Once you decide to launch a website, there are quite a few questions you need to answer for yourself. Many of them have to do with technical issues, and if you are not a tech-head yourself, it can seem a little daunting. Don’t worry, we are here to help you out. The most important choices that you will have to make relate to what web hosting company you will pick. There are many options out there, and each has its perks. The three most important issues to rank your options by can be categorized by support, security, and speed. It is of essence that you also make sure to have the option to rapidly scale your website in case your audience grows unexpectedly. You don’t want your site to crash because it is getting popular, but you also should not have to pay an arm and a leg for your services. Even successful gaming websites such as Book of Ra started small, so there is no need to bind yourself to extremely high-tier web hosting contracts right out the gate. There are numerous options of web hosting services to choose from, catering to any budget, ranging from around 10 to 100 dollars per month. Let’s go over the things to keep track of you to pick the best web hosting platform for you.
Picking the Right Web Hosting Platform
Customer Support
Depending on how much help you will need, you will have to choose how much technical support to pay for. Technical support packages come in a wide variety, from basic support to advanced services. An advanced package will set you back more money, so it is best to consider what you necessarily need before signing any contracts. A basic customer support package will usually include access to phone support, tickets, and help via email. The turnaround times can vary drastically. Some web hosting companies include 24/7 support in their basic packages, but it should be noted that the vendors will only be able to give you very basic help. It won’t be a system manager who can deal with difficult issues.
If you want to have a reliable safeguard, look out for managed service options. Providers that offer such assistance will make sure everything on your site works perfectly. That includes making sure that your web system is configured adequately to handle the loads, managing backups, keeping an eye out for security issues, and applying new patches.
Traffic
You will find that most providers will charge you depending on how much bandwidth and storage you use. That is measured in bytes served over a certain period. A low amount of traffic to your website will use minute amounts. However, if you experience big spikes in user traffic, it could end up costing you significantly with the wrong web host. Here you have to weigh your needs. If you plan to only target some local customers or blog readers, then you can adjust your web hosting plan accordingly and save costs. In such a case, shared and virtual private server-based hosts will do. If you think that you will get a load of traffic, opt for a cloud-based web hosting server. These are made to handle gigantic amounts of traffic without a hunch.
Unlimited Web Hosting – Beware
There are web hosting services that offer unlimited bandwidth and storage for just a few dollars a month. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. For a couple of dollars, you can not expect the performance to be outstanding. There will most likely be something in your contract that will allow the web hosting company to throttle your website’s performance or to cut off your website once certain factors are exceeded. Such insidious deals are common enough, so your terms and conditions should be read carefully, especially when it comes to very cheap deals.
Think Ahead
You must make sure that you won’t get locked out of your site. In case something changes technologically, in your contract terms, or for whatever other reason, you want to be prepared. It is crucial to backup your website regularly, as well as keep it up to date with software updates. If you have your backups on point, you can keep your website fully functional in case you need to change your web host. Additionally, it is highly recommended owning your domain name. That will ensure that you keep all your hard-earned SEO benefits whenever you change to another platform.
We hope to have given you some insight on how to choose the best web hosting provider for your needs. Keep in mind that you should make sure that any option you choose will cater to your website’s specifics and has reasonable up-scalability options if you should experience a rapid rise in popularity. Web hosting security, efficiency, and customer support are things to also look out for. If you have any recommendations as to what you find to be the best, most secure web hosting provider, please share them in the comments below!