and boosting conversions.
2. Enhanced Website Security: Security is a top priority for any website owner, and WP Engine understands this concern. They provide robust security measures, including malware scanning and removal, firewalls, and regular updates to protect your website from potential threats. WP Engine’s team of experts actively monitors and mitigates security risks, allowing you to focus on your business without worrying about security vulnerabilities.
3. Automatic Daily Backups: WP Engine automatically creates daily backups of your website, ensuring that your data is protected and can be easily restored if needed. This feature provides peace of mind, knowing that your valuable content and files are safe from unexpected data loss or accidental deletion.
4. Scalability and Performance Optimization: As your website grows and attracts more traffic, WP Engine’s scalable infrastructure can seamlessly accommodate increased demands. Their advanced caching technology and content delivery network (CDN) ensure optimal performance even during high-traffic periods. With WP Engine, you can confidently scale your website without worrying about performance issues.
5. Expert WordPress Support: WP Engine’s customer support team consists of highly trained U.S. based WordPress experts who are available 24/7 to assist you with any technical issues or inquiries. Whether you have questions about WordPress optimization, theme selection, or plugin compatibility, their knowledgeable support staff is dedicated to providing prompt and effective solutions. If you’ve ever had to deal with GoDaddy support, you understand how important good support can be!
6. Optimized for WordPress: WP Engine focuses solely on WordPress hosting, which means they have specialized expertise in the platform. Their servers and infrastructure are fine-tuned for optimal WordPress performance, ensuring that your website operates smoothly and efficiently.

If you’ve been having issues with downtime, slow load times, or trouble with support it might be time to switch providers. Our clients and partners can sign up through our referral link and gain access to four months of hosting for free!