The hosting market is full of promises. “Unlimited everything!” “99.9% uptime!” “Blazing fast speeds!”
Here’s what those claims actually mean, and what you should really look for.
The Types of WordPress Hosting
Shared Hosting (€3-10/month)
Your site shares a server with hundreds of others. Like living in a cramped apartment building where your neighbours’ parties affect your sleep.
Good for: Personal blogs, very low-traffic sites Bad for: Business websites, e-commerce, anything that matters
Managed WordPress Hosting (€15-50/month)
Servers optimised specifically for WordPress. Includes caching, security, and often automatic updates.
Good for: Business websites, blogs with decent traffic This is what SparkHost offers.
VPS/Dedicated (€50-200+/month)
Your own virtual or physical server. Maximum control and resources.
Good for: High-traffic sites, complex applications Overkill for: Most small to medium business websites
What Actually Matters When Choosing
1. Server Location
Data travels at the speed of light, but it still takes time. A server in Ireland or the UK will deliver pages faster to Irish visitors than one in the US.
For Irish businesses serving Irish customers, your server should be in Ireland or the UK at minimum.
2. WordPress-Specific Optimisation
Generic hosting runs WordPress. Managed WordPress hosting runs it well. Look for:
- LiteSpeed or nginx (not just Apache)
- Server-level caching
- PHP 8.x support
- WordPress-aware security rules
3. Genuine Support Quality
“24/7 support” means nothing if the support is useless. Look for:
- WordPress specialists (not just general hosting support)
- Quick response times (test before you commit)
- Direct access (not endless ticket queues)
4. Backup and Recovery
Your host should include:
- Automatic daily backups
- At least 7 days backup retention
- Easy one-click restore
- Off-server backup storage
5. Security Features
At minimum:
- Free SSL certificates
- Basic firewall/DDoS protection
- Malware scanning
Better hosts add:
- Web Application Firewall (WAF)
- Real-time security monitoring
- Hack recovery assistance
What the Marketing Hype Hides
”Unlimited” Doesn’t Mean Unlimited
Read the fair use policy. “Unlimited” storage and bandwidth typically comes with conditions that limit actual usage.
”99.9% Uptime” Means Hours of Downtime
99.9% uptime sounds impressive until you do the maths. That’s still 8.7 hours of downtime per year. And most cheap hosts don’t actually achieve this.
”Free Domain” Costs More
Free domain registration is nice, but check the renewal price. It’s often inflated compared to buying directly from a registrar.
Questions to Ask Before Committing
- Where are your servers located?
- What caching solution do you use?
- How are WordPress updates handled?
- What’s your average response time for support tickets?
- Can I speak to support before signing up?
- What happens if my site gets hacked?
Why We Built SparkHost
After years of managing WordPress sites on various hosts, we knew what businesses actually needed:
- Irish servers — Fast for Irish visitors
- LiteSpeed hosting — Genuinely fast, not marketing-fast
- Proactive management — We update and monitor, not just host
- Real support — WordPress specialists, direct contact, quick responses
- Security included — Cloudflare, malware scanning, and (on Managed plans) Patchstack protection
We’re not the cheapest option. We’re the option for businesses that depend on their website actually working, loading fast, and staying secure.
Making Your Decision
If your website is a hobby, cheap hosting is fine. If your website is a business asset, invest accordingly.
The difference between €5/month hosting and €30/month hosting is €300/year. The cost of a single significant security incident, performance problem, or extended downtime will far exceed that.