A website hosting provider serves as the ‘storage room’ of all your website’s files. It works to deliver all the necessary data to the customers – quickly and efficiently.
Needless to say, picking the wrong website host can lead to a bevy of problems – such as slow loading speeds, frequent crashes, and security breaches.
That’s why it’s crucial to choose the right hosting provider. Here’s how to do it:
1. Understand the Uptime Score
Fact: website downtime can cost your small business anywhere from $137 to $427 a minute. So if you don’t want to lose profit, go for hosts with uptime scores of 99.97 and above.
While a 99 score sounds promising, a 1% downtime means your website will be out of service an average of 1 hour 40 minutes a week – that means a profit loss of $13,700 minimum.
2. Scrutinise the Security
Securing your website is essential. Data breaches can lead to the loss of clients – and, eventually, profits.
When it comes to choosing a host, go for one that offers the following features:
- Virus scanning
- Firewalls
- Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
- Domain Privacy
- DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) Protection
- Brute force defence
- Server hardening
3. Believe in Backup
Big financial websites are not the only ones at risk of a cyber-attack. Some criminals may also use sophisticated ransomware on small website owners (like you!)
As such, go for a web host that offers data backup. It can keep your website safe from malicious programs and possible server/disk failures – while allowing you to recover all your data effortlessly.
4. Consider the Costs
For most website owners, host cost is a significant influence. So more than just considering the initial fees, learn more about the renewal charges as well.
Some may offer low costs at first – and staggering fees in the future – so be careful!
The same goes for upgrades. There’s a big chance that you’ll need a dedicated host or virtual private server in the future. That’s why you need to inquire about such fees as well.
5. Determine the Domain
Speaking of upgrades, you may need to add more domains and subdomains as your business expands in the future. When choosing a web host, pick one that allows several (even unlimited) sites under a single account. This means less hassle for you!
6. Learn the Limits
Some web hosts may levy extra fees – even discontinue your website – if you violate the terms of engagement.
Sadly, you may not even know you’re doing it!
After all, some companies may suspend your website/bill you extra – mainly if your site relies on CPUs that run scripts every two seconds.
Simply put, read the fine print before you sign up for their service!
7. Evaluate the E-Commerce Options
If you’re looking for a host for your online business, choose one that offers E-commerce options as well.
If you’re just starting, go for a service that offers a website builder feature. But if you’re not that keen on doing that yourself, pick a company that also provides web design services.
It’s also advisable to choose a provider that offers email hosting. Remember: web domain-associated emails will help improve conversions!
8. Check the Customer Service
Even if you choose the most reliable web host there is, you may require assistance now and then.
As such, you’d want a service provider you can contact ASAP. For best results, choose a company that offers 24/7 assistance through different venues (chat, email, and/or phone support.)
Wrapping Up
Not all web hosting services are made equal. So if you want to get the best provider for your website, choose one that offers the following:
- Uptime score of 99.97 or above
- Key security features, such as SSL, DDoS, etc.
- Data backup
- Domain upgrades
- E-commerce features
- Clear contract limits
- Reasonable initial and renewal fees
- Stellar customer service
Happy web host hunting!
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