For those who are thinking of starting a website, choosing a web hosting provider will be the initial step. Likewise, in order to have the website available in the Internet, it’s also important to look for a place where to host it. This place is given by the web hosting provider.
The web hosting provides the space where the website files are stored, the traffic to the website, and a number of additional features, such as technical assistance, FTP access, firewall protection, email services, domain name registration, website speed and performance, website building tools, and the list goes on.
Thus, it’s important to ensure that the web hosting company you’re going to choose can support your needs and wouldn’t create any unnecessary hurdles to the website’s success.
Step 1: Know Your Hosting Needs
In order to find the best web hosting company, it’s important to determine what the website really needs. Forget about the general list of the “top 10 web hosting companies” and think of your own needs. Try to focus on these factors:
– The kind of website you’re going to build
– The need of Windows applications
– Is there a need for a special version of software, such as PHP
– How big can the web traffic volume go
– The need for easy to access plugins, themes and security
These are just some of the important factors to consider. Then, come up with a plan and try to figure out what the website should be for the next 12 months.
For starters, the basic rule is to start small using a reliable shared hosting account, because it’s affordable, easy to keep, and efficient for most new sites. Aside from that, it can always be upgraded to dedicated hosting once the site grows bigger.
Step 2: Be Familiar with the Type of Web Hosting Plans
There are several types of web hosting plans, such as:
a) Individual Plans: These are the most practical options. Generally, these plans provide hosting support for a single domain and the features, data storage, and bandwidth are often limited. Thus, they’re recommended for beginners who don’t anticipate significant traffic or for those who don’t have any special needs for their website.
b) Dedicated Servers: Once the webmasters outgrow the features available in individual plans, they need to upgrade into a better web hosting plan. For those who anticipate a growing site that eventually calls for this upgraded option, it’s important to ensure that the hosting provider you’re going to choose offers both plans and will let you switch from one plant to another.
Step 3: Check the Reliability
The reliability or uptime of a web hosting provider is very important and it’s something that should be carefully considered before choosing a company.
Try to determine the actual uptime percentage of the company as a whole, as well as the specific server where the website will be available. All web hosts have this historical data available. Aside from that, it’s also important to figure out how scheduled outages are handled.
Step 4: Pay Attention to the Customer Service
Unfortunately, customer service is one of those aspects that a low of web owners are willing to compromise just to save. Before deciding that this isn’t important at all, try to think about the frustrations and potential loss of income you’re going to experience once you don’t get the kind of help you need.
Step 5: Pricing
Is the cost competitive? When choosing the best web hosting company, you should research the cost of each provider and compare them side by side. Keep in mind, there are a lot of variances in cost and it doesn’t mean that just because the overall plan is cheaper, it’s also the best deal. Always check the available features being offered.
Considering a free web host? If it’s for a business website, it’s not recommended to opt for this, because most free hosting services make their money through ad revenue. This will just disrupt the website with pop ups that can’t be removed.
Step 6: Company Stability
Lastly, it’s important to ensure that the company is already stable and it will definitely last for years. A lot of web hosting companies come and go, and you don’t want to be left hanging, just because the web hosting company you’re currently using stopped running.