Are you looking to open an e-commerce website or online business soon?
In a post-pandemic world, creating a website is now a key factor in business success. A survey found that 29% of small businesses planned to create a website at the beginning of 2020. Even today, many businesses have yet to establish a website and online presence.
One of the first steps in creating a website is to find the best website host. In this guide, we’ll discuss what you need to consider when looking for a website host. Read on to discover what they are and how to pick the best one.
1. What Is a Hosting Company and What Does It Do?
First, let’s review what a web hosting company is.
Most people see the internet as a virtual world that has an arbitrary set of rules. While this is true, this virtual space can’t exist if it’s not rooted in physical technology. It’s more than input and output technology like your keyboard or computer screen.
For a website to exist, it needs a server to host it. This server is a piece of hardware that contains everything on that website and related data. This data includes files, videos, text, images, and more.
Whenever you visit a website, you can find everything you see on it in a physical data center. The owners of these data centers are web hosting companies. Note that web hosting has different types, which we will discuss below.
2. Types of Web Hosting
Every server contains factors that make it different from others. The four main hosting types are:
- Shared hosting
- VPS or virtual private server hosting
- Dedicated hosting
- Cloud hosting
You can also find other types of hosting, like reseller hosting and WordPress hosting.
Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is the first type of hosting and often the cheapest option. Web hosts use one server to host different websites, plus their resources. Because of the split resources, the cost is cheaper but also limited.
Imagine this hosting, like sharing an apartment room with roommates. You all use the same space and consume the same resources.
If you’re a beginner, this is easy to set up and doesn’t need technical knowledge. However, it’s not scalable and has slower loading and lower uptime rates.
VPS Hosting
VPS hosting means “virtual private server” hosting. Unlike shared hosting, a virtual private server will host your website. In this hosting, the main server gets split into virtual servers.
To continue our earlier metaphor, imagine you’re sharing a duplex with some neighbors. You’re still sharing your resources with other websites, but there are fewer splits.
It has faster loading speeds and higher uptime rates than shared hosting. Yet, it’s not as easy to set up, and you still share the main server.
Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated hosting is the best website host for various reasons, but it also has its cons. In dedicated hosting, the server belongs to only you. You alone have access to the resources, faster speeds, and higher uptime rates.
You have complete technical control over the server settings, too. It’s like having a house to yourself.
However, this option is rather expensive. You may need some technical prowess to maintain a dedicated hosting server.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting is great for medium and large business websites. It has high security, it’s scalable, and has less unexpected downtime. However, the pricing for cloud hosting isn’t constant.
It’s still new, so Cloud hosting also has customization limits. If your website gets a lot of unpredictable traffic, the costs may increase. It’s a good website if you need an alternative to VPS hosting.
3. How to Choose a Host for Your Website
The cost of your hosting plans needs to match your budget. When you look at the various web hosting services, you’ll also find a variety of prices. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for in web hosting companies.
With that said, don’t settle for the cheapest option you can find. Instead, find an option that agrees with your budget and needs. You don’t want the services of a cheap hosting company if it has slow speeds and low uptime rates.
Ensure your website host can guarantee your site loads well. Remember that search engines like Google consider the speed of a website in ranking. If you want to rank high on search engine results pages, make sure your site is fast.
Next, determine if you want a scalable website. If you’re only starting, it’s okay to start your website with a shared hosting service. However, as your business grows, you also want your website to grow.
Consider scalability when you pick a website host. Working at a larger scale will cost more and take more effort. Don’t forget to look for a good website management tool when the time comes to scale up.
With scalability, learn your upgrade options. Does the host offer VPS hosting other than shared hosting? If you’re thinking about migrating to Cloud hosting, look at the options of the web hosting company, too.
Finally, you want to ensure that the web host offers great security features. This is quite essential if you plan to store or transport sensitive data on your website. This data includes customer credit card numbers, for example.
Be extra careful when you consider this factor. Security is one of the biggest selling points of a business. It’s your best approach to showing your customers you care about them.
Choose the Best Website Host for Your Business
The pandemic boosted daily online sales and made it clear to business owners how important it is to have a website. All the more reason for you to pick the best website host that suits your needs and goals.
That ends our guide on how to find the best web host. We hope you enjoyed and found this guide useful and informative. If you want to see more content that can help you create the perfect website, feel free to check out our other guides.