Websites are an integral part of any online business. In today’s digital world technology keeps on changing by the minute. And with these technological changes, arises the challenge to keep your website live and running for any potential customers to visit.
If you know how to choose a web hosting, what knowledge can be gained from that to be put to use for the business.
With the internet being flooded with so many different choices of hostings, it is really difficult to make a decision. Adding to the worry of content and the design of the website, online business owners are worried about the hosting which they would buy and use for their website. Therefore it is essential to evaluate the pros and cons of different hostings and finally narrow down to one service which fulfils all your requirements.
How to make the right choice about the hosting service? What are the factors which should be considered while making a decision about which hosting service to go for? We have mentioned all the factors which should be considered while making the decision.
- Uptime
There would be a time where you might have come across a website and clicking on the link would just not do anything. The site would be completely dead. It would frustrate you a lot as it does other visitors who encounter the same issue.
This issue frustrates visitors and Google alike. Google starts to reduce the value of in organic search results for the same address. So, whenever making the decision of buying a hosting service, make sure to compare the uptime of your preferred choice of hosting service with the competitors.
Uptime is a measurable quantity. It is generally shown in percentage, the closer the number is to 100% the better is the uptime and the hosting service. When choosing the hosting service, keep an eye on any hosting which provides the uptime above 99%. - Storage Provided
Depending on the purpose for which the website is being built, you would require a huge or very little storage space for all the files you add. It is always recommended that you buy a hosting which provides the storage corresponding to your needs.
If you need a lot of space, choose the hosting company which offers the amount you need that will make sure that you have all the space that you require for your website. If you need little space, make sure you get cheap plans, so that you don’t waste money on unwanted space.
But if your choice of service offers you unlimited space, you do not need to worry about this step. - Monthly traffic
This may come as a surprise to you but some website hosting services have a limit on monthly traffic. This means, after the specific amount of access, the server will charge an “additional amount” for “extra visitors” or it will stop displaying the website altogether.
Be attentive to all the information provided by the hosting service and make sure you get the hosting which offers unlimited monthly traffic, to make sure that your business does not get stopped because of this silly reason. - Loading speed
If you are familiar with SEO, you know that Google always prioritizes the pages and websites which load faster. This is because Google’s top most priority is to put the best experience for the user. - Data security
Trusting a service to host your website and its contents is like trusting a bank locker. Therefore, it is essential that you make an informed decision about the website hosting which you are choosing will be able to protect your website against cyber attacks. It is also important that the website hosting provides constant backups so that your data is safe and secure.
This way, if any unforeseen natural or technical problem arises, your website will be fully operational and safe. - Customer support
Customer support is an important factor for most of the users who are selecting a hosting service. Website hosting not only provides the support for your webpages, it must be efficient in providing you any help required related to the website. Customer support is the main source of contact with the website hosting and plays a very vital role in getting the issues resolved quickly. A great customer support means the difference between an issue getting resolved quickly or having to wait several hours. - Pricing and Package
Pricing of the hosting service should not be the sole criteria on which your decision is based, but it can be one of the factors. An expensive service does not guarantee a high-quality service, just as a cheap service does not mean bad service. Understand your needs and search for a plan which satisfies your needs and does not burn a hole in your pocket.
Also, many website hosting service providers offer discounts and loyalty benefits to users depending on the period you want their services. It means, the more time you use a specific hosting, lower will be the final price to be paid. - Content management system
Choose the service which offers easy installation of the open source content management system such as WordPress. These platforms will be a part of your daily routine, so consider these, if you wish to create content frequently. - Do a free trial
Many of the website hosting services offer free trials, kind of like a “try and buy”. They provide you everything you need and assess their performance to make an informed and knowledgeable decision. This helps you in identifying all the obstacles you might run into if and when you purchase their hosting.
This is a free trial for a reason, you can check everything and if you like what you use and how it performs, you can complete the payment and enjoy their hosting services. If they did not live up to your expectations, you can leave without getting your money deducted. - Discover extra benefits
Website hosting service market has become extremely competitive in recent years. Due to this, every hosting service offers additional benefits to its existing and upcoming users. Check out all the hosting services to make sure that you get the best value for money service. - First time purchase Vs Renewal cost
Before you make the full commitment and buy the hosting service, make sure to check out the price for the first time and the price at the time of renewal. Many of the hosting services offer discounted prices for the first time but at the time of renewal, it is offered at the original price. This is not a marketing gimmick, but the first year of the service cost less because of the discount offered. - Reviews and Rating
Previous users who have used a web hosting service generally have comments based on their experience. These can be good or bad, depending on what issues they faced and how they were handled. Some people post these experiences as reviews, for other potential users. Do check out the reviews and general consensus of the past users and current users regarding a web hosting service and decide for yourself, if it matches your expectations. - Number of Domains
Who doesn’t love free stuff. Well, everybody does. As customers, we all love free stuff which we get along with any product or service which we purchase. In this case, many website hosting service providers give you a free product. This free product is a free domain on which you can host another website or you can lend it to someone and earn money. It means that you pay for one domain and you get two domains. You can also choose the service which offers to run two or more websites on the same server. - Refund Policy
This is an important factor but people tend to overlook it. It comes in handy when you don’t like the services after you paid for them and you need your money back. Choose the service which offers the most amount of time for getting the refund in case you don’t like their service or their performance is not up to your expectations. - cPanel
cPanel is a website hosting tool control panel software which is developed by cPanel, LLC. It is the most widely used website hosting cPanel. It is a basic but important requirement to see whether the service provider has charged you for this service or not, because most of the hosting service providers provide it for free. Choose the service which offers this service for free.
Conclusion
If you consider all the above pointers, you surely will get the best hosting service according to your needs. You need to consider all the above pointers and then compare each hosting provider with your requirements. This way you will get the most value-for-money, high performing, and a great web hosting which has a lot of good customer experiences.
At HostDistrict, we have experienced web developers who can help you decide the best hosting service according to your website needs and requirements. Do leave your query and we will get to you with the solutions.
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