Stores files, makes accessible. Affects speed, reliability, security.
10 steps across 1 sections
1. Steps Guide
- Determine needs — Blog, ecommerce, portfolio
- Choose type — Shared, Managed WP, VPS, Dedicated
- Compare providers — Bluehost, SiteGround, Cloudways
- Uptime guarantee — 99.9%+
- Speed — SSD, CDN, server locations
- Security — Free SSL, backups, malware, firewall
- Support — 24/7, test response times
- Pricing — Intro vs renewal (2-3x higher)
- One-click installs — WordPress, WooCommerce
- Migration — Many offer free
Common Mistakes
- Intro price only
- Not checking renewal
- Skipping SSL
- Wrong server location
Pro Tips
- Shared fine under 10K visitors
- Free SSL/backups/caching included
- Start monthly then annual
- Always own offsite backup
- SiteGround/Cloudways rank highly