One of the many critical decisions you’ll make when running a business is choosing the right hosting. The decision depends on many factors apart from your budget. Understand that your web hosting choice will play a massive role in the success of your online business. Before you choose a web host, understand the options you have. These include:
Types of Web Hosting Options
Shared Hosting
With shared hosting, your website files are hosted on a server designed to serve many websites. The hosting company also adds several other services, such as email and free static website hosting databases, so you can mail your clients and interact with them through the site.
Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting
Multiple websites use a single server in this hosting plan. However, the number is significantly lower than the shared hosting plan.
Dedicated Hosting
You can compare it to owning your server, but you also have complete control of the software and hardware when on a dedicated hosting plan. Businesses that run resource-intensive applications or companies with heavy bandwidth requirements use this hosting.
WordPress Hosting
WordPress hosting is optimized for WordPress blogs and sites. It usually comes with a pre-installed application for faster WordPress installation and other features like a complete security suite and automatic updates.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting uses servers that run on the cloud. The cloud serves as the platform that provides apps and serves data. Cloud hosting is an affordable option, which makes it ideal for small businesses with tight budgets.
Once you understand the different hosting plans, the next step is to look at your business and website needs.
Things you Should Consider Before Choosing a Web Host
What are the Available Security Features?
The FBI reported a significant increase in cybercrime since the start of the Covid Pandemic. The trend is worrisome, making cybersecurity a substantial concern to all stakeholders. When it comes to web hosting, choosing a host that provides advanced security features is crucial. For instance, when trading online, a Forex VPS Hosting is an ideal choice because it caters to the unique needs of Forex traders.
What are Your Website Needs?
Do you serve massive traffic every day? It’s a good idea to opt for web hosting that has a high bandwidth. You also need to decide if you need separate IP addresses for different services running on the server, such as email and databases. It also pays to know the number of email accounts and sites you can have on a single plan.
Investigate the Reliability Factor
When choosing web hosting, it’s essential to know the uptime of the servers on which you plan to host your business website. The servers should have a high level of reliability and availability. Another critical factor is server speed. A fast-loading site will increase the chance of potential clients finding you on search engines.
Contract Length
Look at the contract terms of web hosting companies before signing up for one. An excellent hosting company should offer customized contracts so you can use them for as long as they are profitable. You should also have the option to cancel without incurring any penalties if your business changes or you decide to switch servers.
Redundant Hosting
This feature gives you access to multiple servers in one location, so your site won’t go down. The best web hosts offer this feature by adding backup servers, load balancers, or switches to handle overloading. You’ll not have to worry about a server going down because the system automatically switches to a backup plan without any downtime.
Price
The web hosting cost should also be a factor to consider. Don’t compare prices without factoring in the bandwidth, customer support, servers’ availability, and reliability. A reliable VPS Hosting might cost more than regular plans, but you’ll get a lot of value for your money.
Scalability
Scalability is another important factor that will determine how far your business can grow. A scalable web hosting plan ensures that your business quickly adapts to traffic, bandwidth, and storage changes.
Choose a Reliable, Friendly, and Knowledgeable Web Hosting Company
It’s crucial to have the right web hosting partner. It will determine how much your business website can accomplish online. A reliable, knowledgeable, and friendly host will give you fast support whenever you need it.
The provider should offer round-the-clock support via live chat, phone calls, or email. Your web hosting company should also have easy-to-understand tutorials for newbies to guide you through any problems.
