Are you set to shop for a web hosting service that will be both cost-effective and include good
features? It is hard to find one host that offers the perfect balance between cost and specifications. However, if you are aware of the features that you are looking for, you might as well plot in advance before investing in a web host’s services.
A typical web hosting service allows individuals and organizations to make their website accessible via the World Wide Web. In a nutshell, the host owns a server and leases you some space on it to run your website. There are hundreds of web hosts out there and it can be very confusing to settle for a service provider, especially when you are new to setting up a website.
Here are seven important factors to bear in mind before selecting a web hosting service.
The Nature of Your Website
Determine the nature of your website. You need to ensure your web host provides you a cluster of services that match your website’s requirement. For instance, if you’re creating a social media website, you would consider factors such as performance, network latency, the ability to carry on background tasks and front end delivery activities.
The requirements change according to the nature of the website. While there can be common requirements, your priorities would shift based on the type of website.
The Cost Involved
There are mainly two costs involved in a web hosting service. The first is the cost of setting up or installing a web hosting service. The other cost is the renewal expenses that are incurred at regular intervals to continue the service.
While a few providers charge less at the time of setting up, their renewal costs might be high. Before picking, please check the terms and conditions.
Shared V/S Dedicated Web Hosting
Another factor that determines the choice of a web host for your site is whether you are looking for a shared or dedicated web hosting service. While shared web hosting is very cheap and allows many other websites to be on the same server space, you might have to compromise on performance due to heavily loaded servers.
On the other hand, a dedicated hosting service provides you the entire server space, giving you total control. This might be a costly choice. Prioritize well before choosing between the two.
Reputation and Reviews of the Host
Before falling for lucrative offers, take some time to study the server’s reputation in the market. Reviews posted by users of hosting services provide great information about their quality standards and trustworthiness.
Always go for a web hosting provider that holds a decent market value over a host that offers huge discounts. It can be worth paying for higher quality to save you headaches down the line.
Addon Domain Services
When you grow your business, you want to have addon domains. Having addon domains allows you to create several domain names and websites while sticking to one host. Also, it saves your money as you don’t have to pay multiple hosts. It also enables you to gain SEO benefits.
However, many web hosting providers have a limit to addon domains, ranging from one to 50 domain names. Choose wisely!
The Speed of Your Web Host
You definitely want your website to be fast. A slow website that takes forever to load is always a turn-off. The speed of your website depends on the web hosting service. A simple trick to select a web host that delivers excellent speed is to track a few past surveys that are regularly conducted to test the fastest web hosting service. Select a provider which has consistently topped the charts.
User-Friendliness
A web host has to provide easy-to-handle services to its clients. Every individual or organization should focus on the user-friendliness of its control panel. In the long run, using a web hosting service that is too complicated to operate will be a pain. It’s better to take a trial session with a few service providers before you finally settle on the right one.
The selection of a good web host is very, very important for your website. Further performance of your website will largely depend on this. You definitely do not want to regret your choice. Watch out and settle only for what’s appropriate.
Two most highly recommended hosting companies – Bluehost and Siteground
In our experience, Bluehost has slightly better performance than Siteground. But in terms of customer service, Siteground is way better. You can sign up on Siteground for a discounted price today, click here.