Classic hosting: HostGator / cPanel / shared

In the past, a common route was to buy hosting from companies like HostGator or other similar providers. You got a cPanel, you could upload your site files, install WordPress and create email addresses directly from the hosting panel.

Advantages

everything is in one place;
you get email, files, databases and classic administration;
it is a familiar route for many people.

Disadvantages

it can become harder to manage;
if you use WordPress, you have to keep up with updates, plugins and security;
email from cPanel can be harder to manage professionally than Google Workspace or Microsoft 365;
you sometimes end up doing a lot of technical setup by hand.

WordPress, from my experience

In the classic route, many people go with WordPress: you upload the files to the server, install a theme and manage the site from the WordPress panel. You do not need the technical steps here; that is the basic idea.

In the past I used WordPress themes bought from ThemeForest and other marketplaces. They worked, but in my experience WordPress can become hard to maintain and vulnerable if it is not managed properly.

I had issues with WordPress sites that ended up compromised, including through SQL injection type vulnerabilities. It is quite possible that this was also a configuration or maintenance problem on my side, not just the platform.

My conclusion is not that WordPress is bad or insecure. For many companies it works great, especially if they have someone who seriously handles updates and security. But for a small studio without a dedicated technical person on web security, I would prefer a simpler solution today, static or custom, like the Git + Vercel route.

Next step

If you stay on the classic route, you set up email directly from cPanel (see Email via cPanel). If you prefer less maintenance, see Modern hosting: Git + Vercel.