Choosing the right VPS hosting solution for your WordPress site is intimidating. However, if you watch out for the most common VPS hosting mistakes, you can have a great VPS that provides control, speed, and flexibility.
There are many mistakes beginners make such as paying for things you don’t need, to completely forgetting about security. These mistakes can ultimately slow down your site and leave it vulnerable in the end. In this post, we will cover the 5 most common VPS hosting mistakes beginners make and how you can avoid them. If you do, you should be able to choose the best VPS for your WordPress site with confidence.
Mistake #1 – Choosing the Wrong VPS Plan
Choosing the wrong VPS plan is one of the most common VPS hosting mistakes. Every WordPress website is unique and one plan cannot predict another. Most users, particularly new VPS users, make the mistake of either going overboard or underestimating their required resources.
Why This Typically Occurs:
- You could choose a cheaper plan that does not fit your needs.
- You could also choose an unnecessary plan because you have overestimated your expected requirements.
How to Avoid This Mistake:
- Evaluate Your Needs: Think about how much traffic you are going to have, your needs with the WordPress site (for instance, how large the site will be), and possibly any functional complexities (e.g., e-commerce functionality).
- Start small, and grow one step at a time: You can choose a basic plan then upgrade as your website and business grow. With most VPS providers, moving up to a higher plan is fairly easy.
Example:
If you are using the website for a blog or portfolio, you may not require the best plan. If you are working on an online store with lots of visitors, you may choose to look for a VPS that is more powerful.
Mistake #2 – Not Knowing About Managed vs Unmanaged VPS
Another big mistake is they simply don’t know the difference between managed and unmanaged VPS.
What is the Difference between Managed vs Unmanaged?
- Managed VPS:
The provider takes care of everything on the server — all software updates, security patches, and any troubleshooting that is required. - Unmanaged VPS:
The customer takes care of everything on the server, including server management, which is a problem due to the level of technical skill the user may or may not have.
Why This is Important
If you do not have the technical experience to manage the server and you select an unmanaged VPS plan, it can result in:
- A lot of headaches you did not intend on
- Outages
- Security breaches
- Performance issues depending on the way the server was configured
How to Avoid This Error
- Select a managed VPS if you are new to VPS hosting or are not skilled at managing a server. Managed VPS plans are almost always a better time saver and provide peace of mind to the customer.
- Select an unmanaged VPS plan if you are confident in managing servers or have a dedicated IT team supporting the server.
Example
If a WordPress blogger was only focusing on creating content, they will want managed VPS hosting.
But a developer who is managing 6 or 7 custom-built sites at the same time would have more controlled options, and managing on an unmanaged VPS may be functional.
Mistake #3 – Overlooking Security Features
Many web owners do not pay close attention to security when looking for a VPS host. Neglecting security features can have dire consequences, including:
- Hacking
- Data stealing
- Loss of customer information or trust
- And more
Key Security Oversights Include:
- Missing SSL certificates
- Not enough firewall safeguards
- Not enough backups
- DDoS protection (if any) is substantially weak or nonexistent
How to Avoid This Error:
- Search for built-in security features, such as:
- SSL certificates
- Firewalls
- DDoS protection
- Make sure to include frequent backups in your hosting plan to provide you with reasonable assurances against data loss.
- You want automatic updates to make sure your server and application are patched against vulnerabilities.
Tip:
Even if your website is not storing any sensitive info (like credit card info), it is still recommended to have strong security around your visitors and brand.
Mistake #4 – Neglecting to Verify Provider Support
Customer support is an often overlooked feature, but it can be a major difference maker in your VPS hosting experience.
Why Support is Important:
VPS hosting requires a lot more technical knowledge than shared hosting. If something goes wrong, timely and reliable support can save you many hours of frustration.
Website uptime, security, and performance could all be impacted with a provider that has unreliable support and you suddenly find yourself in limbo.
How to Avoid This Mistake:
- Test the support system before you decide to commit. Ask a simple pre-sales question and see how long it takes to receive a support response.
- Ideally, look for 24/7 support via multiple means of communication, such as live chat, email, and phone support.
- Look for 3rd party reviews to see if others have had positive or negative support experiences.
Example:
If you run an e-commerce site and have downtime during a major sale, you will appreciate the differences of a timely customer support response!
Mistake #5 – Not Considering Scalability
Your website’s requirements will change over time, especially as it grows. Choosing a VPS provider that does not support scalability can lead to wasted expenses and disruption of services.
Why Scalability Matters:
- You may need to upgrade to a more powerful plan during traffic spikes
- The addition of new features
- Accommodating additional resource demands
- Avoid being locked in to a hosting solution that will not grow with your needs
How to Avoid this Mistake:
- Check with your VPS Provider for options of scalability (CPU, RAM, Storage).
- Review how they facilitate the upgrade process — it should be easy and quick, with no downtime during migration.
Example:
As you go from a personal blog with a WordPress website to a business website, you want to be sure that your VPS provider and even the prices would allow you to grow without having to change hosting solutions.
Selecting The Right VPS the Smart Way
Now that we have discussed the most common errors with VPS hosting, what is the best way to determine the right selection?
Here are some key items to consider when selecting your VPS hosting for WordPress:
- Know Your Needs: Identify your needs in terms of traffic levels, resources, technology, etc.
- Security: Choose a provider that has built-in security protocols, backup plans, etc.
- Test the Support: Choose a host that has great and responsive 24/7 customer support.
- Scalability: Select a host that you can reasonably upgrade or expand digitally as you need to for your site.
👉 Click here for more tips on choosing the best VPS for your WordPress website!
FAQs: Common VPS Hosting Mistakes
Q1: What is the biggest mistake people make when selecting a VPS Hosting Plan?
A1:
The biggest mistake people make is selecting the wrong VPS hosting plan. This can mean that you are:
- Overgetting resources you don’t really need, or
- Not properly considering your needs and ending up with a VPS hosting plan that does not have usable resources for you
This often leads to wasted money and performance issues.
Q2: What is the difference between managed VPS hosting and unmanaged VPS hosting?
A2:
- Managed VPS hosting means that the server is managed for you.
- Unmanaged VPS means that you have to handle server setup, maintenance, and troubleshooting yourself.
Managed VPS is ideal for people who need technical support and do not want to deal with server-level tasks.
Q3: Ideally, how do I secure a WordPress site on a VPS hosting platform?
A3:
One of the first things you will want to check that your VPS host provides is security, including:
- Internet security
- Connection security (SSL certificates)
- Load balancer firewalls
- DDoS protection
- Backups
The second line of defense is the software you are running on your WordPress hosting server. This includes:
- Keeping everything on WordPress up to date
- Regularly updating all plugins
Conclusion
If you avoid the key VPS hosting mistakes you can save yourself (and your future self!), a lot of time, money and frustration later down the road. As you consider your requirements (and dedicate time to make security a priority, and understanding how much support you’ll need and “room” to grow), you’ll start finding the right fit for your WordPress website.
As you compare VPS plans and providers, keep in mind the aforementioned so that your VPS hosting experience is as simple and straightforward as possible. When you’re ready to make the leap, find a hosting company that is willing to be both flexible and grow as you and your site’s needs change.
Want to continue the learning? This is our ultimate guide to the best VPS servers to host WordPress.