Do you want to launch an eCommerce shop where you can sell your products or a blog where you can document your journey or a website where you can sell your services?
You may have got the best designer, and you now want to get online.
Where do you start?
Some people will tell you that you can start a blog or website with self-hosted sites and still get the word out there. However, such an approach limits the number of people that you can reach.
Hosting a website makes it visible on the search engines and gives you control over your website’s content.
Let us discuss the factors to consider when selecting a web host:
Reviews
A good starting point can be something like checking web hosting reviews by Fortune Lords. Experts are the best as they analyze the technical details of every package.
Checking reviews is another approach as you will get a rough idea about what other people feel about the target web host. Most potential customers rely on emotions when making a purchase decision from a company that they have never used.
Such people believe that if it worked for others, then it will work for them as well. You can also check the reviews on their social media pages such as Facebook and Instagram.
Your Hosting Needs
You will find blogs, forums, and websites on the internet. All these webpages are created for different reasons. Your business can be small, medium, or large, and that you will determine your hosting needs.
The platform that you used to build your website also determines the choice of a host. You can either hire a web designer or use platforms such as Blogger and WordPress to design your website. The ideal host is one that focuses on your needs.
For instance, if you have a WordPress site, you can select a host that supports it.
Performance and Packages Available
How long does it take for a page to load?
You want to give your visitors the best experience, which will only happen when you have a good host. The size of storage and bandwidth will determine the performance of your site. Modern companies use Solid State Drives as their data processing speeds are high.
The bandwidth can either be limited or unlimited. A small site with a few visitors a day can work well with limited bandwidth.
However, an eCommerce site that attracts tens of thousands of visitors daily requires unlimited bandwidth. The server location is also another consideration. The ideal host should have physical servers in your region to avoid data latency.
If you have a small site, then shared hosting will serve you right.
Such a package shares web server resources such as bandwidth, storage, RAM, and CPU between hundreds of domains. Virtual Private Server (VPS) is the best option if you have a medium website. VPS gives your website a virtual server, which reduces downtimes and straining.
Dedicated hosting gives your website a physical server that dedicates all the resources to your site. It is the best option if you have high traffic.
Technical Support
Do I need to be tech-savvy to own and operate a website? That might be the question running through your mind right now.
No. You can manage your site if you get the right support. We live in a busy world. You thus deserve a platform where you can perform your tasks fast without compromising the quality.
The control panel should be easy to navigate, even for someone who is not a techie.
The ideal provider should have several multiple support levels, such as phone, email, and live support. It even gets better if you can get help through social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
The speed with which the host responds to your queries will also influence your decisions. Such platforms will also have resources such as articles and videos to set up your website with a few clicks.
Pricing
Most people tend to settle for the cheapest package. Some believe that high price indicates high quality. The ideal package is one that fits your budget.
Your finances might be tight if you are a startup.
However, you should choose a package that will help you scale as you grow. The first thing to consider is the advertised price.
Some companies will seduce you with extremely low costs for the first year. You might find the renewal costs can be even three times higher than the first year in some cases.
It is also worth checking cancellation charges and the refund policy.
What if you pay for the whole year and then decide to cancel your subscription halfway?
How much will you get back, and for how long will you have to wait?
Check whether there are hidden costs as some hosts can charge based on the number of unique visits on your website. Ensure that the potential web host has a transparent charge sheet that shows every fee.
Security
The online world is faced with multiple security threats. Think about hackers who can harvest your private data and those of your customers.
Hackers can note your IP address and launch attacks. Check the security measures that the potential web host has in place before you sign up for their services.
The ideal host is up to date with the latest OS patches which protect your server from vulnerabilities.
The host should also have DDoS protection to mitigate any DDoS attacks as they are very common in the online world. The hosting company also needs to have firewalls at the server level to filter out hackers and malicious traffic.
Search engines such as Google recommends that every website should have an SSL certificate. Such a certificate assures the visitors that their private data is in safe hands. The web host can either provide this certificate or allow partners with other companies for such certificates.
It does not matter whether you choose shared, VPS, cloud, or dedicated hosting. The ideal host should have a solid reputation, offer flexible plans, be knowledgeable & offer technical support, and install security features.
