WordPress runs on almost any host, which makes it easy to choose badly. The right host makes the site faster, safer and easier to look after. This guide explains what to look for in plain terms when you are choosing WordPress hosting for an Australian audience.
Server location
Every page request travels from your visitor to the server and back. The shorter that trip, the sooner the page starts loading. If most of your visitors are in Australia, choose a host with servers in Australia. Skyrack’s servers are in a Sydney data centre. Server location does not fix a badly built site, but it removes a delay you cannot optimise away.
Also check where the DNS is served. Our Australian DNS network has nodes in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide for the same reason.
Caching: LiteSpeed and Apache in plain terms
WordPress builds each page by running code and querying a database. Done for every visitor, that is slow. Caching saves the finished page and serves the saved copy instead.
- Apache is the traditional web server. It works fine, but caching on it typically relies on a WordPress plugin.
- LiteSpeed is a web server with caching built in at the server level. The LiteSpeed Cache plugin connects WordPress to it, so cached pages are served very quickly and with less load on the server.
If a host says “optimised for WordPress”, ask what that means in practice. Skyrack runs LiteSpeed and recommends the LiteSpeed Cache plugin. For tuning steps, see the WordPress speed checklist.
Staging
Staging is a private copy of your site where you can test changes. It matters because plugin updates occasionally break things. With staging you test on the copy first and update the live site once you know it works. Look for staging that is built in. WP Toolkit on our plans can clone a site to a staging copy and push changes back. Our guide to installing WordPress with WP Toolkit covers the basics.
Backups
Ask three questions. How often are backups taken? Where are they stored? Can you restore them yourself? Frequent off-site backups mean a bad update or a hacked site costs you far less than a day of work. At Skyrack, backups run hourly through the day (4am to 9pm AET) and are stored off-site, so a daytime restore point is usually no more than an hour old. Backups stored on the same server as the site are weaker protection.
Security
WordPress is a popular target, mostly because of outdated plugins and weak passwords. At the hosting level, look for malware scanning, a firewall, free SSL and hardening tools. Skyrack plans include Imunify malware scanning and a firewall, free SSL, and hardening through WP Toolkit. Hosting cannot replace good habits though: keep plugins updated, remove those you do not use and use strong passwords.
Support
You will eventually need help. Check how you can contact the host and who answers. Support by email, online chat and call-back from an Australian team is easier when you are working during Australian business hours. Ask a pre-sales question to see how it feels.
Managed vs unmanaged
The word “managed” is used loosely. Here is a useful way to think about it.
- Unmanaged: you get the server space and set everything else up yourself: updates, caching, security, backups.
- Managed: the routine work is set up and maintained for you, so you spend your time on the site.
On Skyrack WordPress plans, the tools for updates, hardening and staging are included through WP Toolkit. LiteSpeed Cache is available for WordPress, and we set it up during a migration. See what is included for the full detail.
Migration
If you already have a site, find out whether the host will move it for you. The Skyrack team migrates one existing cPanel account per hosting service for free, generally without downtime. cPanel-to-cPanel migrations are free; ask us about other platforms. If you would rather do it yourself, see how to migrate a WordPress site to a new host.
Pricing and contracts
Compare renewal prices as well as the first invoice, and look for lock-in contracts. Skyrack’s WordPress hosting plans run from $4.98 to $25.98 per month, with no lock-in contracts and a 99.9% uptime SLA.
A short checklist
- Servers in Australia.
- LiteSpeed or equivalent server-level caching.
- Built-in staging.
- Hourly off-site backups.
- Malware scanning, firewall and free SSL.
- Support you can reach.
- Free migration.
- Clear pricing and no lock-in.
If you run an online store, also read about WooCommerce hosting, where a few of these points matter more.