Here at Clockpunk Studios, we build the majority of our websites using the WordPress engine. We think it’s a pretty great way to build websites, and we must not be alone, since WordPress now powers fully 25% of the internet. But WordPress websites rely on a hosting service to stay “on the air” and operational, and we’re often asked why we don’t go the “extra mile” and offer web hosting services ourselves, along with our website and WordPress maintenance packages.
The answer is pretty simple, and it has everything to do with trying to make sure that our clients have the solutions that are best for them. To that end, Clockpunk Studios works with the hosting plans and domain names that our clients purchase for themselves. Why not do it for you? There are a lot of reasons, but the simplest one is that we want you to be in control of your own website as much as possible. When you choose the hosting and purchase your own domain name, then you’ve got the keys to your virtual “house.”
We call it our “in case we get hit by a bus” provision. (Although I assure you that we all look both ways before crossing the street, just like our moms always taught us.) At the end of the day, we don’t want our clients to feel obligtated to stick with us just because we have all the keys to your website. We’d rather you stick around because our service is too good to leave, but if you do become disappointed (and we hope you never do), we feel that you should have everything that you need to run your website going forward already in your own possession, and not have to wait for us to hand everything over. Plus, if the worst should happen and Clockpunk Studios were ever to go out of business, your website wouldn’t suddenly disappear overnight just because we stopped handling it.
That’s not the only reason we don’t offer hosting services, however. When you get right down to it, we’re in the business of building websites, not hosting them, and there’s just not much we could offer that isn’t already covered by some of the better hosting services out there, so we’d simply be acting as a middleman on the transaction and passing the cost on to you. Instead, we’d rather guide you through the step-by-step process of selecting and purchasing a hosting plan that’s right for your website, so you get only what you’re paying for, while also finding the option that’s perfect for you. We’ll show you the ins and outs of how hosting works, and recommend some good solutions that have worked for other clients in the past. In short, we handle all the technical stuff, but the ownership and billing stay firmly in your hands.
When it comes to hosting your author or business website, you’ve got a lot of options. In our experience, one of the best ones around for hosting the kinds of WordPress sites that we build is Dreampress with Dreamhost. They’re reliable and easy to work with, and have the caching and built-in power that a robust WordPress website really needs.
Whatever your needs or preferences when it comes to your next WordPress website, Clockpunk Studios may not offer hosting ourselves, but we’re happy to help you find the solution that’s just what you’re looking for.