How to Change the Author of a Post in WordPress

Do you want to change the author of a post in WordPress? Sometimes you may need to display a different author, then the person who added the post in WordPress. You do not need to copy and paste the entire WordPress post with a different user account. In this article, we will show you how to easily change the author of a post in WordPress with just a few clicks.

Before You Change The Author of a Post in WordPress

If you just want to show your own name on a post written by some other user on your WordPress site, then you are ready to follow the instructions in this article.

On the other hand, if you want to show a different user as author, then first you need to make sure that this user exists on your WordPress site. See our guide on how to add new users and authors in WordPress for detailed instructions.

You can see and manage all users on your WordPress site by visiting the Users page when logged in with your WordPress administrator account.

If you just want to change the way your name is displayed, then check out our guide on how to add or change your full name in WordPress.

Having said that, let’s see how to quickly and easily change the author of a post in WordPress.

Video Tutorial

If you don’t like the video or need more instructions, then continue reading.

Changing Author of a WordPress Post

First you need to edit the post or page where you want to change the author name. On the post edit screen, you need to click on the Screen Options menu at the top right corner of the screen.

This will show a flydown menu on the screen with a bunch of options. You need to check the box next to ‘Author’ option.

After that, you need to scroll down on the post edit screen just below the post editor. You will see the Author box there.

Simply click on the drop down menu and select a different author.

Don’t forget to click on the Save Draft or Update button to save your changes.

That’s all, you have successfully changed the author of a post in WordPress.

Quickly Change Author for Multiple Posts in WordPress

Changing author by editing a post is easy. However, if you have to do this for multiple posts, then it would take quite a lot of time to do that.

There is an easier way to quickly change author for multiple WordPress posts at once. To bulk update authors, click on the Posts menu from your WordPress admin bar. This will list all the posts on your WordPress site.

By default, WordPress shows 20 posts per page. If you want to display more posts, then you need to click on the Screen Options and change the number of posts you want to display.

Now you need to select the posts where you want to change the author. After selecting posts, select ‘Edit’ from ‘Bulk Actions’ dropdown menu and then click the ‘Apply Button’.

WordPress will now show you Bulk Edit metabox. You need to select the new author by clicking on the dropdown menu next to Author option.

Don’t forget to click on the ‘Update’ button to store your changes.

That’s all, you have successfully changed the author for multiple WordPress posts without editing them individually.

We hope this article helped you learn how to change the author of a post in WordPress. You may also want to see our comparison of the best WordPress backup plugins.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

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How to Change Sender Name in Outgoing WordPress Email

Do you want to change the default sender name and email address for outgoing WordPress emails? By default, WordPress uses ‘WordPress’ as the sender name for all outgoing WordPress notification emails. In this article, we will show you how to change the default sender name and email address in outgoing WordPress email.

Why You Should Change the Default Sender Information in WordPress?

The default WordPress sender name is ‘WordPress’ which sends emails from a non-existent email address (wordpress@yourdomain.com) as the sender email.

Many spam filters block your WordPress emails believing it to be spam. Sometimes it does not even make it to the spam folder.

For more on this topic, take a look at our guide on how to fix WordPress not sending email issue.

The outgoing email notifications are important, and you should use your own brand and email address. This increases the authenticity of your brand and increases name recognition among your users.

Having said that, let’s see how to change the default sender name and email address in outgoing WordPress email notifications.

Method 1: Changing Default Sender Name and Email using a Plugin

First thing you need to do is install and activate the CB Change Mail Sender plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you will notice a new menu item labeled CB Mail Sender in your WordPress admin bar. Clicking on it will take you to plugin’s settings page.

You will need to enter the name and email address you want to be used for outgoing WordPress emails.

Don’t forget to click on the save changes button to store your settings.

That’s all, all your WordPress notification emails will now show the name and email address you entered in plugin settings.

Bonus tip: You should use a professional email address. See our guide on how to create professional business email address.

Method 2: Manually Change Sender Name and Email Address

This method requires you to paste code into your WordPress files. If you are new to adding code in WordPress, then take a look at our beginners guide on pasting snippets from web into WordPress.

