Choosing a web host is usually a tough decision for most businesses, and the reason is not far-fetched. A good web host is the foundation that guarantees the success of a business. When you choose the right web host, you have paved the way for improved website performance. Conversely, if you make a wrong decision in your choice of web host, you ignite different headaches in your bid to scale your business.
So, in this article, we will walk you through some powerful factors to keep in mind when you are ready to choose a web host. If you adhere to the tips we are sharing in this article, you will be a step closer to running a successful business.
Let’s get started
#1. Understand The Needs Of Your Site
When you are ready to choose a good website host, the first thing you should do is to understand the needs of your site. If you do a quick Google search for the best Web host, you will be greeted with tons of service providers. How do you know which one will meet your needs? The only way to uncover that is to find out the needs of your website.
To find out the needs of your website, ask yourself the following questions:
- What type of website do I want to build?
- How much traffic should I expect?
- Will I use WordPress or other CMS?
While the above questions might seem very basic, they will go a long way to help you make a good decision. If you are using a WordPress website, then consider a managed WP hosting provider. What if you run an online store? Then consider a web host that specializes in eCommerce.
If you do not have a website yet but you are considering building one, here is a tip that will guide you – go for a shared hosting plan like Azure Managed Services. Shared hosting is not only cheap, it is quite easy to maintain. Plus, you don’t have to worry about backend issues like security and maintenance.
#2. Consider Server Reliability/Uptime Scores
In 2013, Amazon went down for almost 25 minutes. This cost the company more than $66,240 every minute the website was down. What does this imply? It means it is important for your business to always be online, and to guarantee that you need to consider how stable a web host is before jumping on them. While there are several monitoring tools that you can use to track a web host stability, you still need to take it further by checking their uptime scores.
Their uptime scores will let you know in real-time whether a web host is good for you or not. As of today, the standard uptime a good website host should maintain is 99.95%. Anything below this figure should be avoided.
#3. Check The Ability To Upgrade Your Server
With so many hosting plans out there, the chances are if you are just starting out, you will opt for a shared hosting plan. Before you settle for a web host, check to ensure that you can upgrade your server down the road.
The reason for this is that once your business starts to gain traction, the shared hosting plan won’t be able to accommodate the new bandwidth; as such, you will need a new server. Choosing a web host that allows you to upgrade your server is a no-brainer in this sense.
#4. Research The Signup And Renewal Price
As far as web hosts are concerned, there are two prices to always keep in mind – the sign up and renewal price. We have seen several instances whereby the amount you pay during signup differs from the amount you pay during renewal. In most cases, the renewal amount is usually higher than the sign up price depending on the discount that the provider made available.
Sadly, most web hosts stick to this game plan of increasing their prices during renewal. Except you want to constantly change your web host, you can’t avoid paying more for renewal. The best you can do is to choose a web host whose renewal price is within your budget. For example, if you paid $5 per month, the renewal price should not be more than $10.
#5. Check For Their Refund Policy Or Free Trial Policy
If you are just starting out, using a website host may have a serious cost implication on your budget. And this is the reason most web hosts have refund and free trial policies to help you reduce your burden. With a web host free trial, you can try out different hosting packages to figure out the one that is best for you. Additionally, with a refund policy, if things go south, you can request for a refund of your money.
There are web hosts that usually request users to pay for cancellation. We advise that you completely avoid this category of web hosts. Instead, go for providers that guarantee refund after the trial period.
#6. Having Backups For Your Site
Backing up your website is essential if you want your business to scale. Despite all security measures in place, websites still face so many crashes, failures, hacks, viruses. These attacks can take your website down, and this will make you lose revenue.
This is where a good web host with a good backup policy comes into play. Should there be an eventuality, a good web host will ensure your website comes back online with minimal downtime. Here are some questions to ask before settling with a web host:
- Can you use programs to create auto backups of your site?
- Can you manually backup your site via the control panel?
- Do they conduct regular full backups?
- Can you restore the backup files yourself or do you need the support staff to do it?
In Summary
Before you choose a web host, take time to consider all the factors we have shared above. There are many more factors out there, but these six are very fundamental when choosing a website host. If you get it wrong with your choice, your business will suffer. But if you adhere to these tips, you would be a step closer to running the business of your dream.
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