Choosing a Web Host for Your WordPress Blog - Choosing a Host: The Qualities You Want In a Host

What you want in a host should be relatively simple. Most of what you want should be based on practical concerns. To give you an idea, your priorities should be:

• Reliability: You want a host that will have your site up and running regularly. Some hosts are great on price, but poor on quality.
  
• Cost: Obviously you don't want to pay too much for your site, so shop around.

When it comes down to it, these are the two things that you really need to worry about. Except, of course, for the obvious criteria. Your host of choice has to support a WordPress blog. If it does not have that, then it is not on the list.

Now that you know all about the basics of hosting, it is time to get down to the brass tacks: a comparison of some of the best options that you have for getting a host for your WordPress blog. Then you can make your choice, or just use the list as a jumping-off point in your own research.

Fat Cow

This host charges about $4 a month for the basic plan. Its end users give it an average of 93 percent in the reliability department. Just be aware that when end users do have an issues with Fat Cow, they seem to be a chronic condition. Having just one problem and smooth sailing from that point on is not really likely.

Just Host

Another host that charges about $4 a month for the base WordPress hosting site. These end users gives an end rating of 96 percent.

Blue Host

Another $4 basic plan with a 94 percent customer satisfaction rating from its end users. Just be aware that you have a very short end user license agreement that comes with the sinister statement "All activities may be monitored, recorded, and examined by any authorized person, including law enforcement." At least they tell you about it up front.

inMotion

This host runs about $7 for the WordPress plan, business version, but it has a 95 percent satisfaction rating from its end users. That being said, this is a review of the recent customers ratings. In the past, inMotion has had some serious issues with keeping their sites up and running. So, while you can never be sure that service will not slip again, you can take efforts to fix the issue as a good sign.

Host Gator

Coming in at $5 a month, this system has a 92 percent customer satisfaction rating. That being said, if you want to get some more in- depth idea of what is and is not good with Host Gator, you can check out Host Gator Review which gives you real users reviews.

Yahoo Small Business

This plan costs roughly $10 a month. On the bright side, you get to use Yahoo's customer service, and if you want to upgrade into an online store, then this host will give you an easy solution.

Now that you have some choices, you can make a decision about which host is right for you. Now you can get out there and make your new WordPress-based blog a massive success. All you have to worry about is content, SEO and developing your readership.