Well, the move is complete! I have successfully installed and configured WordPress and moved existing Rural Technocrat data from Squarespace. Let me first say that I was extremely impressed with Squarespace throughout my tenure, but as my Web host requirements changed, I figured that it would be best to host my blog on a shiny new VPS (virtual private server)!

Finding the perfect VPS is no easy task. There are thousands of providers and filtering through the garbage takes time and work. Thanks to the power of Twitter, my short-list was narrowed very quickly – Liquid Web and WiredTree. I was looking for a reasonably priced and managed VPS in the $40 to $50 range. Liquid Web was on the upper end of this requirement and Wired Tree was on the lower. I decided to test the support staff at both organizations so I called their support line to get a feel for how long it would take to get through – both were phenomenal and picked up the phone within thirty seconds of my call.

When all was said and done, I decided to go with Wired Tree. I spent some time reading reviews on the Web Hosting Talk forum, where I found flawless discussions regarding Wired Tree, but a few negative posts when it came to Liquid Web. The negatives were largely related to rude support staff and, as Liquid Web is so large, it seems logical that they would have a few “bad eggs”. The real deal breaker for me was the Wired Tree CEO, Zac Cogswell. Zac routinely posts on forums and is a former director at Liquid Web. I honestly feel that my needs would have been met at either firm, but Wired Tree won my business.

Stay tuned for an upcoming post regarding the switch from the Squarespace platform to WordPress!