Choosing a hosting provider is a big decision whether you are a small business owner, a blogger or a developer. If you make the wrong decision, you could have a mess on your hands, including documents that you can’t access and a website that is unsafe for customers.
With so much on the line, you can’t afford to choose just any hosting provider. You need the best, which can be done by making an informed decision based on your needs, the site you’re building and the resources you have.
Here are five tips from the experts on how to choose the perfect hosting provider.
1. Know Your Hosting Type
Different types of hosting are available depending on the size of your site and your budget.
- Shared hosting. In shared hosting, several websites share the same server. Shared hosting is economical and practical, though your server resources are split between other sites. Once your site grows, you may need to upgrade.
- VPS hosting. Virtual private sector (VPS) is the middle ground between shared hosting and dedicated hosting. The server is divided into multiple independent dedicated servers. You will still be sharing a server, but you have more space and control.
- Dedicated hosting. Top-performing sites need dedicated hosting, which uses an entire server to run the site. You do not have to share the server with anyone, though this is the most expensive option.
2. Consider the Site You’re Building
Your site and the traffic it gets will impact the type of hosting plan you need. For example, if you have a blog website, you can benefit from a WordPress web hosting service. If you plan on selling products and services online, an ecommerce hosting service is a great fit. There are also independent hosting providers that will grow with your business and provide you with unlimited storage, bandwidth, email accounts and 24/7 support.
3. Assess Security and Reliability
Cybersecurity is a main concern for businesses of all sizes. To avoid unnecessary downtime, choose a hosting company that includes firewalls, monitoring services, automatic backups and other security features. Also, research the uptime that the hosting service has. Most hosts guarantee a certain amount of uptime and will refund some of your money if they fall below this number.
4. Pick Your Price Point
Hosting doesn’t have to be expensive, but there is more to consider than the bottom dollar. Think about other costs you may incur, such as your domain name, themes and plugins.
Free hosting may look attractive, but it’s usually best to sign up with a reputable hosting provider that has the support and security you need. By signing up with a low-cost, high-value hosting provider, you can add on services such as:
- Content delivery networks
- Automatic backups
- Website builders
- Ecommerce tools
- Free domain names
- Unlimited disk space
5. Think About the Future
Ideally, you want to choose a hosting provider that you can stick with the for the long term. If you plan on your site growing in the immediate future, a scalable hosting provider with powerful hardware and attentive support is what you need. If you plan on keeping your site small, a shared hosting plan may have everything you need.
Have more questions on choosing a hosting provider? Give Magna Technology a call and we’ll be happy to find a hosting plan that works for your website and budget!
