We all know by now that as a business, you need a website for optimal results regarding the success of your business. There are many steps that go into building a website, but one of the first steps you should be taking is finding a hosting provider.
What is a Website Hosting Provider?
Web hosting is a service that allows providers to post your website or page onto the web. A website hosting provider is a business that provides the services and technology needed for your business’ website to be viewed by others on the web. Examples of web hosting providers include WIX, Squarespace, Yahoo! Small Business, and GoDaddy.
How to Choose a Website Hosting Provider
Choosing a website hosting provider can be tricky, but never fear, here are 4 things you should consider when finding a website hosting provider.
Traffic Management
The traffic that your website brings in monthly can slow down your site, which will require you to have more bandwidth and also possibly pay extra fees depending on the provider. Due to this, you need to sit down and ask yourself how many people do you realistically expect to visit your site on a daily/monthly basis.
Pricing
This is probably one of the most obvious deciding factors. If you’re paying for more than your business can truly afford, there’s really no positive ROI here. Going cheaper isn’t always better, though. You need to have a reasonable budget for website hosting that gives your business the autonomy to choose a provider that gives you the best service within your range. The best combination of cost and features that are a necessity for your website should be your ultimate choice.
Server Types
Server types are important to think about because they will affect the performance of your website. The cheapest hosting provider will use shared servers. The capability of the server is limited, and your site performance is based on the workload of all the other sites sharing your server’s box. Virtual Private Servers are a step above regular shared servers. Although one box may host several sites, the performance of those sites will be a lot better. Cloud servers are public giants such as Amazon Web Services. Clouds allow for you to continuously scale based on traffic without having to reconfigure your entire website, and also will build based on whatever your customers may need.
Customer Service
When you’re in need of help, turnaround time is very important. It can be frustrating and costly to not be able to get the help you need with your site’s basic performance within a day’s time. A provider that has a reliable customer service team will make the process of up-keeping a website smoother and more efficient.
Finding a website hosting provider requires strategic planning before buying. Looking into these 4 basic aspects involved with hosting providers can make all the difference when finding a provider. So take a breath, research, and choose wisely.