WordPress Hosting Questions Answered

It's hosting plus active maintenance. We don't just give you server space — we keep your WordPress installation updated, secure, backed up, and running fast. You get the benefits of a professional web team without hiring one.

Unlike typical hosting providers who just rent server space, we actively manage your WordPress site. We handle updates, security, backups, and performance optimization. You get Irish-based support via WhatsApp, not overseas call centres. We're WordPress specialists, not generalists trying to support every platform.

Yes! SparkHost is an Irish company providing WordPress hosting with servers located in the UK and EU for optimal speed. Our support team operates from Ireland during Irish business hours, so you get local expertise and fast response times.

Almost nothing. We handle migration from your current host. Once you're set up, we manage everything. You'll get monthly reports and can request changes anytime via WhatsApp or email.

Yes. Monthly plans have no long-term contract. We'd appreciate 30 days notice, but there's no cancellation penalty.

Yes, at no extra cost. We handle the full migration: files, database, emails, and DNS configuration. Your site stays online throughout the process.

Most migrations are completed within 24-48 hours. Complex sites with large databases may take slightly longer. We'll keep you informed throughout the process.

Our Standard plan covers one WordPress website. If you have multiple sites, we offer multi-site discounts — contact us for a custom quote. Each site gets the same level of care and maintenance.

Absolutely. We fully support WooCommerce and other WordPress e-commerce plugins. Our Managed plan is particularly well-suited for online stores, offering staging environments for testing updates before they go live, plus priority support during sales events.

Shared hosting gives you server space and leaves you to manage everything yourself — updates, security, backups, performance. Managed WordPress hosting (what we offer) handles all of that for you. We actively maintain your site, not just the server. It's the difference between renting a car and having a chauffeur.

We monitor uptime 24/7. If your site goes down, we're usually aware before you are. We investigate immediately and restore from backups if needed. You'll be notified of any issues and their resolution.

We implement multiple layers of optimization: advanced caching, image optimization, database cleanup, CDN configuration via Cloudflare, and code minification. We also identify and fix slow plugins or themes. Most sites see significant improvement within the first month.

We support PHP 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3 — all current, secure versions. We'll recommend the optimal version for your plugins and themes. When new PHP versions release, we test compatibility before upgrading.

We handle everything: download your files and database from your current host, set up your new hosting environment, import your content, configure DNS, test thoroughly, then switch over with minimal downtime. Most clients see zero downtime during migration.

Yes, staging is included with our Managed plan. You get a complete copy of your site to test updates, new plugins, or design changes safely. Once approved, we push changes to your live site.

We use a multi-layer approach: server-side object caching with Redis, page caching, browser caching, and Cloudflare CDN. This combination typically reduces page load times by 50-70% compared to uncached sites.

Yes, both plans support WooCommerce. For high-traffic stores, we recommend the Managed plan for staging and priority support.

Quick fixes that take minutes: updating text, changing a phone number, swapping an image, fixing a typo. Anything that takes under 15 minutes and doesn't require design or development work.

New page designs, layout changes, adding new features, custom development, or anything requiring significant time. These are quoted separately — we're always transparent about what's extra.

Absolutely. You maintain full admin access to your WordPress dashboard. We handle the technical infrastructure and maintenance, but you're always in control of your content.

We use high-performance VPS servers located in the UK and EU. This ensures fast load times for Irish and European visitors while meeting GDPR data residency requirements.

We handle email migration as part of your hosting setup. For existing email services, we'll help configure DNS records. We recommend dedicated email providers like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 for business email.

Monthly via Direct Debit or card payment. You're billed on the same date each month.

No, VAT (23%) is added to all prices. €40/month becomes €49.20 including VAT. €249/month becomes €306.27 including VAT.

We accept Direct Debit (via GoCardless), credit/debit cards, and bank transfers. For larger organisations, we can arrange invoicing.

Yes, you can change plans at any time. Upgrades take effect immediately. Downgrades take effect at your next billing cycle.

Multiple layers: Cloudflare firewall and DDoS protection, automatic security updates, malware scanning, WordPress hardening, and (for Managed plans) real-time threat detection via Patchstack.

For our Managed clients, we use Patchstack for enterprise-grade security monitoring. For Standard clients, we configure Wordfence or Sucuri. However, the best security comes from keeping WordPress, themes, and plugins updated — which we handle automatically.

We use a proactive approach: firewall rules block known attack patterns, automatic updates close vulnerabilities quickly, and daily malware scans catch any infections early. If malware is found, we clean it immediately and investigate how it got in.

Yes, free SSL certificates are included with all plans. We install and renew them automatically via Let's Encrypt. For businesses requiring extended validation (EV) certificates, we can configure those too.

Daily automated malware scans run on all sites. For Managed clients, we also monitor the Patchstack vulnerability database and apply virtual patches for zero-day threats, often before official plugin updates are released.

We detect it, clean it, and restore your site. This is included in your plan — no emergency charges. We identify how the breach occurred, remove all malware, restore from clean backups if needed, and strengthen defenses to prevent recurrence.

Yes. Daily automated backups with 7-day retention, plus monthly full snapshots. For Managed plans, we keep additional restore points.

Yes, just contact us via WhatsApp or email. We can restore your entire site or specific files/database tables. There's no charge for backup restores.

Yes. We store data on UK/EU servers, have appropriate data processing agreements in place, and follow GDPR best practices for data handling and security.

WhatsApp or email. For existing clients, WhatsApp is the fastest way to reach us. You can also email hello@sparkhost.ie anytime.

Yes, particularly for Managed clients. We troubleshoot plugin conflicts, advise on best practices, and guide you on WordPress decisions. If you've had work done by a previous web developer that's causing issues, we can help sort it out. We're not just hosting — we're WordPress experts.

Absolutely. Plugin conflicts are one of the most common WordPress issues. We'll identify the conflicting plugins, find alternatives or workarounds, and ensure your site runs smoothly. This is included in your maintenance.

For site-down emergencies and security incidents, we respond within 1-2 hours during business hours. After hours, our monitoring systems alert us to critical issues and we'll typically respond the same evening.

We respond during Irish business hours, Monday to Friday. For emergencies (site down, security issues), we have extended monitoring and faster response times.

We guarantee a 24-hour response time, but 99% of messages get a same-day response, usually within a few hours.

We don't offer traditional phone support (no hold queues!), but we do schedule video calls for complex issues and Managed plan clients have access to monthly strategy calls.