You will need to add the following code in your theme’s functions.php file or a site-specific plugin.

// Function to change email address

function wpb_sender_email( $original_email_address ) {
    return 'tim.smith@example.com';
}

// Function to change sender name
function wpb_sender_name( $original_email_from ) {
	return 'Tim Smith';
}

// Hooking up our functions to WordPress filters 
add_filter( 'wp_mail_from', 'wpb_sender_email' );
add_filter( 'wp_mail_from_name', 'wpb_sender_name' );

This code simply replaces the default WordPress sender name and email address with your custom sender name and email address.

You can test this by adding a new user, changing password, or any other action that sends WordPress notification email.

We hope this article helped you learn how to change sender name and email address in outgoing WordPress email. You may also want to see our guide on how to send email to all registered users in WordPress.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

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How to Randomly Change Background Color in WordPress

Recently, one of our readers asked us if it was possible to randomly change background color in WordPress. Colors play an important role in how users see your website and how they engage. In this article, we will show you how to randomly change background color in WordPress.

Method 1: Add Random Background Color in WordPress Using Code

This method requires you to add code into your WordPress files. Try this method only if you are comfortable with pasting snippets from web into WordPress.

First you need to add this code to your theme’s functions.php file or a site-specific plugin.

function wpb_bg() { 
$rand = array('0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f');
$color ='#'.$rand[rand(0,15)].$rand[rand(0,15)].$rand[rand(0,15)].
$rand[rand(0,15)].$rand[rand(0,15)].$rand[rand(0,15)];
echo $color;
}

This function simply generates a random hex color value and echoes it.

Now you need to edit your theme’s header.php file. Locate the <body> tag line, it will look like this:

<body <?php body_class(); ?>>

Replace it with this line:

<body <?php body_class(); ?> style="background-color:<?php wpb_bg();?>">>

Save your changes and then visit your website to see the code in action.

Method 2: Add Random Color Stripes Using Fabulous Background Colors

This method is easier and is recommended for beginners who do not want to edit their WordPress theme files.

First, you need to install and activate the Fabulous Background Colors plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

The plugin works out of the box, and there are no settings for you to configure.

You can now visit your website, and you will see colorful stripes as background color on your website. These stripes will fade and change colors elegantly after every 5 seconds.

Method 3: Using CSS to Add Non-Random Background Colors in WordPress

Almost all standard compliant WordPress themes use body_class() function in the body tag. This tag adds a number of CSS classes to the body tag in your theme. These default WordPress generated CSS classes can be used to style individual posts, categories, tags, etc.

For example, if your blog has a category called photography, then you can find these CSS classes in the body tag of the category archive page.

You can change background color of that particular category by simply adding this CSS to your WordPress theme or by using custom css plugin.

body.category-photography { 
background-color:#faebd7;
}

Similarly you will also find the post ID class for individual posts in the body class. You can use it to style each WordPress post differently.

body.postid-65 { 
background-color:#faebd7;
} 

We hope this article helped you learn how to randomly change background color in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to add a full screen background image in WordPress.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Randomly Change Background Color in WordPress appeared first on WPBeginner.

How to Change the “Reply” Text in WordPress Comments

Recently, one of our users asked us how to change the ‘Reply’ text in WordPress comments. By default, most WordPress sites have a reply button below comments so that users can respond to a comment. In this article, we will show you how to easily change the “Reply” text in WordPress comments.

Why Change The Reply Text in WordPress Comments?

Comments are an easy way to boost user engagement. There is a lot you can do to improve WordPress comments.

For example, you can style your comment layout, change comment form style, comment text field to bottom, etc.

The reply link below a comment is like a call to action. Just like any other call for actions on your website, language, colors, size, and placement can all compel users to click.

By changing the simple boring reply to something more interesting, you can make it more prominent and attractive.

Let’s see how to easily change ‘Reply’ text in WordPress comments.

Changing ‘Reply’ Text in WordPress Comments

For this tutorial, you will need to add some code to your WordPress files. If you have not done it before, then you may want to take a look at our beginner’s guide to pasting snippets from the web into WordPress.

