Web hosting can be a highly technical side of launching a website that you might not want to deal with. Before you outsource it, however, you should consider these 10 important factors.
Every website requires a good web host. Web hosts are providers that offer hosting services and software to run sites on the Web. They allocate some space on their web servers to host your website. You should choose a reliable web host for your website so that you and your clients feel that much safer. Additionally, you should go with an SSL certificate like an EV SSL Certificate for your website as it will provide your customers with a whole range of benefits, including getting a good search engine ranking, safety from hackers, and the much-needed customer trust that will ensue.
Below are some factors to consider before purchasing a web hosting service
1. First time purchase vs. renewal cost
Ideally, the cost of the initial purchase of a web host service is lower. This is because most companies want to lure more customers with low prices. The initial cost of hosting can range between USD 3 to 15, dependent on your requirements. If you are new to this line of work, you should be very careful and not naïve because there are frauds that can steal your money and not provide any services. Renewal of the subscription fee will be higher and will be again dependent on your requirements.
2. Support
Unpleasant and unexpected occurrences happen, and this may hurt your website, especially if you are an e-commerce store. Before settling on a service provider, make sure that they provide round the clock support and that they are very efficient, ensuring that the repair time takes up as little time as possible. You should also check if they charge for these repairs and if they do, how much they will charge to get your site up and running again.
3. Uptime and Downtime
Slow websites are being phased out by Google. The preferred loading time is one second, give or take. If your web host cannot guarantee optimal uptime and minimal downtime, then that is not good for business. You should choose a provider that will give you 99% of uptime all year round and as minimal downtime as possible. Visitors will move away from any site that has a long duration of downtime.
4. Refund policy
Before signing any agreement between you and any web hosting services, ensure that you read through the terms and conditions. It is advised that you get a lawyer to help you interpret the technical terms and what they entail. If the contract is favourable, then you can go ahead and append your signature. Lastly, read through the exit strategy that you can use if you want out should the web host not meet your expectations. This is especially important because of the refund you should be given after the exit.
5. Backup and security
Your web host is also susceptible to brute attacks by hackers. They are not immune. Make sure that they do frequent back up of data. They should also have a recovery mechanism in the event of an attack, and data going missing. You should also look for the security aspect of things, what preventative measures are in place to prevent any attack.
6. Free SSL vs Paid
SSL certificates are lifesavers and could help you in averting security breaches. They come in various packages and sizes. Some are paid, and others are free. Free SSL certificates are good and reliable. The truth of the matter is, they are as good as the paid ones but come with limited validity. The paid SSL certificates come with a maximum of two years validity and assurance of top-notch security. It is entirely up to you to choose what plan you want.
7. Location of your server
You certainly do not want your physical office to be far from the web host servers. Some occasions necessitate you to pay a physical visit to the web host and see for yourself how they are maintaining their servers. It is also essential to maintain a good professional relationship with your web host so that you can get premium services.
8. Hardware
The quality of the server hardware matters the same as the software they are using. High-quality hardware will ensure you get premium services that are healthy for your website. Cheap web hosts are most likely using low-quality hardware and software. You should keep in mind that cheap can get expensive.
9. Domains
If you own more than one website, it may be cheaper to get a web host who will host all your sites on a single server. It makes more sense to host more than one domain on a single hosting service. You should consider this and avoid charges that may accrue when renting a second and third server, should you choose to host additional websites.
10. User-friendly control panel
The interface to managing your website on your end should be as easy to use as possible. Most web hosts include too many technical terms, and this is a turn off for many new clients. The control panel should be easy and very effective with multiple functions, for example, WHM or cPanel. Most hosting providers use WHM as a panel because when you install an SSL/TLS Certificate in WHM, it requires a few simple steps.
Wrapping up
Your website should be as efficient as your web host. You should get a top of the line host that will give you all the services you want and much more at an affordable price; you should also use the SSL Certificate to safeguard your website. Make the right decision.
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