Finding the right web host for your site might seem daunting, with so many different providers and levels of service to choose from. But once you have a good idea of what your site needs, how much you want to spend, and what features you should have, you can make better choices.
Here are suggestions that will help you figure out exactly what you need, and how to choose your next web host.
You want to ensure that you get web hosting that has a good server. You don’t want to have a lot of people coming to your site and start lagging because of all the traffic that you’ve been attracting to your site recently. So be sure to invest in a server that is reliable to avoid clutter problems in the future.
Be sure to back up your website and information to your computer as often as you can. Your host may not back up your site so if they experience extensive technical difficulties or are even shut down for good, your site will practically be gone forever and you will have to start anew.
If you have a small to mid-sized company and want to cut hosting costs, you should go with a shared server. If you do not get lots of traffic or do not wish to have control over your server resources, then go with a shared host. Just keep in mind that you will be sharing CPU, disk space, and bandwidth.
A good web hosting service should bill you professionally. You should be able to log in with a username and password to have access to your account balance and make secured payments. If you have to send PayPal payments every months without getting account statements, you are not dealing with a serious web hosting service.
If your web hosting service does not notify you of planned outages, you should change. A professional service needs to do some maintenance on their servers and be able to plan when your site will be done. If you never receive this kind of notification, look for another service who communicates with their clients.
Find out if your web host service supports videos. Videos take a lot of storing space and bandwidth, and you might have to spend a lot for a plan that supports videos. You can save money by uploading your videos to YouTube for free and embedding them on your website.
Don’t choose your web hosting provider based solely on price. Although using a cheap or free web host may save you money in the short run, these hosts might not offer the disk space or bandwidth you need. Price should be only one factor in your final decision so that you ensure that you get what you most need.
Selecting a web host is important to anyone who has an online presence. It’s important to choose a host who will be there when you need them, offer the services you want now and in the future.
Keep these tips in mind as you look for an appropriate web host for your site.