You need to add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file or in a site-specific plugin.

 
function wpb_comment_reply_text( $link ) {
$link = str_replace( 'Reply', 'Change to This Text', $link );
return $link;
}
add_filter( 'comment_reply_link', 'wpb_comment_reply_text' );

Don’t forget to replace ‘Change to This Text’ in the code with whatever text you want to use.

That’s all, you can now view any post with comments on your website, and you will find the text you added instead of ‘Reply’.

We hope this article helped you change the “Reply” Text in WordPress. You may also want to try these 11 ways to get more comments on your WordPress blog posts.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

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How to Change the Sidebar Side in WordPress

Recently, one of our readers asked us how to change the sidebar side in a WordPress theme. We get this question a lot where users want to change their sidebar from left to right, or right to left. In this article, we will show you how to change the sidebar side in WordPress.

Why Change The Sidebar Side in WordPress

Usability experts believe that people scan pages from left to right. They recommend putting the important content on the left so that users see the content first. However, this could be reversed if your site is in a language that is written in Right to Left direction.

Many WordPress sites use the typical blog layout with two columns. One for the content, and the other column for the sidebar.

If you are just starting out a website, then you should select a WordPress theme that has the sidebar on your preferred location.

Many themes have options to switch sidebar sides from theme settings. However if your theme does not have this option, then you will have to change sidebar sides manually.

Having said that, let’s take a look at how you can easily change the sidebar side in WordPress using a little bit of CSS.

Changing Sidebar Side in WordPress using CSS

Before you make any changes to your theme, you should first consider creating a child theme. By using a child theme, you will be able to update your parent theme without losing your changes.

Secondly, you should always create a backup of your WordPress site when you are making direct changes to your active WordPress theme.

You will need an FTP client to edit your theme files. See our beginner’s guide on how to use FTP to upload files to WordPress.

Connect to your WordPress site using the FTP client and go to your theme folder. It is usually located at:

/yourwebsite/wp-content/themes/your-theme-folder/

Now you need to download and open your theme’s main stylesheet file in a plain text editor like Notepad. This file is called style.css, and it is located in your theme’s root directory.

In this file, find the CSS class for your sidebar. It is usually .sidebar. In this example, we are using the default WordPress theme Twenty Fifteen which has this CSS to define sidebar:

.sidebar {
		float: left;
		margin-right: -100%;
		max-width: 413px;
		position: relative;
		width: 29.4118%;
	}

As you can see it floats sidebar to the left with a margin of -100% to the right. We will change it to float right and margin-left like this:

.sidebar {
		float: right;
		margin-left: -100%;
		max-width: 413px;
		position: relative;
		width: 29.4118%;
	}

Save your changes and upload style.css file back to your website using FTP client. Now if you visit your website, it will look like this:

That’s because we have moved the sidebar but we did not move the content area. Twenty Fifteen uses this CSS to define the position of content area.

.site-content {
		display: block;
		float: left;
		margin-left: 29.4118%;
		width: 70.5882%;
	}

We will change it to move content to the right. Like this:

.site-content {
		display: block;
		float: left;
		margin-right: 29.4118%;
		width: 70.5882%;
	}

This is how our website looked after applying this CSS.

As you can see that we have switched sides for both content and sidebar areas. However there is still a white block on the left.

You will come across such things when you are working with CSS. It will take some detective work to figure out what’s causing that and how to adjust it.

Use your browser’s ‘Inspect’ tool to look at the source code. Point your mouse to the affected region in the browser, right-click and select Inspect from browser menu.

As you move your mouse in the source code view, you will notice the areas it affects highlighted in the live preview. In the right pane, you will be able to see the CSS used for that selected element.

We figured out that this CSS in our stylesheet needs adjusting.

@media screen and (min-width: 59.6875em) {
	body:before {
		background-color: #fff;
		box-shadow: 0 0 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15);
		content: "";
		display: block;
		height: 100%;
		min-height: 100%;
		position: fixed;
		top: 0;
		left: 0;
		width: 29.4118%;
		z-index: 0; /* Fixes flashing bug with scrolling on Safari */
	}

This CSS code adds an empty content block of 29.4118% width and 100% width to the top left. Here is how we will move it to right.

