Do you find yourself wondering, “How do I find the best web hosting provider to host my site?” Look no further than this guide to finding the right one.
“I’ve got to host my site — what do I do?” you ask.
Whether you’re techy or not, this is a big decision for your business. If your hosting company doesn’t take care of your site and keep it up, you can lose money and loyalty from your website visitors.
There is a lot to learn about hosting your website and we understand it can be confusing. Continue reading this article to learn more about web hosting and what you should look for when you want to host your site.
Host My Site!
You don’t have to be desperate when you’re looking for a great website host. You can learn more about website hosting that will make it easy for you to make your decision and the following information should get you well on your way.
What Type of Hosting Do You need?
With the different types of web hosting available, it’s easy to sit and scratch your head. All you want is for your website to show up online so you can get your message out to the world.
While all web hosting can get your website online, the wrong type of web hosting could hurt your site and your wallet.
Shared Hosting
If you have a small to medium website then shared hosting can work for you. Shared hosting is just what it sounds like. You’re sharing a server with other websites which is why this is the least expensive type of hosting.
The downside of shared hosting is that some people on the server may use more resources and cause your site to run slow. If your website starts to use too many resources, you might have to move your website which can result in downtime.
VPS Hosting
VPS hosting is the next step up from shared hosting. You’re still on a shared server but you’re not sharing resources. It’s like you have an apartment in the server and no one is allowed in your apartment to use your resources.
Since no one can use your resources in the VPS, your website won’t experience lag and downtime if other sites go over their resources.
VPS hosting is good for medium sites or sites that believe they will be medium sites soon.
Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated hosting means you have the server to yourself. If you have a dedicated server, you’re looking at putting out some serious cash. While you are going to put out some serious cash, you also don’t have to worry about other people being on your server and the problems that can cause.
If your website is medium and working toward large or already a large site, you are going to need a dedicated server.
What Type of Website Are You Building?
Before you choose a host, you need to know what type of site you’re building. Some hosts cater to eCommerce websites, others optimize for WordPress websites and beyond.
Working with hosts that specialize in your type of site will give you the best experience possible.
If you’re building a blog, you might want to opt for building it on WordPress and hosting it with a host that is optimized for it. If you’re building an online resume, you might pop it up with a simple website builder and find your black friday hosting deal.
If you plan on building out your website with lots of pages or posts, you need to opt for a host that can service all of your needs.
How Many Resources Does Your Site Need?
Make sure the host you choose has enough resources to service the amount of traffic that is coming through your website. It is better to overestimate than to underestimate.
Storage is pretty easy to understand when you are looking at the resources your website needs. If you don’t have enough storage through the host then you won’t be able to host your website there.
Some of the other things that might be a little less easy to understand are SSD, bandwidth and data transfer. If you don’t understand these things just know that you want high enough RAM that will allow your website to be served quickly. Bandwidth and data transfer has to do with how fast your website users can access your site so make sure those numbers are high enough as well depending on your specific website.
How Much Web Hosting Can You Afford?
While you might have big aspirations, if your budget doesn’t go along with those aspirations, you’re in trouble.
You should consider making a must-have list and a wishlist so you can stay within your budget. If you go over budget with your hosting, you could put your business in crisis.
Find a host that is willing to customize your hosting so it fits your needs. If you find a host that allows you to customize your hosting, you can take off things that you don’t need which can save you a lot of money each month.
Can You Grow with the Hosting Company?
Look at your projected growth and speak with your potential host about their ability to service your website after the growth. If they can’t handle it, you might consider going to another host so you don’t have to migrate your website later.
Learn More About Technology and Web Hosting
You’ve been asking “how do I host my site?” and now you have more information that will help you get started. Why not keep learning from our other articles?
We have information on technology and web hosting that can help you keep your website healthy and functioning well. Navigate through our site, bookmark your favorite sections and come back later for more great reads.