Now that we know the Web Hosting Basics, we are ready to find a provider that suits the needs of our business and website.
So how do we determine which company to choose? What are the key elements to look for as we compare those companies?
All Web Hosting Services are not created Equal
I have had some terrible experiences with hosting providers over the years. Most of my bad experiences could have been avoided had I only educated myself better and had my business plans and brand layed out first.
At this stage there are only two hosting services I would recommend to you based on my personal business experience – BlueHost and SiteGround. I have used both of these hosting services and I was very happy with both companies. Although I am an affiliate these companies, I would recommend them to you even if I were not. So let’s take a look at what you need to know in order to decide for yourself.
When you are ready to shop for a provider reliability and reputation should of the utmost importance when choosing your host company.
The company you choose should be consistently reliable in their ability provide these services and options to you, in reputable fashion.
There are three key areas that need to be considered.
- Pricing and Plans
- Optimal Performance
- Exceptional Support
Let’s breakdown each of these areas so you can see in detail what to look for in a provider.
Pricing and Plans
To get started, compare Shared Hosting plans for each company you are considering.
I strongly encourage you to only consider companies and plans that provide unlimited bandwidth and storage space.
I made the mistake of choosing a limited space plan once, and it was a costly mistake. In today’s world HD photos and videos can fill up your storage space very quickly and if they are slow to load on your site, your visitors won’t stick around long.
Important Comparisons to Make
Reasonable Pricing
Hosting Plan Options
Free Domain Registration and SSL
Money Back Guarantee
Competitive pricing for your first service contract is important, make sure you know what it is going to cost you to renew your services when the time comes.
The optimal Shared Hosting Plans for your small business should provide the best Uptime guarantee, fast Loading and Page Speeds and unlimited Disk Space and Bandwidth.
For new websites, the best providers include free Domain Registration for your Domain Name.
SSL is a Secure Socket Layer that makes your Website safe and secure for Customers. SSL is vital for your business ensure the security of your customer’s data.
Reputable Web Hosts, provide a money back guarantee.
Performance
I can not stress enough the importance of your website’s performance. That performance relies on many factors but the most important are listed below.
My provider in 2018 was the worst I have ever had. My page was down about 20% of the time and the company did nothing to explain, fix or compensate me for the issue.
When my site was up and running smoothly, the page speed and load time was pathetic.
Keep in mind that when you purchase your plan, you are locked once the guarantee expires, so you need to choose wisely from the start.
Key Performance Indicators
Uptime
Page Speed or Load Time
Disk Space
Bandwidth
Uptime is important because if the server is down, customers won’t be able to access your website. Check reviews by actual customers.
Page Speed is vital to your business website. If your site is slow loading and sluggish, your customers are not going to stick around long.
Disk Space is the amount of storage space you have on the provider’s servers. HD photos and videos take up a lot of storage space. Choose a provider that offers unlimited disk space so you can grow without worry.
Bandwidth describes the rate at which data can be transferred between a website and computers connected to it within a specific time. With today’s devices and responsive apps, you should choose a provider that offers unlimited bandwidth.
Exceptional Support
I can not stress enough how important it is to have good and reliable support available when you need it.
Make sure to do your homework before you purchase your web hosting plan.
24/7 Chat or Email Support
Reputation
WordPress Support
Cpanel
24/7 Support – In my opinion, a hosting service is only as good as the support they provide to their customers. You want to choose a company that provides excellent support anytime and everytime you need it.
Make sure the host you choose has an Excellent Track Record for Support. Do your research before you buy.
WordPress is the number one Content Management System available today. The support team should be able to assist you with basic WordPress Installation and support.
cPanel is a popular control dashboard that helps you manage your web hosting server using a human-friendly web-based interface. Without cPanel, you would need technical knowledge to manage your website’s server. With cPanel, you’re able to make changes using a graphical interface – no technical knowledge required. Make sure the host you choose provides you with CPanel and CPanel support.
Coming Soon
We now have a basic understanding of what Web Hosting is and what key factors play a part in reliability and exceptional service.
But before we actually choose a provider and get started, there are a few more topics we need to cover.
Content Management Systems
Themes
Plugins
Page Builders
In the next post, we will talk about Content Management Systems and I will be focusing on WordPress, the world’s number one CMS.
Make sure to like this post and follow my blog so you will be the first to know when new posts are published.