Are you looking for a good web hosting company? If so then here’s everything you need to know before you choose a provider for your business.
Choosing a good web hosting is one of the most important things to do for the success of your online business. Slight server downtime can cost your business millions in revenue and reputation as well. Unfortunately, choosing a web hosting company is the most overlooked phase.
Well, for non-tech-savvy individuals, perhaps the different aspects involved (from security to support, and many others) could be confusing. And given the plethora of options to choose from, it can be difficult to know which company to use, especially if you’re new to the internet world.
The tons of web hosting reviews make the whole selection process even more complicated and overwhelming as all seem to praise every company you’d think of on earth. If you’re planning to start an online business or you’re just looking for a suitable cheap web hosting provider for your website, then this article is for you.
Here, you’re going to learn everything you need to know before you sign up for an account with your preferred web hosting provider. So, without much ado, let’s get rolling.
Know Your Hosting Needs and Wants
As a rule, before you sign up an account with any web hosting company, you should know what kind of web host you need. If you’re looking to host an online store, for example, you need to know what resources will be required to keep your store running without hitches. For an online business, you should expect to have a ton of traffic and that’s why you need a web hosting solution with more features.
It would be easier to choose a web host with plans and packages that can support your business.
Many reviews are salesy or pushy and so you want to read reviews critically and carefully. With this in mind be sure to compare reviews of WordPress hosting services from a few different reputable sources so that you can compile a shortlist of potential hosting solutions based on your needs.
Be Wary of the “Free Domain” Tactic
We’re not scaring you or discouraging you into going with the free domain way but we’re asking you to look into it carefully and soberly. First things first, it’s important to understand that the free domain is owned by the hosting company. That means that you may not be able to migrate with the domain to another web host or you’re going to buy it at a costly price when you want to own it in the long run.
Also, while you will get the free domain, perhaps the renewal fee will be higher than the average domain name cost. For some, this isn’t a thing to worry about. As long as there’s a guarantee for safety, support, and all the essential features needed to run their online business successfully. But if you’re getting started with your online business, you need to understand all these things lest you face challenges in the future.
Understand the Difference Between Domain and Hosting
Many people don’t understand the difference between domain and hosting. Of course, you can get all these in one web hosting company. For instance, Bluehost, DreamHost, and many other popular web hosting providers offer domain registration and web hosting. Of importance is finding a reliable and trustworthy domain registrar.
Many people choose to register their domains with third party registrars like Namecheap, and many others out there. But if convenience is your priority, then you may want to choose one company for your domain registration and web hosting needs. One thing you should know is that the domain name is your asset. It’s the one that identifies your business but you can switch web hosting services at any time.
And the last thing you want to see is losing a business you’ve grown for many years when the web hosting company collapses with your domain.
Unlimited Storage is Not UNLIMITED
You must have seen many web hosts claiming to offer you unlimited storage or monthly data transfers with their web hosting plans. And this happens with shared web hosting plans. They aren’t bad by the way. But you need to understand how unlimited their claims are before you find yourself in the frustrating end.
Many people, especially beginners don’t know but this is just a catch. Well, we aren’t saying that these web hosts aren’t honest but most of their promises have limitations. Now if you want to know that the “unlimited” promise is just a catch, study the TOS of your web hosting provider carefully. There’s a section that talks about CPU/Server Usage somewhere in the Terms of Service that states the risks of your website getting terminated when it uses more than the allocated storage space. Well, sometimes hosting services use this to protect their resources from being abused.
But it’s good you understand that most “unlimited” promises aren’t “UNLIMITED”. So there you have it. Before you choose your web host, it’s good to make sure you’re familiar with everything about it to avoid future frustrations and headaches.
