Web Hosting – 7 Top Points to be Aware of

Web hosting is to your website what fuel is to your car. You can have the best, most expensive car in the entire world, but without fuel it is going nowhere. Similarly, the hosting of your website helps your site function as it should. But do not be fooled – web hosting is not a “cookie cutter” product. They differ from one hosting provider to the next. In this article, we look at the various web hosting types and what you, as a consumer, should be looking out for before signing up.

What is Website Hosting?

Website hosting is a service that allows individuals and organizations to make their websites accessible on the internet. It involves electronically storing digitalized website files, databases, and other resources on servers connected to the internet, making the website available for web visitors to access through their web browsers.

Why is Web Hosting Needed?

Website hosting is essential for making a website accessible to a global audience. It provides the infrastructure and server resources necessary to store and serve website content, ensuring that users can visit the site, view its pages, and interact with its features.

What Types of Web Hosting can Companies Choose From?

Companies have several options for web hosting, including:

1. Shared Web Hosting: Multiple websites share one server’s resources. It is suitable for SMEs (Small to Medium Enterprise) or websites that do not have excessive amounts of traffic.

2. Dedicated Hosting: Your website has an entire server dedicated to its needs. This is suitable for eCommerce website hosting with elevated levels of traffic.

3. VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting: A virtualized server with dedicated resources. This can also accommodate eCommerce with high traffic, or off-site company resources.

4. Email Hosting: An Email Hosting service that provides server space to store, send, and receive emails. It allows individuals and businesses to have their own custom email addresses using their own domain name and can be a supplement to their website’s hosting plan as needed.

5. WordPress Hosting: Server managed WordPress Hosting that has been intentionally optimized and maximized for WordPress websites with specific features. Suitable for any WordPress website.

Tips to Look Out for When Choosing Website Hosting:

1. Uptime and Reliability:

One of the most critical aspects of web hosting is uptime – the percentage of time your website is accessible to visitors. Look for a hosting provider, like Hosted.com, that has a strong track record of 99.9% uptime that is guaranteed. Downtime can result in lost visitors and revenue, so reliability is paramount.

2. Performance:

Nobody likes a slow loading website. Speed and performance encourage positive user experiences and are also great for search engine rankings. Choose a hosting plan that offers sufficient server resources, like our LiteSpeed server and SuperFast SSD (Solid State Drives) drives.

3. Security Features:

Security should be every business’ top priority, that is why we offer free SSLs (Secure Sockets Layer) on our cPanel Web Hosting and WordPress Hosting plans, and free Email SSL certificates on our Email Hosting plans. So, ensure your hosting provider offers robust security features, including firewalls and malware scanning. Look for hosts that provide free SSL certificates to encrypt data and protect sensitive information.

4. Customer Support:

Responsive and effective customer support is invaluable, especially when technical issues arise. Test the hosting provider’s support channels to ensure they are readily available to assist you when needed. Reach out to our Sales and Support Teams today and see how we compare.

5. Scalability:

As your business grows your website hosting needs may change, all Hosted.com’s plans are scalable and complement each other. Ensure your provider’s hosting plan is scalable, allowing you to upgrade easily if your traffic or resource requirements increase. Scalability prevents the need to switch hosts as your website expands.

6. Price and Contract Terms:

While price is a factor, avoid making your decision solely based on the lowest cost. Compare our pricing and the benefits you will be receiving. Additionally, always scrutinize the contract terms, such as the length of the commitment and what the penalties are for early cancellations and compare with other providers.

7. Added Features

It is not just the physical web hosting that is important. It is about the extras too. For example, regular backups are essential to safeguard your website’s data. You will also need an SSL certificate and a domain name. Look for a hosting provider that offers added free features that will benefit your website, excellent and expert support and sales communication, a comprehensive highly secure infrastructure, and that has their clients’ interests at heart.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

– Find website hosting that guarantees an uptime of 99.9%.

– Chose a web hosting plan that caters to your server resource needs.

– Look for providers offering free, complimentary SSL certificates.

– Make sure your host is responsive and offers efficient customer support.

– Find a website hosting plan that can grow along with your business.

– Compare pricing against the services provided, and meticulously review the contract terms.

– Prioritize a hosting provider that offers features beneficial to your website for free.

Other Blogs of Interest:

– 9 Essential Website Tools for SMEs

– Web Hosting Versus Domain Name – All The Facts Explained

– Five Best cPanel Alternatives For Managing Websites In 2024

– Web Hosting Comparison: A Complete Guide

– Plesk vs cPanel – Which Control Panel is better?