@media screen and (min-width: 59.6875em) {
	body:before {
		background-color: #fff;
		box-shadow: 0 0 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15);
		content: "";
		display: block;
		height: 100%;
		min-height: 100%;
		position: fixed;
		top: 0;
		right: 0;
		width: 29.4118%;
		z-index: 0; /* Fixes flashing bug with scrolling on Safari */
	}

After saving and uploading the stylesheet back to the server, this is how our website looked.

Working with CSS can be confusing for beginners. If you don’t want to do all the manual code work, then you may want to try CSS Hero. It allows you to edit CSS without writing any code, and it works with every WordPress theme.

We hope this article helped you change the sidebar side in WordPress. You may also want to see our list of 12 WordPress sidebar tricks to get maximum results.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Change the Sidebar Side in WordPress appeared first on WPBeginner.

How to Remove the Password Reset / Change option from WordPress

Are you looking to remove the password reset option in WordPress? By default, WordPress allows users to reset/change password by providing their email address. Sometimes you may want to disable password reset option in WordPress. In this article, we will show you how to remove the password reset / change option from WordPress.

Why Remove Password Reset/Change Option From WordPress

If you allow user registration on your WordPress site, then password reset option allows user to recover lost passwords. Normally, you wouldn’t want to change that.

However, in some usage scenarios you may want to remove this option for specific users or user roles on your WordPress site.

For example, if you have created a temporary account for someone or if you have created a demo site where users can login with a demo username and password.

The easier solution will be to just remove the password reset link. But some savvy users may already know the URL to access the password reset form.

Having said that, let’s see how you can easily remove password reset/change option from WordPress.

Method 1: Disable Password Reset/Change Option Using Plugin

The plugin method is better and easier. It allows you to disable password reset option for specific user roles or even individual users.

This way you can still control and provide password reset feature for some trusted users or user roles.

First thing you need to do is install and activate the Plainview Protect Passwords plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to visit Settings » Protect Passwords page to configure the plugin settings.

Simply select the user roles or individual users to disable their password change or reset option.

There is also an option to exempt individual users. This option is useful if you want to disable password reset option for all users except yourself.

Don’t forget to click on the save changes button to store your settings.

You can see the plugin in action by visiting the WordPress login page and clicking on ‘Lost your password?’ link. It will take you to the password reset page where you can try entering the username or email address for a user who does not have password reset option.

You will see an error indicating that password reset is not allowed for this user.

Method 2: Manually Disable Password Reset Option From WordPress

This method requires you to add code to your WordPress site. It is not recommended for beginner level users.

First thing you need to do is open a blank text file using a text editor like Notepad. Paste the following code inside this file.

<?php
/*
 * Plugin Name: Disable Password Reset
 * Description: Disable password reset functionality. Only users with administrator role will be able to change passwords from inside admin area. 
 * Version: 1.0
 * Author: WPBeginner
 * Author URI: http://wpbeginner.com
 */
 
class Password_Reset_Removed
{

  function __construct() 
  {
    add_filter( 'show_password_fields', array( $this, 'disable' ) );
    add_filter( 'allow_password_reset', array( $this, 'disable' ) );
    add_filter( 'gettext',              array( $this, 'remove' ) );
  }

  function disable() 
  {
    if ( is_admin() ) {
      $userdata = wp_get_current_user();
      $user = new WP_User($userdata->ID);
      if ( !empty( $user->roles ) && is_array( $user->roles ) && $user->roles[0] == 'administrator' )
        return true;
    }
    return false;
  }

  function remove($text) 
  {
    return str_replace( array('Lost your password?', 'Lost your password'), '', trim($text, '?') ); 
  }
}

$pass_reset_removed = new Password_Reset_Removed();
?>

Save this file as disable-password-reset.php on your desktop.

Now you need to upload this file to your WordPress site. You will need an FTP client to do that. See our guide on how to use FTP to upload WordPress files.

