There is a wide array of Web hosting companies offering different packages with different prices, which have left many drowning in choosing the right one. Unsure of which hosting to subscribe to, many people often go with the first one that comes to mind not knowing that it could cost them a lot.
What should you consider when choosing the best web host? Before selecting a web host, here are a few things to consider.
Traffic
This refers to the number of unique users, your page views, downloads and sessions that your site attracts. Considering this option will lead you to determine the type of technology, software, applications and platforms, which will suit the customer requirements. If your website is heavy and attracts lots of traffic, perhaps trying a dedicated Web hosting or a VPS cloud hosting is the right choice for you. However, if you are a blogger and using WordPress, then perhaps subscribing to iPage WordPress Hosting would be a consideration.
Location
Hosting your website close to key markets is highly appropriate. The closer it is to your audience, the better the browsing experience.
Data being stored
The type of data you need to save influences the choice of Web hosting one goes with. Are you looking for a host that will enable you to store HD videos or images, audio files and or documents library? Does your website also need CMS to incorporate storage for the data? Get yourself a web host that has factored in all these things.
Software and Applications
Choosing a hosting provider that ensures all the software and applications you use are tailored in their package will save you lots of trouble. These applications and the Content Management Systems (CMS) vary in how they influence the performance of the server.
Security
This is by no doubt one factor that should be prioritized depending on the type of data your website holds. The level of security one requires, however, depends on insurance policy requirements and the potential cost in case of a breach. A government website dealing with defense, for example, will need a dedicated and highly secure Web hosting service there is to prevent potential hacking. DreamHost Web Hosting services for example, provide some of the best security options there are to a website.
Ease of recovery
In the event of a disaster, a security breach or any other potential risk, how fast do you need to recover the affected data or your website for that matter?
This consideration will determine the backup type and the recovery option that you can go with given a particular package.
Support
Managing a website can get quite technical at times. For this reason, you need a web host with a good response time and one that offers 24/7 support to its customers. This way, you won’t have to deal with the frustration of having your website going down, and you can’t get any help.
The type of Website
The commonality of the website you are running also influences the type of a web host you will go with. Bluehost Managed WordPress hosting for example, provides all your needs if you are running a WordPress blog. It also makes the best choice if you are looking for a highly customizable site, which also packs versatility.
Apart from ensuring you make the right choice of a web hosting package, the above factors will also ensure you enjoy the benefits associated with a good package.
Why is Web hosting necessary?
Choosing the best web hosting service is very crucial to every website builder. Why?
1. You get to enjoy good speeds : A good Web host lets your page loads faster. This will make it convenient for you customer or client. If your page loads very slowly, the chance of a user trying another website is very high. What does this mean? It means that you lose customers and decrease your sales because your site loads slowly than your competitor’s.
Regardless of the hosting you are using, VPS, shared or dedicated hosting, choosing the best web host will ensure optimum speeds, which significantly improve your performance. In this case, the implementation of appropriate caching, hardware and Content Delivery Network should be prioritized. This ensures that your website continues running without any problem.
2. Fewer issues are experienced : If your site deals with online marketing, you should know that adhering to the Payment Card Industry (PCI) policies may be accompanied with lots of confusion and pitfalls. To avoid these types of issues, it is only logical that you get yourself a web host that provides absolute PCI requirements. This will save you lots of time and the potential frustrations.
A good host will consider your needs and fix the issues of PCI, making it easy for you to secure your site and meet the audit standards.
3. You get fast solutions to your site’s problems : Running a website isn’t always an impeccable task. There are times when pages may refuse to load correctly, times when server errors arise more often and even problems with SSLs. When you experience these issues, what happens then?
A good Web host offers instant solutions to your problems. Whether it is problems with your software or applications, their response should be commendable and appropriate, which in turn will ensure your website continues to run smoothly. Failure to get proper support may result in loss of money, time wastage and a bad reputation your site.
4. You are assured of security : Being hacked happens occasionally. Imagine if you got a cheap web host that does not provide good security to your website, what will happen?
Ensuring your site and accounts are secure is the priority before considering anything else. From regular security upgrades to updating your applications that meet the current securities will save you from potential downfalls. And because this task can take lots of time, considering a web host that offers automatic updates, one that keeps your data safe and one that ensures you experience less or no security breach is ideal. They will be able to diagnose the problem and patch your website, if necessary, as a measure of mitigating hacking or potential violations.
5. Efficient data recovery : You can never be too careful all the time. It happens that you might accidentally wipe all your data or vital Web pages in your site. If you chose a website with no backup or recovery options, you are in trouble. Erasing or deleting data is not the only problem here, hackers might cause you frustrations as well. In the event of these disasters, you need to consider a website that offers a good backup and recovery options.
The bottom line is…
Choosing the best web hosting service is highly recommended as it goes a long way in ensuring there are no downtimes or when your site goes offline. It also saves you from potential security breaches if not keeping your customer base intact.
