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When it comes to hosting your website, reliability is a significant factor. You must find a high-quality web hosting service, not one based on price. Below are some tips to help you choose a dependable web host. By following these tips, you’ll be able to get a good deal and a high-value return on your investment.
Storage
Many top web hosting options are available to you, but it can be hard to choose one for your business. Some of these providers may have limited features for your specific needs, while others may have everything you need. Check out the terms of service before committing to a plan. Many top web hosting companies offer customer support and other resources for various problems. Ask about their support policies and if they have been responsive to your queries. Consider your business needs and use this as a guide to choose a web host that meets them.
The storage space you need is another factor to consider. Different web hosting services offer extra storage levels, so you should make sure that you know exactly how much storage you need. Remember that storage capacity may not be enough for your business at the moment, and you can always upgrade later. If you think your website will snowball, you should choose a platform with enough space. You should also be able to downgrade or upgrade if your business needs to change quickly.
Some companies offer unlimited storage space, and other services limit their usage. Some providers even throttle performance or shut down websites once they reach a certain usage level. If you’re worried about a host’s features locking you into their plans, try to find a portable content management system. Technology shifts and management changes can also alter web hosting plans. So be sure not to lock yourself into a single web hosting service. Besides, it’s good to have a backup practice so you don’t lose important data or information.
In addition to flexibility, you should consider security features. Consider the number of times your website will need to be backed up and how many different types of users your site will have. Redundancy and continuous backups are vital for your business. If your website is vulnerable, or you accidentally delete the site, you should be able to recover it quickly. Routine backups will prevent a major disaster from happening.
Customer support
While the price of shared web hosting plans is often the most critical factor, customer support is also essential. Many companies offer money-back guarantees for people who are not satisfied with their service. In most cases, you can also try out a free trial period to see if the customer support is up to par. Once you find a company you like, you can then move on. However, when choosing the best web hosting platform for your business, you should not only focus on price.
Whether you choose a cloud platform or a dedicated server, customer support is crucial when selecting the best web hosting platform for your business. Moreover, customer support should be available around the clock to help you solve any problems your site might encounter. Some top-quality providers offer 24/7 customer support, free SSL certificates, unlimited application installation, and real-time monitoring. Automated backups are also included in the service. There are many excellent web hosting platforms, and you should make an informed decision based on the features offered by each company.
It is vital to read the terms of service before using a particular web hosting platform. These documents are legally binding and should include all information about the company. If you have questions or concerns, you should be able to contact them quickly. Customer support should also provide an easy way for you to get them. Customer support should also be responsive to customer queries and meet the needs of your business.
Security
Security is an essential factor for the website. Your host should monitor all websites every day for potential vulnerabilities. If a site is infected with malware, it should be immediately disabled until action is taken. Your web hosting provider will notify you if this occurs. It’s also a good idea to change passwords when necessary. Websites infected with malware will also notify you when a password change is needed.
Backups are another vital part of security for your website. Keeping an automatic or manual backup of your website is critical, and a recent backup can help restore your website quickly if it is compromised. You can also take data backups daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Many web hosting providers offer backups to disk or FTP. Additionally, data backups help you protect your website from malware attacks and unexpected events. For example, power lines are prone to damage, and a squirrel could accidentally eat half of Yahoo’s data center in 2012. In 2014, an admin at Joyent unintentionally erased all the data on its virtual servers.
Your website’s security is just like your apartment’s security. While building security is responsible for keeping your apartment safe, it’s your responsibility to protect your website from outside threats. Leaving an open window or allowing someone into your building could enable a thief to enter. Your web host will look after the physical security of your servers. However, you are still responsible for your website’s digital security and compliance. Choosing a web hosting service with knowledgeable support staff to help you if you have any questions is essential.
Uptime guarantee
It’s essential to read the fine print of any uptime guarantee when choosing a web hosting platform for your business. While some uptime guarantees are 100%, others include a cap on how many hours a website will be down. Additionally, some uptime guarantees exclude certain types of downtime, such as planned server maintenance. However, this is usually insignificant compared to the money you’ll lose if your website is down for several hours.
It is also essential to consider the cost of downtime. While all servers experience downtime from time to time, your website could be losing a few dollars every month or over $240 a year. That could translate to a significant loss for a small business. Ultimately, customers and search engines won’t return to an unreliable site. Most hosting companies offer at least 99% uptime.
When choosing a web hosting platform for your business, consider a company’s history and reputation. Make sure to read independent reviews to ensure the reliability of their hosting service. Choose a company that uses reliable hardware, invests in better backup strategies, and has excellent disaster recovery protocols. A good host will be able to provide uptime numbers that rival any other company in the industry. With a solid uptime guarantee, you can focus on growing your business instead of worrying about your website’s uptime.
Price
Before you decide on the best web hosting platform for your business, you must decide on your primary needs. You can choose a hosting platform based on price and customer reviews, but you should do your homework first. Read articles and other assessments to determine the track record of the provider. Avoid relying on “Best Web Hosting” rankings – these websites compromise their credibility because they are compensated by big web hosting companies.
The cheapest option is to sign up for shared hosting. However, this option is not the best for your business because you will be sharing the server with hundreds of other websites. As a result, your website’s performance will be affected by the other sites on the server. You’ll also be limited in the capabilities of the server. Generally, shared hosting does not allow you to use FTP or shell access, install programs, or use databases.
Unmetered Bandwidth
If you’re considering a shared web hosting platform for your business, it’s essential to look for an option that offers unmetered bandwidth. An underperforming server can affect the speed of your site and the user’s experience.
Why is unmetered bandwidth necessary for web hosting? For a variety of reasons. For example, it is more affordable and allows website owners to anticipate future growth. For businesses, it’s conducive when traffic spikes during peak hours. Also, it’s advantageous for personal websites that have low traffic volumes. You can also use unmetered bandwidth for blogs that receive high traffic volumes.
The amount of bandwidth needed to operate a website depends on the number of visitors and the size of each web page. The average webpage uses about 5000MB of bandwidth each month, with an average of 5 pages per visitor. However, some people use a smaller bandwidth package because they don’t need to pay for it. In such cases, they have a slow connection until the billing cycle ends. Therefore, website owners need to understand the relationship between the amount of bandwidth and page load speed.
The more bandwidth you have, the faster your website can operate. Bandwidth is the amount of data a computer can transfer in a set period. It is measured in megabits per second (Mbps). The higher the bandwidth, the faster your site will operate. Your site’s data is transferred from the server to the viewer’s browser, so the more bandwidth you have, the better.
Conclusion
The main thing that I want you to keep in mind when choosing the best web host for your business is that the requirements of your business will dictate your web hosting needs. For instance, if your business requires customers to submit their information to your website, then the security of your web host will be paramount. On the other hand, if you are getting your business off the ground and have a tight budget, the price might be a focal point. The good news is that there are plenty of online reviews to guide you in the right direction.
My Bio: Brian Lett is a full-time blogger on BrianLett.com, where he routinely shares his advice on different business software platforms that he has used in the past.
