Easter is the mark of glorious beginnings. It’s the perfect time to get that dream online business off the ground this time of the year with Easter promos and gimmicks to help you put your brand on the map.
When it comes to getting online, business owners today understand the value of building a responsive company website and putting quality content on it. However, many of them ignore the process of choosing reliable web hosting services to develop and run such a website.
To help you navigate this better, we’ll discuss what to consider before selecting the right web host for your business. Let’s begin.
READ: How to Choose a Web Hosting Provider: The Ultimate Guide
Top 7 Factors to Look for in a Web Hosting Provider
1. Website Load Time
Website load time is one of the main factors you have to take into account when choosing a web host service provider.
Page load time is the amount of time it takes for a web page to load, and it affects the amount of traffic your website gets. A slow-loading web page can soon make users frustrated and move on.
For online retailers, a laggy website leads to significant revenue loss. Data shows that 1 in 2 shoppers abandon their carts due to slow site speeds. Therefore, choosing a web host with guaranteed fast speeds should be your top priority.
2. Security
Security is another critical area to consider when choosing web hosting services.
Apart from saving sensitive data or information from malicious intent, a good web hosting company also handles several security-related aspects, such as firewalls, DDoS attack protection, OS updates, and more.
Among some of the other things to check here include:
- Does your web host service provider offer regular malware scanning?
- Do they have a regular backup service where you can restore your site in the event of a compromise?
- Do they support SSL certificates to protect your online interests?
3. Uptime
For customers trying to access a website, nothing is more frustrating than clicking on a link and struggling with the target site not opening.
Apart from annoying customers, Google also views the issue negatively and will give such a website less value or importance in the organic search results.
This makes it important to choose web hosts that offer you the best uptime or availability possible. Ideally, your provider should have a proven 99% and above uptime guarantee. The higher the uptime, the better assurance that your site won’t experience outages and halt your operations.
4. Customer Service
Effective, timely, and speedy customer support is something that differentiates a good web hosting service from an average one.
It is best to choose a host that offers 24/7 live support to their clients along with various other service options such as chat support, email support, and social media support as well.
Make sure to shortlist and give priority to service providers with a dedicated in-house customer support department. Also, check for their self-help resources, such as videos and tutorials, and how useful they are, before making your pick.
5. Bandwidth and Storage
This is especially relevant if you have a big website with lots of videos, images, and animations. While most modern web hosts ensure that the websites don’t reach near bandwidth and storage limits, this is still something important to consider.
The higher the bandwidth and storage space offered by a web host service provider, the better it is because the chances of running up against storage or bandwidth limits that slow the load time down will be very low.
READ: What Is Bandwidth in Web Hosting and How Much Do You Really Need?
6. Speed and Performance
Speed and overall performance are the other most visible aspects of a reliable web host. Multiple things contribute to the performance of your web hosts, such as technology and infrastructure.
Not keeping pace with technology can negatively impact site performance, along with increasing the chances of security risks. Likewise, server resources are another area that affects the speed and performance of a website.
Besides, you need to consider the location of the server in terms of where your web visitors are coming from. For instance, it’s apt for a local Kiwi business to opt for a host with a server in New Zealand to prevent latency issues that can hinder the performance of their website.
7. Pricing
Affordability is also a top factor when choosing your web hosting services.
A good and affordable plan also leaves room to spend on several other costs of running your site, such as buying new plugins, maintaining a custom domain, and more.
Several well-priced hosting plans are available in the market today, with some costing as little as under $15 per month, making it an excellent budget-friendly option.
However, it is also important to keep in mind that the choice of a web host shouldn’t be all about the price either, as it can be very limiting in terms of features.
The Search for the Best Web Hosting Service Begins
When it comes to getting a web host service provider, there are crucial factors that you need to consider. While we have outlined some of the most important things to look for in a web host, the list isn’t exhaustive.
Make sure to assess and understand your specific business needs and accordingly pick the best web hosting provider that covers all your hosting needs and helps you achieve your business goals in the long run.