Connect to your website using the FTP client and then go to the plugins folder. The plugin’s folder is located inside /wp-content/ directory.

Upload disable-password-reset.php file from your computer to the plugins folder on your WordPress site.

Now you need to login to your WordPress admin area and visit the plugins page. You will notice a new plugin titled ‘Disable Password Reset’ in your list of installed plugins. Click on the activate link below the plugin.

That’s all, activating the plugin will disable password reset option for all users including administrators. Administrators will be able to change passwords from the admin area, but they will not be able to reset password from the login screen.

We hope this article helped you learn how to remove the password reset/change option from WordPress. You may also want to see our list of 13 plugins and tips to improve WordPress admin area.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Remove the Password Reset / Change option from WordPress appeared first on WPBeginner.

How to Change the Gravatar Image Size in WordPress

Recently one of our readers asked if it is possible to change the Gravatar image size. The answer is yes. In this article, we will show you how to change the Gravatar image size in WordPress.

Gravatar is a globally recognized avatar that connects a user’s email address with their picture. Popular applications like WordPress and others use it to display user’s photo on the website.

Most WordPress themes by default add a Gravatar next to each user comment. Some even use it for the author bio box.

Let’s take a look at how you can change the Gravatar image size on your WordPress site.

Note: Since Gravatar Image size is defined by your theme, you would need to edit your theme files to change it.

Change Gravatar size for WordPress Comments

The first thing you need to do is open the comments.php file located in your themes folder.

You would need to connect to your website using FTP and then go to /wp-content/themes/yourtheme/.

Alternatively if your WordPress hosting company offers a File Manager, then you can edit this file using the web interface in your cPanel.

In the comments.php file, you need to find the following code: avatar_size

It will be inside the wp_list_comments function like this:

<?php
wp_list_comments( array(
	'style'       => 'ol',
	'short_ping'  => true,
	'avatar_size' => 32,
) );
?>

Simply change the size to whatever dimensions you like. Gravatars are square, so the value you set will be the same for both width and height.

Go ahead and save your changes. If you are using FTP, then upload the changes to your server.

Now open a post that has comments to see if your changes are live.

If it is not, then your theme’s CSS is overriding it. The best way to check is to use Inspect Elements tool in your browser.

Simply right click on the Gravatar in your browser and click Inspect Element.

You need to look at the height and width of the Gravatar image to see if it reflects the value that you set.

When you bring your mouse over it, it will also highlight the gravatar on the image and show you the size it’s actually displaying.

You’ll notice that the two are different. This means that your theme’s style.css file is overriding the default image size. Many themes including the default Twenty Sixteen theme use CSS to control the Gravatar image size for different screen sizes.

You need to open the style.css file in your theme’s folder and search for avatar. You’ll likely find a CSS class: .comment-author .avatar which contain a code like this:

.comment-author .avatar {
	height: 42px;
	position: relative;
	top: 0.25em;
	width: 42px;
}

Go ahead and change the width and height to match the value you set earlier in the comments.php file.

That’s all. You have successfully changed the gravatar image size in your WordPress comments.

Now you might be wondering if you can override the image size using CSS, then why did we change the avatar_size in the comments.php file?

Yes, while you can take the CSS shortcut, there are two benefits to doing it this way:

1. No blurry images

If you wanted to resize the WordPress Gravatar and make it larger then the default image size, then it will look blurry.

2. Faster Load Times

Now if you wanted to make the Gravatar smaller then the default image size, then the CSS only method will look just fine.

However by changing the size in comments.php, you’re actual image is smaller thus reducing the page size and improving your site speed.

Change Gravatar size for Author Bio

Depending on the theme that you use, it may also use Gravatar for author bio boxes. You can change the default gravatar size in a very similar way as comments.

You need to locate the theme file which adds the bio. It could be in the single.php file, functions.php file, or even as a separate template part file. The default Twenty Sixteen theme uses the template part file called biography.php.

When searching the files, you need to look for the code get_avatar.

