Issue #132 Loop WP

Hi, friend. 👋

Welcome to Issue #132 of Loop WP!

Last week, we took a deep dive into Progress Planner, a new plugin from Joost de Valk and Marieke van de Rakt.

This week, we look at an ever-controversial topic, especially recently with the legal drama in WordPress, WPE and “that” hosting page.

Let’s go! 👇

WordPress Hosting - Still Controversial?

🧠 I’ll let you answer that question, friend, but here are some thoughts for your consideration when you choose your next WordPress host.

WordPress hosting has historically been one of the most controversial topics in the WordPress community, and of course, it is in the headlines again with the ongoing WPE legal case.

🚨 WordPress.org has a dedicated page for referring to "good" hosts, but even this page is not without controversy.

The Bluehost controversy occurred over three years ago, and GoDaddy has also come under fire over the years. Now, both Bluehost and GoDaddy are in good stead with WordPress.

✅ In fact, things with Bluehost** are very good. They are one of WordPress’ “recommended” (yes…that page again) hosting companies and leverage Automattic’s Cloud technology.

And that’s the issue…the recommended hosts. The community hasn’t repeatedly asked for guidelines and transparency around this page.

Check out this post on X:

⚡️ The comments are well worth reading, and there has been a flurry of constant activity and changes on this page recently. Check out the Internet Archive for all the changes.

**(I am not singling out Bluehost or saying they have done anything wrong; they are being used as an illustrative example).

So, Where Should I Host My Website?

Again, friend, that’s a question for you to answer based on your or your client’s needs, but let’s break down how to find a good host.

✅ Having a good host and a fast website is very important for the front-end experience of your website for visitors and customers and also for search engines.

🔥 Website speed doesn't actually start with the website; it starts with the hosting.

There are three main hosting types:

• Shared

• Cloud

• Dedicated

🤦‍♂️ If you search the internet for "WordPress hosting" or "the best WordPress hosting," you will see some familiar sites in all the lists, and many of them are not actually any good.

They are listed for affiliates to earn a commission.

Review Signal

💡 For an unbiased view of hosts at different budgets, check out Review Signal and their dedicated WordPress and WooCommerce hosting reviews.

I have used Review Signal for years to monitor the WordPress hosting environment. However, note that not all hosts are listed there.

Some Of My Recommendations

💡 Some of the links below may contain affiliate links but these are all hosting companies I actively use and can recommend for different budgets and needs.

• SiteGround is a good budget host. I use their Cloud hosting for some of my clients and even have one client running a small eCommerce business on their shared hosting (I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of the shared hosting).
  
  ⚡️ SiteGround Black Friday Offer
  
  

• Kinsta is premium WordPress hosting. It is an incredible company, and several clients are now hosting with it as well. In my personal experience (I have tried a lot of hosts), they are currently the best WordPress hosts out there.
  
  ⚡️ Kinsta Black Friday Offer
  
  

• Rocket.net is a relatively new WordPress hosting company with big plans! I moved my personal website and some client websites to them a few months ago and have been very impressed with their performance and price point.
  
  ⚡️ Rocket.net Price Promise

Ultimately, friend, the choice is yours based on:

• Your/client needs

• Budget

• Technical expertise (which Review Signal will help you digest)

🚨 Before You Go

In Issue #126, as part of my Privacy mini-series, I briefly discussed the Simple Cloudflare Turnstile free plugin from Elliot Sowersby.

🛟 Well…last week, one of my eCommerce clients suffered a spam bot attack (one of the few sites we don’t use Turnstile)…and Elliot’s plugin came to the rescue!

Check out the comments, too, as we look to get some traction on a honeypot feature in WooCommerce core as a minimum for registration forms. 👇

🚨 If you’re interested in sponsoring the Loop WP Newsletter, this Google Doc has all the details.

All slots are sold out before Christmas, but I am taking bookings for the New Year.

Weekly WordPress News & Tips

WordPress News & Tips are back, offering excellent and insightful content this week!

• A New Era - Generate Blocks 2.0 Alpha…wow! (GenerateBlocks)

• Mind Blowing - Nested loops with repeaters? F*ck yeah! GB 2.0 is gonna BLOW YOUR MIND! (Kyle Van Deusen)

• InfluenceWP - Amplifying entities that influence the WordPress ecosystem. (InfluenceWP)

• Q&A - WordPress 6.7 Highlights and Q & A with Rich Tabor, Nick Diego and Jamie Marsland. (WordPress)

• New API - With the new Preview Dropdown Menu API coming soon in WordPress 6.7, this fun experiment adds a dedicated preview mode in the Editor based on Rich Tabor's Dark Mode Toggle Block. (Nick Diego)

• Open Source - As the WordPress saga continues, CIOs need to figure out what it might mean for all open source. (CIO)

• Feedback - What’s Next for WooCommerce Tax? (WooCommerce)

• New Beta Launch! - Expert AI Assistant For Your WordPress Site (WP AI)

• WordPress 6.7 - Zoom Out mode, Meta boxes, Block Pattern API, and much more. (Kinsta)

• Disrupt - Matt Meideros and Brian Coords react to the TechCrunch Disrupt Connie Loizos interview with Matt Mullenweg. (The WP Minute)

• WP Grid Builder - How to Create Multi-Level Filters with WP Grid Builder For WordPress. (WP Tuts)

• Scholarship - WordCamp Asia and WordCamp Europe Added to Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship Program. (WP Tavern)

If you have a question about this email or WordPress, reply, and I will answer you as soon as possible.

👋 Until next time,