What is a Web Host And Why Does it Matter?
First off, let me help you understand what web hosting is and then we will show you what to look for when choosing a web host.
Web hosting is typically (99.9% of the time) A third party company that charges you to store your website’s files on a server they own and manage.
It is possible to host your own website but it’s simply not ideal in most cases. Unless you are a huge company that can afford to buy high end servers and pay a team of computer experts to manage it for you.
Servers that host websites need to be outfitted with the most sophisticated hardware and networking solutions for optimal site loading speed and security. So Choosing the right web hosting service will ensure that your site is always up and running at optimal speed and performance. Here’s a closer look at what you should know when looking for a host:
Now Let’s talk about What to look for when choosing a web host.
Security
The most important thing to look for when choosing the right web hosting service is Security. Even if you take every possible step to keep your website secure—like installing a firewall, an SSL, and running frequent software updates you could still fall victim to viruses and cyber attacks if your website is hosted on an server that is not secure.
All of the big hosts have secure servers and a team to manage them and make sure there are no issues.
A reputable web hosting company can help you reduce cyber attacks.
Many small businesses assume that their sites are not large enough to be the target of cyber attacks. However, any website can be hacked, and the fallout from a site hack can be devastating for a small business.
One of the biggest issues for site security that increases the risk of cyber attacks is shared hosting—or hosting multiple sites on the same server. That’s because access to one site could provide a hacker with access to every site on the same server.
However, hosting on a private server is prohibitively expensive for most small businesses. The solution comes with a reputable web hosting service that utilizes effective resource management to reduce cyber security risks.
Speed
Finding a website host with fast speed is critical to your online success. Instead of writing a 20 page dissertation on it check the bullets below to see why speed matters.
- IT will be your first impression to potential clients. If your site is slow then you probably are too.
- Fast loading pages rank better on search engines
- People don’t have the attention span to wait for a slow page to load
- Google penalizes slow loading sites
- Fast loading actually increases conversions because there is less time for distractions.
- If you have an existing website, you can test your sites speed here. You can also test ours to see how the two compare.
Support
When I get asked about what to look for when choosing a host, this is my personal biggest factor. Because who has time to wait in a chat queue or on the phone for 45 minutes to speak to a person who might know what they are doing. Most hosting plans don’t have a good support team in place and every minute you are waiting to get help is money lost.
Our recommended host really excels in this space. Live chat support answers within 2 minutes and they are extremely knowledgeable and helpful
Whats included?
A few things you will definitely need when building a website are…
- Email ([email protected])
- SSL Certificate
- FTP Access
- Caching option
A lot of hosts include these things in the price but some don’t so be sure to ask before purchasing.
Price
Pricing is another important thing to look at when choosing your host. Most hosts offer an introductory price and a renewal price. Often the renewals are 2-3 times more expensive.
We always recommend you buy the maximum years upfront using the introductory price. This will save you money in the long run.
Up-time guarantee
Up-time guarantee refers to the server up-time. You want to be over 99% guarantee at a minimum to ensure your website is live when it needs to be. All the big hosts offer a guarantee so if you are looking at a lesser known host, make sure they have a guarantee.
Accessibility
How easy is it to navigate the back end? Most hosts offer a graphical interface that you can navigate through to do what you need to do. Some of the older / smaller hosts don’t offer this and you have to basically learn a new language to get things done.
Be sure to ask them to show you what the back end looks like before purchasing.
Scalibility
As your website and traffic grows you will find the need to upgrade. Make sure the host you are choosing offers an easy upgrade option.
Moving to another host
How easy is it to switch hosts ? This is important because if you ever do decide to move you will need an easy way to do it or you will have to build your site again on the new platform.
Who do we use and recommend to our clients?
Siteground They have Great prices and fast servers.
I hope this article helped you understand more about what to look for when choosing a web host and helped you make a decision. If you have any questions feel free to reach out anytime.
FunnelGurus is Riversides one stop web shop for Web Design, Online Advertising, Digital Marketing and everything else you need to keep your business up and running online. We take this stuff seriously, and we will help you customize a solution that fits into your budget. Contact us today at to learn what we can do for your business.