There are so many different types of web hosting services to choose from. It can get a bit confusing and overwhelming to keep tabs on all of the options available to you online. In this article, we’re going to discuss the different elements of web hosting packages you should be thinking about so you can make the right choice for you and your business.
Price
Depending on the needs of your business, price is one of the decisions you’re going to have to make. Even if the cost is the first thing you think about when debating on web hosting services, you shouldn’t let that be the overall determining factor when choosing a web host company. Some web hosting providers will offer low rates, but these are not the types of companies you want to be in business with. With this type of service, you get what you pay for. When web hosting services are cheap, something has to give. The least expensive option is often unreliable, features slow performance, and skimps on support.
On the other hand, most hosting providers will offer you package deals and discounts when you first sign up. After the initial period, however, the price can skyrocket. You want to be aware of what you will be paying long-term before making any decisions. Before you jump into anything, make sure to thoroughly read the contract.
Speed
If your website doesn’t load fast, you can lose visitors. It’s no surprise that people don’t like to wait. In addition, Google prefers fast-loading websites on their search results page because it enhances the user experience for them as well. Whether or not speed plays a part in rankings is still up for debate. But it’s not improbable that it is one of the hundreds of factors they take into account when determining your site’s rankings.
Either way, it’s safe to assume that whatever produces a better user experience is what search engines want. And your hosting provider will play a huge role in determining how long a user has to wait for your website to load. Pick one that provides you with fast features, and then all of the other optimization you do afterward will benefit.
Customer Support
The next important experience you want to evaluate is what kind of customer support you will be receiving with your web hosting service. Starting a website can become a little too technical for the average person, especially if you are just starting out. Things can go wrong, and they do go wrong. And when that happens, sometimes you can easily rectify the issue and sometimes you will need help from the hosting service.
Customer support is more than just help when your website is down. Great web hosting companies will offer password assistance or technical support with plug-ins and updates. There’s nothing worse than having your website go down and having to wait hours for tech support to get back to you. When it comes to web hosting, anytime your website is down, you’re losing potential business. So in looking for providers, you need to choose someone who has excellent customer service, especially when things don’t go according to plan. A couple of questions you want to ask yourself:
- Do they offer phone support? Or is it 24/7?
- Do they have 24/7 chat support?
- Do they have an FAQ page that you can go to before you reach out?
- Do they have a good reputation with previous or existing customers?
Security
Security, such as SSL certificates, usually comes with all web hosting packages. SSL certificates keep your website safe from hackers, viruses, and malware that can potentially corrupt your site. Is the web hosting service taking proactive measures to protect you? A great web hosting company will scan your site regularly for vulnerabilities and suspicious activity.
Storage and Bandwidth
When you are choosing a hosting plan, you want to be sure that you’re getting enough disk space and bandwidth that will be able to handle the traffic on your website as well as any type of media files that you might be uploading to your website. What might happen if you exceed your bandwidth limits or disk space limits is that you might end up with your website shut down. Or, you could end up with a spike in costs that you were not expecting. Again, read the terms of service before making a decision.
c-Panel
The interface of your web hosting, c-Panel as its popularly known, should be easy to use. It’s important to have a back-end user interface that allows you to have control over your web hosting business, email addresses, and all the files you upload on your website. You don’t want the initial set-up of your website to be difficult and complicated. If you have a hard time with the installation, imagine how your customers will feel. When you’re choosing a service, make sure that it is user friendly and easy to work with.
Downtime vs. Uptime
When your website is down, it will impact both your website user experience and SEO, which can lead to fewer visitors to your website and lower conversion rates. On the other hand, it’s not realistic to assume that downtime will never happen. You want to try to avoid hosting services with frequent and extended periods of downtime.
If you’re still unsure after reviewing these points, customer reviews are usually a pretty good indicator of what you should expect out of a web host. Often, a quick Google search will reveal everything you need to know about a company. Make sure to do thorough research and take your time to find a reputable web host that is the right fit for you and your business.
Here at InnoHosting, we have a plan for everyone. Whether you are looking for web hosting, or are thinking about starting a reseller hosting business, we are confident that you can find what you’re looking for with us. Some added benefits when you choose us:
- 24/7 customer support
- 99.9 percent uptime
- 16-day money-back guarantee
You can check out all of our plans here. Contact us today to get started!
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