When people are first starting out in affiliate marketing, the first question they always ask me is “What WordPress hosting service do you recommend?” I’ve been earning a living as an affiliate marketer for years, so I’ve used almost all of the major WordPress hosting sites. One of the more popular services I am frequently asked about is NameCheap. NameCheap WordPress hosting has been around since 2000, so people always consider it when reviewing their hosting options. Since this comes up a lot, I figured I would take the time to write a review so you could decide if this hosting option is right for you.
Why Choose WordPress Hosting
Before I begin my NameCheap WordPress hosting review, I think it’s important to talk a little about why you should choose WordPress as your content management system (CMS) when you are an affiliate marketer. First, WordPress is the industry standard because it is incredibly easy to use no matter your experience level. Secondly, WordPress has numerous plugins and features that affiliate marketers need to be successful. Finally, WordPress is free, so it doesn’t require a heavy upfront investment like other CMS on the market. There are even free templates you can customize to build your website quickly. I always recommend using WordPress no matter what hosting platform you end up on.
Background On NameCheap WordPress Hosting
Based in Los Angeles, CA, NameCheap is primarily an ICANN-accredited domain registrar similar to GoDaddy. However, in 2006 they added some hosting services in order to provide a one-stop shop for their customer needs. They offer a full range of hosting services including shared hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting. They also offer managed WordPress hosting and email hosting. They currently have 3 million customers and around 7 million registered domains.
NameCheap WordPress Hosting Service Offerings
NameCheap offers the same services as most WordPress hosting companies including:
Performance: Their servers all process 16GB of RAM which is standard for the industry. They also claim to offer unlimited bandwidth. The quality of performance depends entirely on which plan you choose.
Uptime: NameCheap guarantees a 99.9% uptime. They maintain this promise with regular server maintenance, redundant hardware, and a dedicated team to monitor the servers.
Security: They offer SSL certification for free when you sign up for the service.
Support: They offer 24/7, 365 live customer support to their clients with a 14-day money back guarantee.
WordPress-Specific Features: NameCheap offers a variety of WordPress specific features including easy setup and transfer, backups, and a new feature designed to support scalability called “Grow Effortlessly” launching next year.
All of these service offerings are pretty standard, so none of them stick out as a specific reason to choose NameCheap over another hosting option.
The Biggest Benefit Of NameCheap WordPress Hosting
Now even though most of the features are pretty standard, there is one area where I say they really stand out amongst their competition. Their user interface is incredibly easy. It’s intuitive, straightforward, and decluttered. So it’s very easy to navigate and anyone with even the most basic understanding of website development can find exactly what they are looking for right away. I cannot say this about some of the other WordPress hosting companies I have worked with like BlueHost or SiteGround.
NameCheap WordPress Hosting Pricing
NameCheap offers a variety of service plans for website hosting all at really affordable prices. The WordPress hosting which starts at $8.88 a month. However, this low price is only for the most basic service package which may not be able to handle your traffic needs. This affordable pricing is not as straightforward as simply being inexpensive. Unfortunately, most of the apps and plugins you need require an upcharge. There are other hosting sites where you get these features for free. So just be careful when setting your budget.
NameCheap WordPress Hosting Support
I would say the biggest downside to NameCheap WordPress hosting is the lack of customer support. Unless you are on a premium plan you will not receive the 24/7 support they advertise. Also, unlike other companies they don’t have a dedicated community forum so if you can’t get ahold of a customer service representative, you are really on your own. So don’t really expect good support if you choose one of the most basic plans.
Final Thoughts On NameCheap WordPress Hosting
Ultimately, what NameCheap offers isn’t really special. I mean it will work for anyone’s basic needs, but it doesn’t really give you anything special to help support your success. I think the most attractive features are the user interface and the price. Though, I would argue the price is not very transparent since there is a lot of upselling. Ultimately, I would say NameCheap is still a great place to register your domain, but for WordPress hosting, you should choose a company that offers more features, performance, and better customer service.
A Better Alternative For WordPress Hosting
Since I would not recommend NameCheap as the first choice for WordPress hosting, I thought I would conclude this review with a choice I would recommend. My top choice for WordPress hosting is WPEngine. It has better performance, features, and customer support than NameCheap.
WPEngine doesn’t just offer fast processing speeds on their servers, they have a proprietary caching process that dramatically increases speed and reduces downtime. The only features and plugins they up-charge for are ones the developer charges for, otherwise, everything you need you will not have to pay extra fees. So even though the initial price point is a little higher at $29/month for their basic plan, you’ll actually probably save money.Furthermore, they offer the same security offerings and easy to navigate user panel like NameCheap, but they also offer 24/7, 365 live customer support to answer any questions no matter your level of service.
Ultimately, I believe you could go with NameCheap and be fine, but I honestly would recommend going with WPEngine and setting yourself up for guaranteed success!