For the sake of this example, we will use TwentySixteen default theme as an example. In the themes folder:

/wp-content/themes/twentysixteen/template-parts/biography.php file

It reads like this:

$author_bio_avatar_size = apply_filters( 'twentysixteen_author_bio_avatar_size', 32 );

echo get_avatar( get_the_author_meta( 'user_email' ), $author_bio_avatar_size );

You will just have to change the number 32 to whatever you like.

In other themes, the code may look like this:

get_avatar( get_the_author_meta( 'user_email' ), 32);

After you change the size, refresh the page to see if the size updated. If not, then you’d need to search for the avatar class in the style.css file like we showed for comments, and update the size there as well.

We hope this article helped you change the gravatar size in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on 25 most common WordPress errors and how to fix them.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

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Page 7 – WPBeginner

How To Know When It’s Time To Change Your Web Host

alt="How To Know When It’s Time To Change Your Web Host" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/better-option-500x186_c.jpg" />

Your website or blog is an investment that’s starting to pay off, but it’s hit a few snags and you’re wondering if your web host could be the problem. Or, perhaps you have a free web host or low cost services and you’re wondering if it’s time to upgrade to higher quality services. This may be a good time to consider switching hosting providers, but how do you know when it’s time to change your web host?

It may be time for a new web hosting service if…

#1 … your site is constantly going down.

class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6980" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/site-down.jpg" alt="web hosting down" width="750" height="280" srcset="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/site-down.jpg 750w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/site-down-300x112.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />

This is the number one reason I left my last web host.

While it’s true that into each website a little down time will fall, if your site is down or unavailable for reasons beyond your control more than roughly once a year, it’s time to seek higher quality services. In my case, the company couldn’t explain what was causing the situation. They even switched and upgraded servers, but there were still too many site outages in too short a period of time. I did some research and discovered that many others were having the same issue with this provider. That’s a red flag to move on.

#2 … your site is toooooooooo slow.

class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6981" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/too-slow.jpg" alt="slow hosting server" width="750" height="280" srcset="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/too-slow.jpg 750w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/too-slow-300x112.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />

This was my second reason for changing providers.

In my situation, I had some files that were difficult to remove clogging up the system and the host helped me to remove them, fairly quickly. That was good customer service, and it sped my site up a little – but it didn’t last long. A week later, I was again experiencing slowness that made it difficult to work on my site at all. None of their solutions helped and they finally stopped calling back and started emailing general information memos.  Their inability to fix the problem led to poor customer service.

#3 … Customer service is not helpful.

class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6982" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/bad-customer-support.jpg" alt="bad customer support" width="750" height="280" srcset="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/bad-customer-support.jpg 750w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/bad-customer-support-300x112.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />

style="line-height: 1.5em;">While I did experience problems in this area, in ten years of running a blog I have not had some of the horror stories I’ve heard from other site owners about poor web hosting customer service. I’ve seen problems from unanswered questions to the inability to fix a serious problem. Your data is precious and if a company can’t be bothered to service your web site problems quickly or take the time to respond to you by phone or chat, you have to wonder how much effort they will make to safeguard your data at all.

style="line-height: 1.5em;">A quality web hosting service will have a clearly marked way to provide you livestyle="line-height: 1.5em;"> support. They should respond to your request in 24 hours or less and back that service up with useful documentation. A good wiki or answer database is helpful, but if you can’t get a live person to handle an issue beyond your control or when your site is down, compromised or damaged, it’s time to move on. 

#4 … you need more space, functionality or other resources.

class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6983" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/more-space.jpg" alt="more hosting space needed" width="750" height="280" srcset="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/more-space.jpg 750w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/more-space-300x112.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />

My problems with my former web host were solved once I moved: site slowness was completely fixed.

However, you may be experiencing problems because you’ve run out of space on your host. I’ve run my blog for 10 years without ever needing to upgrade the space. If you do run out of space quickly, this means you have a LOT on your site such as video or podcasts. I’ve never had to upgrade the size of my hosting package, but I’ve always had comprehensive packages. In fact, the last two times I purchased web hosting, I was given sales event pricing, which means I got a lot of value for my dollar. If your site is data-intensive and you need more space, then go for the upgrade. However, if you are simply writing blog posts and running a few plugins, and your host wants to charge an exorbitant fee to upgrade, it may be a time for a new web host.

