To have a website, you have to have web hosting. But how do you choose from almost 300 web hosting providers across the world? With so many hosting packages, pricing plans, support models, and features to choose from, it can be highly confusing to make a choice.
Luckily, there are some time-tested tips you can follow to find the perfect web hosting provider for your website. Below, we’ll share them and more information about finding the best host for your website.
Consider Your Website Needs
Before you search for a web host, you need to understand what you expect from your website. Consider:
Scope – What’s the purpose of your website? Is it a simple landing page or two, or will you require additional functionality? Will you be creating multiple sites with your hosting provider? Your business case and what you’re setting out to do will inform the amount of hosting resources you need.
Platform – Unless you know how to create a website from scratch, you’ll need a CMS. Are you a WordPress fan? Digging something different? Ensure the web host you choose supports the platform you want to use. Or that they know how to build it for you!
Traffic – What sort of web traffic are you expecting? While it can be hard to guess, you’ll want to choose a web hosting provider that can handle the traffic your website will get. You’ll also want to choose a hosting provider with service packages that fit where you are in your business.
Security – You’ll want to know the security level needed for your website. Obviously, a business portfolio will require less security than an ecommerce store.
Shortlist Web Hosting Providers
Sadly, there are people out there who will try to scam you. That’s why it’s essential to do your research when shortlisting web hosting service providers. You don’t have to go with all the big names with inflated pricing because of the size of the company. But you need to check the provider’s veracity (Ask potential providers for a list of websites they host, then check them on Sitechecker.com).
Look for hosting providers that offer a free trial, as well. This is a good way to test their services while avoiding risk.
Research Web Hosting Features
When you have your list of potential web hosts, start comparing their technology and features. Some features to consider are:
Migration Option and Speed of Migration – Does the provider offer quick migration? If you have a website that’s already hosted somewhere else, you’ll want migration to be stress-free and quick.
Malware Removal – Make sure the providers you’re vetting offer malware removal. You don’t want to be bogged down with protecting your website from predatory malware.
Uptime Guarantee – A website is no good to you if it’s not online. Your hosting provider should provide an uptime guarantee so you can know that your website is always free to do its job.
Site Speed Optimization – Does the hosting provider make ongoing improvements to a website’s speed and performance? That involves optimizing images, minimizing HTTP requests, minimizing CSS and JavaScript, and caching content.
Choose Great Support
The right web hosting provider will always have a reliable support function. Before you finalize your choice, make sure it’s available to you when you need it. Support options to look for are:
Live Chat – Any web hosting service worth its salt will offer a live chat feature for quick responses. Chat options that offer transcriptions of the chat are helpful so that you can keep track of the issue and understand the responses given.
Email – If you have an issue that doesn’t require an immediate response, it’s nice to have email support to flag issues with customer service and receive follow-ups when fixes are made.
Phone – Premium support packages with web hosting providers sometimes offer phone support. This is a wonderful feature if you have questions or suggestions that you’d like to discuss with your provider.
Examine Available Plans
Great web hosting providers will offer a variety of plans based on a variety of factors, such as:
- The number of websites included
- Storage available
- Bandwidth available
Hosting services will have tiered plans based on the level of service, number of websites, security, storage, bandwidth, and other resources needed. Choose the right plan for you right now, and make sure the company offers the ability to scale up and down in pricing as you need.
Hopefully, this information demystifies the daunting task of choosing a web hosting service. Sailfish Hosting is a little new to the game, but we have the combined experience of any of the larger, overpriced services. Contact us today to learn more about how we’re unlocking the potential of the web for every type of business.
