Businesses of any size can no longer overlook the importance of web content. It is therefore not surprising that more and more businesses are developing an online presence. The first step to having an online presence is a responsive website with great content. But most people will spend a lot of time developing the content in the form of blog posts, videos and images and forget a really important step; choosing a reliable website hosting service.
The first step in choosing a reliable website hosting company is to take the time to ensure your website will be hosted in a safe space that will always remain accessible to you. That’s why you should consider much more than just cost when choosing a website hosting service. The following are just some of the factors to consider:
1. Data Security
It is estimated that more than 30,000 websites are hacked every day. While there is little that can be done to prevent hacking, a good website hosting service understands the risks and will take the time to perform regular backups of your data to a remote server. This way, any security breach will not cause you to lose your data.
2. Web Host Type
You need to, first of all, understand the needs of your business to fully understand the type of website hosting you need. For example, if the main content on your website is in video form, your website will require more features than a simple blog. If your website has a lot of daily traffic, you may want to consider a dedicated server to avoid problems with website downtime.
3. Web Hosting Package
When choosing a web hosting package for their businesses, most people will only focus on the cost, choosing the cheapest package. This usually means selecting a shared hosting plan and if you are more conscious of the problems that a shared hosting plan can bring, you will opt for something different. A better option would be a virtual private server (VPS) which although is slightly expensive comes with better data security and acceptable website performance.
Once again, the choice comes down to what your business needs. If your website is a one-page blog that does nothing more than advertising your services, there is nothing wrong with choosing a shared hosting package.
4. Read the Reviews
The easiest way to find out if the web hosting service you’ve been looking it is reliable is to read the reviews. But it is important to try and find third-party reviews which can be more reliable and honest than reviews you find on the site. From reviews, you can get a clear idea from other customers exactly what you will be getting from a web hosting service.
It is also important to note how the company responds to the bad review they get. Do they attempt to fix the client’s problem? Or is there no response at all? This will tell you a lot about the level of customer support to expect if you sign up.
