If you’re thinking about starting your own website, you will need to begin a relationship with a hosting provider. Hosting providers provide a framework that supports your website. Essentially, a hosting provider provides storage space for your website and runs the software that is needed to run it.
There are lots of reputable hosting providers out there, but you may be wondering how you should go about choosing the right hosting provider. Below, we will go through some criteria that you should absolutely consider when choosing a hosting provider.
Speed
Before we get started, you should note that speed is relative. There are different types of servers that are provided by hosting providers for you to host your website on. Demanding and high-traffic websites require more powerful servers.
These types of websites require faster servers. Determining what type of server and the level of speed you need largely depends on the amount of traffic you expect to pass through your website. Websites such as blogs that are just starting out will probably perform well on a lower-end server. On the other hand, an e-commerce platform with thousands of users will most likely need something on the higher end of things.
When it comes to servers, shared servers are on the lower end in terms of performance and speed. Shared servers distribute the resources of a server among several users. Shared servers provide limited resources and they limit the way you can upload files. The programs that you are allowed to run on the server are also restricted.
VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting is a step up from shared hosting. A VPS is a virtual machine running on a server. Typically, hosting providers run a few VPS instances on a server. With VPS hosting, you will have a dedicated amount of server resources for your website. VPS hosting provides significantly improved performance over shared hosting. You will need to have some server management skills to operate your virtual machine.
For the highest level of performance, you can consider a hosting package that gives you an entire server to yourself. This is known as a dedicated server. You will need to have system management skills if you go with this type of hosting. On the other hand, you will have lots of resources dedicated to just your website.
You could also consider cloud hosting. Cloud hosting allows performance to be scaled up on demand, depending on if you will have surges in the amount of traffic passing through your website or not.
Security
Cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly common these days. If you are a small business then looking for a hosting provider that provides sound security options is a must. Small businesses are more susceptible to cyberattacks since they usually don’t have the resources of bigger companies to throw at cybersecurity.
You should look for a hosting provider that provides DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack protection through Cloudflare. This type of attack essentially overloads your server and eventually causes it to crash. In addition, your provider should provide a strong firewall and provide consistent server updates and malware checks. On your side, you should ensure that your content management system (CMS) and website plugins are kept up to date.
Support
There are many resources on the internet on how to solve hosting related issues. However, searching for a solution to these problems requires time and effort. Sometimes it’s best to have a knowledgeable customer support agent help you out. In many cases, they can solve your problems more quickly than you ever could, since they are so familiar with how their company’s hosting works.
Strong customer support is almost a necessity for smaller businesses with limited resources. It’s also useful for people who aren’t technically inclined. If you aren’t technically inclined, then you may benefit from a provider that’s available to support you 24/7. Whether it’s via phone, chat, or a support ticket, it’s comforting to know that there are always people available to help in the event of something going wrong.
Final Thoughts
If you are on the hunt for a hosting provider, you will need to consider what type of speeds will satisfy your needs. Security is important to protect your precious website too. Strong support will help you to solve any issues quickly and effectively. Bear these things in mind on your search for a hosting provider and you will end up in good hands.
