Getting hosting for your domain name and installing WordPress are the initial steps to building a website. There is a ton of work you need to do afterward. For example, you must install hosting addons and extras and the right plugins on your WordPress website.
It is great for starters to install a simple theme first on a website. Once that is done, plugins and addons can be installed next. Choosing the right add-ons for your hosting can be difficult as it relies on different things. The type and niche of your website will influence the selection of these extras for your site.
If you are a beginner and don’t know where to start, read this article in which I explain how to choose the right hosting addons for your WordPress website in 2024. You will also find additional tips to avoid paying extra charges in this article!
What are Hosting Add-ons?
Add-ons are additional features and services offered by hosting providers that enhance your website. For example, an SSL certificate is an add-on that almost any top hosting provider offers. Upon getting one, the security of your website and safety for transactions is vastly improved.
Similarly, there are lots of add-ons to choose from when you have a new website. These range from security-enhancing to functionality-improving. To get one of the add-ons you choose, you will either select it with your web hosting order or select it in your client area after the purchase has been made.
Keep reading to find out how to choose the right add-ons for your WordPress site!
What are the Common Add-ons Available for WordPress Hosting?
The common add-ons and extras available for WordPress hosting include SSL certificates, managed services, and CDNs. All of these extras have some additional functionality to offer for your web hosting and website. Here is a list of some common add-ons you can add to your WordPress hosting plan:
1. SSL Certificates
An SSL Certificate is a necessary part of any online website, specifically those sites that do business online. It ensures that the data transmitted between the reader and the hosting server is encrypted. Hence, attackers are unable to get hold of valuable and private information.
2. Backup Services
Backing up your website is one of the most important things you could do. This feature is natively offered by many hosting providers but it is limited in some ways. You can opt for regular/daily backups when purchasing a WordPress hosting plan.
3. Content Delivery Networks
CDN is another popular add-on or extra feature that many websites utilize. With a CDN, your website’s data is strategically distributed among various servers around the globe. This ensures quick access to your website’s content for users from all parts of the world.
4. Security Scanning and Firewall
No matter what type of website you have, its hosting needs security scanning and firewall protection. This helps in protecting your website from attackers, malware, and other security threats. The security of your website should be taken seriously in all circumstances.
5. Managed WordPress Services
Another popular add-on for WordPress hosting plans is managed services. If you are a non-techie, this add-on is the right choice for you. When you get a managed WordPress service, the hosting provider will take care of the technical business of your hosting server/plan.
How to Choose Hosting Addons and Extras WordPress Site?
As we have just read, the number of add-ons available for WordPress is quite high. With this, it is not ideal for anyone to choose the right add-ons on the first try. But you don’t need to worry as I’m here to help you out. To make the right choice, your job is to simply know the type of website you are building.
Here are some more detailed tips to help you choose the right add-ons and extras for your website:
1. Know Your Website
The first thing you are going to do is think out your website till completion. Imagine what it will be used for and what features it is going to offer. That alone should tell you a lot about the add-ons you are going to choose.
For example, if you want to build an online store or a business website, having a strong SSL certificate is an absolute need. Similarly, you need to purchase managed hosting services if your knowledge about WordPress or tech, in general, is limited.
2. Prioritize Security
Security is the most important thing about the digital world. Your website should not have any loopholes or weak points that online attackers can exploit. For this reason, you should give top priority to security add-ons when purchasing web hosting plans.
The right thing to do here is to go for a strong and premium SSL and then include security scanning and firewall protection with your plan. If DDoS protection is not included natively, make sure to add it to your plan manually!
3. Assess Your Goals
Assess the goals of your website and then plan accordingly. For example, if you want to build a content-heavy website, the CDN add-on becomes a necessity for your site. It ensures timely delivery of your site’s content to all readers regardless of their presence on the world map.
You can also think about the services and features of your website. If your website is going to have valuable information, make sure the backup add-on is in your plan. The key is to know the goal of your website and then select add-ons and extra features with your WordPress hosting plan.
Tips to Avoid Paying Extra for Add-ons With Your Hosting
The first thing I suggest you do to avoid extra costs is to conduct in-depth research about the web hosting provider you are going to choose. This will save you lots of money in itself as some companies offer overpriced services while others have balanced prices and even provide discount offers. WPX Hosting is one of these companies that has tons of premium features included with its hosting plans. And it also has discount offers.
Here are some useful tips to avoid paying unnecessary amounts on the add-ons you add to your hosting plan:
1. Research Your Hosting
Conduct in-depth research before settling on one hosting provider as your final choice. This means you should look at reviews, features, and details of the hosting plans of each of your shortlisted web hosting companies. Prefer companies offering additional features with their hosting plans and charging reasonable amounts.
2. Assess Your Requirements
Next, you need to assess the requirements of your website. If you don’t need extra features such as CDN and other stuff, don’t pay extra amounts to get those. The requirements of your website will help you choose the features that you need and then you can remove the unnecessary add-ons from your plan.
3. Keep Growth in Mind
When assessing the requirements of your website, keep future growth in mind. If you opt for daily backups and less storage, a time will come when such backups will occupy all the space. So it is best to consider the future growth of your website timely and then purchase a hosting plan according to that. This will prevent last-minute buys in the future that cost you double the actual price.
4. Compare Prices and Features
When looking at the WordPress hosting plans of a company, let’s say WPX for example, you should compare the prices of the available plans and the features included with them. Chances are you will get premium features even with the smallest plans. So, choose a plan that has the right amount of resources but also comes with premium resources for no extra cost.
5. Use Coupon Codes
The last tip to reduce the amount you pay is to avail of different discount offers and pay less money for your hosting. You can start by using the code “fiftyoff” on one of the WPX Hosting WordPress plans. This and other WPX Coupons will save you up to 90% on your purchase of hosting plans. So, look out for coupon codes and discount offers when making a purchase!
Final Thoughts
A web hosting plan comes with just enough resources to help you build a simple website. It is upon you to choose the right add-ons and extra features to add more functionality to your website. Given that there are so many options to choose from, choosing the right ones becomes hard.
That is why I have dedicated today’s article to explain the procedure of choosing the right add-ons for your WordPress website. This article includes tips such as assessing site type and requirements and comparing features and prices of different hosting plans. I have also provided extra tips on how to reduce the cost of additional add-ons that you add to a hosting plan.
I hope you learned something valuable in today’s article. Feel free to leave a comment if you have something to ask. And also, don’t forget to use that WPX Hosting coupon for a special discount!