A website is the lifeline of every online business. And there is no ambiguity to to how it should work like. Fast, Secure and Inexpensive.
The website that you build for your brand is significant for the growth and fame of your organization. Therefore, it becomes viable to choose a web hosting partner that helps you reach your business objectives without any server glitches. So let us discuss the factors of choosing a suitable web hosting.
The first step is understanding requirements. This is where you must list down your web-hosting requirements so as to choose the right type of plan suited for you. Your requirements should be clear and concise based on this Checklist.
Website Technology (Linux or Windows based)
Static Website, Dynamic or E-commerce Store
CMS or Custom Web-design
Target Audience Location (Any specific country or Global)
Expected Traffic
Transactions on Website
Shared Hosting, Dedicated or VPS
Web hosting services host your websites on their servers so that general public can view it. They store your website files in web servers which are connected to a network. When a person writes the name of your website in a browser’s search box, the browser sends a request to the server to display or show the respective website on the person’s computer which allows them to explore your website.
This is the basic concept involved in web hosting services. In general first-time buyers who fail understand the science behind web hosting end up buying hosting plan that is either takes an eternity to load web-pages or end up digging a hole in their pocket.
Source: Visually
Here are the 5 most important parameters that you must check out while you are thinking to hire a web hosting service.
Bandwidth
Speed is the most important factor that makes a web host worthy of hiring. In general, website visitors are short on patience. They hardly wait for 3 seconds for a website to load completely. They often get frustrated very soon and they leave the website to look for another one. So, before hiring a web hosting service, make sure you get unlimited bandwidth. But don't just go on words seek opinions and reviews from regular users.
Storage Space
Startup websites need small storage spaces for storing databases, files and media as compared to big online players like media houses. Saying so, depending upon the size of your website, always make sure that you have adequate storage space with you. Less space will increase your website downtime and Extra space will bombard your hosting budget.
Support Service
Another significant yet neglected factor is customer support service. 24x7 customer support is a must. Check out how you can reach them either by calls, messages or chats. A company which doesn’t have customer support is least likely to provide services of satisfactory levels.
Glitches are inevitable be it life or your online website. A quick support saves the day in most cases.
Source: Liveadmins
Customer support is mandatory because there can be a problem at any point of time. Server down, bugs, essential updates etc are few of the scenarios where you need a quick support system. Ask the provider questions and see how much time they take to answer your queries on mails or chats. It says a lot about their company.
Strength of Security
Users don't buy stuff or provide sensitive information over unsecured sites. Therefore, security features such as Sitelocks, Secured Socket Layer (SSL), Daily backups is a must.
Source: Hostpapa.com
Moreover, once you lose the content of your website, whether it is your fault or your provider’s, it will never come back. So it is the first and foremost thing that you need to take care of. You would want to save your site from getting blacklisted and from several malware and hacking attempts. It also helps building trust among users.
Third person experiences
You can always refer to other peoples rating and reviews. Though we all know it’s not totally reliable but you get an idea of what people think about a particular hosting provider. Hosting companies are rated based on the reviews they get from their customers. You can also get to know the pros and cons by reading the online reviews.
Renewal Charges
Many companies entice you with plans like $2 per month plan or so but these are just baits. They may charge you less for the first few months or year but at the time of renewal, they charges exact double or triple. make it double or more but some of them charge the same; go through their renewal terms before making a decision.
There are companies which also provide with auto renewal and prevent any service disruption; this may help you a lot. Checkout the list of hosting providers with renewal benefits on HostingSprout.
Additionally, while you’re looking out for renewals cost you should also check their transfer policy. Usually this is free but some websites may charge you with transfer fees for transferring your domain from their platform to another.
Extra features and Add-ons
Who doesn't like a freebie or two?
Many web hosting companies provide extra services without charging more so that they can attract more and more customers. Look for a web hosting service that does the same. Check if they provide extra services such as email newsletters, customer relationship manager, content management systems and other valuable features. But, never compromise on the above mentioned technical parameters.
Source: Unsplash
All Web hosting companies have fair share of Yay's and Nay's about them but by understanding your hosting requirements and capabilities of various providers you can find a hosting partner that is Fast, Secure and Inexpensive.
What we're strictly advising is to not get attracted to big names or cheap deals. It can burn your startup business so spend wisely.