Buyer beware though: href="//localhost/the-truth-about-unlimited-hosting">learn the in’s and out’s of “unlimited” web hosting.

#5 … you’re paying too much for web hosting.

class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6984" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/too-pricey.jpg" alt="too pricey" width="750" height="280" srcset="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/too-pricey.jpg 750w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/too-pricey-300x112.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />

Everybody’s definition of “too much” is different, but if you are simply running a blog, you should be able to get quality web hosting, including great customer service and enough storage, in a reasonable price range. Of course, pricing depends on how much storage you need. If you are running a video or podcasting blog that updates daily, you’re going to need a lot more space than the average blog . However, a website or blog that’s predominantly text and images can run you per month or less. As mentioned, look for discounts and sales – some of these will run for the life of your blog – or talk to a salesperson and tell them your budget. If you are a new customer, they may be willing to work with you. Learn how to select an affordable host at our href="/ultimate-cheap-web-hosting-guide/">Web Hosting Guide.

Budget Hosting Choices – Reviewed at WHSR

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#6 … you are regularly inconvenienced.

class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6985" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/inconvenience.jpg" alt="inconvenience" width="750" height="280" srcset="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/inconvenience.jpg 750w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/inconvenience-300x112.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />

style="line-height: 1.5em;">I used to have this amazing web host that I’d used for years and it was everything I’d hoped for: instant customer service, comprehensive packages, affordable price, web professional recommended.  They even had an easy referral service. One day, they changed their billing software. I had set up my system to automatically pay my monthly bills so I could set it and forget it. Then one month, I got a notification that they’d shut down my site if I didn’t pay in a few days. I called customer service and they told me they’d made change in their software and that I’d have to make adjustments on my end. I did and thought the problem solved – until the next month, when I was asked for payment again. This went on for months and, despite my complaints and requests, nothing seemed to solve the problem. I have a lot on my plate and remembering to manually pay a small bill for a service I’m always going to need is a waste of time. Since I had another hosting services at the time, I simply moved my blog and discontinued services.

style="line-height: 1.5em;">Convenience is definitely a consideration when you are a serious blogger or website owner.

#7 … you’ve been hacked, more than once.

class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6986" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/hacked.jpg" alt="hacked site" width="750" height="280" srcset="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/hacked.jpg 750w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/hacked-300x112.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />

style="line-height: 1.5em;">Having your website hacked is painful but it happens. Hopefully if it does, you or your web host will catch it early, before any real damage is done. Once a site is hacked, I would expect any web hosting company worth its salt to do everything in their power to make sure it doesn’t happen again – from revisiting and improving their security measures to guiding you in how to better protect your site once it has been restored. There is no excuse for getting hacked twice or more. If it that happens, your security has been compromised. Of course, security issues could be your fault, so if you do get hacked, style="line-height: 1.5em;" href="//localhost/blog/blogging-tips/the-pitfalls-of-hacking-and-spam-7-ways-to-protect-your-blog">take all the recommended measures you can to protect your blog style="line-height: 1.5em;">.

#8 … you’ve heard about a great service elsewhere.

class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6987" src="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/better-option.jpg" alt="better option" width="750" height="280" srcset="http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/better-option.jpg 750w, http://whsr.webrevenueinc1.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/better-option-300x112.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />

If you’ve ever said, “Wow, my web host doesn’t do that,” it may be time for a change. Web hosting on a budget can only offer you so much, but we’ve all heard stories of amazing services or support that can make it better. My current web host, for example, switched my blog over safely and soundly while I slept. I awoke up to website that functioned quickly and reliably without a single glitch in service. If you don’t feel that level of comfort, or are bothered about negative reports you’ve seen on your web host, it may be time for a change.

The guidelines above will help you determine if it’s time for a change, but only you know if the time is right. Your website is only as good as your web host so take your time and do your research when href="//localhost/choose-the-right-web-hosting">choosing a new web host.

Page 17 – Web Hosting Secret Revealed