In today’s fast-paced digital era, every business needs a website. In addition, behind every successful high-traffic website there is a web hosting provider. Individuals who are just starting to set up a website might not even be aware of the term web hosting and why it is needed.
What is web hosting?
In the simplest terms, hosting is a service that allows businesses to post their website on the internet. While creating a website, multiple pages and files are generated, and these files are stored on a server. So that they can be used by any individual on the internet. This is where the hosting provider comes in, a host not just helps you create your website. But assists you throughout your journey.
| Also Read: Cloudways Web Hosting Review |
Picking the right web hosting plan is like choosing to trust the success of your business on the hosting provider. And so to make things easier for you, we are going to discuss in length, how to choose the best web hosting provider.
What are your needs?
There are several kinds of hosting plans available. The first thing that needs to be considered, when it comes to your website is, what are your needs? Are you a small business website with minimal needs, do you need high storage and bandwidth, or are you expecting high-level traffic on your website and need good uptime? For every type of need, there is a hosting plan available. A few common, yet popular types of hosting are Shared, VPS server hosting, and, Dedicated.
Shared hosting is best and feasible for individuals who have basic needs with small businesses. In addition, probably are just starting to set up a website.
Dedicated hosting is well suited for those businesses who need fast load time, high bandwidth, and proper storage, and expect good traffic.
VPS is a combination and in-between of shared and dedicated hosting.
Factors to consider when deciding on a web host provider
After understanding your web hosting plan needs; comes factors that should be considered when it comes to deciding on a web host provider that is good for your business. A few of the most basic yet essential requirements are mentioned below.
Speed
Every individual on the internet expects a website to load fast. In fact, Google also prioritizes those pages that are quick to load. Without speed, there is nothing. Check if the web host provider is offering a good load time that is ranging between 1 to 4 seconds so that your site does not suffer from slow traffic.
Security
You have to make sure that the provider you are choosing is able to safeguard its customers from any security breaches and ensure that they provide SSL (Security Sockets Layer) to safeguard a customer’s personal information. This important feature must give by the provider for facilitating secure and safe transactions.
Support
Many web host providers offer services that assure the success of your page; however, a provider must also be efficient in helping you. Round-the-clock support means getting a quick and faster resolution for any problem that you may be dealing with at any given time. Web host providers usually provide customer support through ticket-based systems, phone calls, or chat. However, what really matters is how quickly they respond and how helpful their support team is.
Uptime
As the saying goes, time is money. If the website is down even for a couple of minutes, Entrepreneurs are aware of the damage it can create to the brand and sales opportunities that can be missed. Many host providers guarantee 99% uptime, but even that sometimes means having to suffer a downtime every now and then; that is enough to lose potential customers and bring down SEO ranking.
When choosing a hosting provider, ensure that they deliver uptime between 99.9% and 100%.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth simply means how quickly individuals can gain access to the information on your website. Hence, the higher the bandwidth, the higher the number of visitors that can view your website at the same time. Ensure that the provider you are deciding on is offering high bandwidth. Similar to bandwidth, the higher the storage space, the better.
Cost
Cost is always a major factor when considering a plan. However, choosing a plan that is low in cost does not mean that you will save a lot, and at the same time, opting for an expensive plan does not mean it will give you guaranteed success. Don’t cut back on prices but also make sure that it is worth it. Once you have decided on a plan that is suitable for your business, then see if it comes at a decent cost. Remember, you get what you pay for.
Backups
A backup is a copy of your site and it helps to keep your website up and running. If any breach were to occur, it prevents you from losing your data. Generally, a provider should offer backups that are frequent or at least make it easy for you to back up your files and data, at your end.
Extra features
If you have found multiple good providers and confused about how to choose one, then you compare the extra features that the host providers are offering. Pick those attributes that are more beneficial and well suited for you.
Third-party reviews
Before finally deciding on a web hosting provider, it is best to do some independent research, specifically looking for customer reviews, satisfaction, and complaints. See how these complaints resolved. Check if the web hosting provider has a good reputation and if they actually providing value for what is being paid.
Conclusion
Finding the right web hosting plan can be a bit tricky, especially with so many options and providers available in the market. However, if you know what your requirements are, and the factors to consider as provided in this post, then you are just one-step away from creating an online presence that is sure to win over customers.
