There’s a lot to consider when choosing a hosting provider. Sometimes it all feels like a little too much, and before you know it your head is spinning from the number of options available, and each host’s specific functions and options. That’s why today we’re going to hone in on just a few of those considerations. Speed, uptime, customer service, individualized needs, and cost. Let’s dive in.
Speed
A good web hosting provider will help make your site faster for your customers. We all know the drill. A slow site won’t help you grow your customer base, but could help you lose your existing one. You have 1-2 seconds, at most, for your site to load before the average consumer gives up and moves on, so finding a host that maintains a fast loading time is key. In addition, a slow loading site hurts your SEO ranking, making it more difficult for potential customers to find you online via search. It really is important to find a host that can keep your site up to speed.
Uptime
Uptime is the amount of time your website is working, or “up.” The more your website is up, the better for you. Having a high uptime percentage means you’re open for business. Having unexpected closures can hurt you, much like they would hurt a physical store. There are times when your website can be expected to “go down,” like for scheduled maintenance, but if you have a good host, you won’t have to worry about excessive downtime.
Customer Service
People go to a restaurant for the food, but come back for the service. The same rule applies here. Good customer service is one of the most important factors when choosing a web host. Questions need to be answered, updates need to be announced and applied, people need to be knowledgable, etc. because you might find you have other requests that they can offer. Not responding in a timely manner, or lacking information can cause long and short term damage to your site.
Individualized Needs
What are your hosting needs? What type of hosting is best for your site? There are a few major types of hosting, which is important to know when making any decisions. The top web hosting options are :
Shared WordPress Hosting
Managed WordPress Hosting
WordPress VPS Hosting
WordPress Dedicated Server Hosting
Free WordPress Hosting Which one is right for you? The best course of action is to do your research, and talk to your developer, who can help determine the best type of host for your site. Knowing your budget, your current and future needs will make this easier and less like a shot in the dark. A host needs to be able to scale upwards, to help support your growing needs and businesses. Someone who isn’t able to grow with you can hinder you far more than they can help, even if it seems like a good idea right now.
Cost
What’s your budget? What can you realistically pay to host your site? Knowing your budget will help you quickly come to a decision. However, going with the cheapest option isn’t always the best option. Yes, I know, the best things in life are free, but performant websites didn’t exist when that phrase was originally coined, and it was referring more to friendship. There’s a huge difference between the needs for a basic blog and the needs for a multi site enterprise.
Making a Decision
Still unsure? We can help. Curious Minds has over 17 years of web development experience, and can help you find the best web hosting site for your needs. We make it easy got you to focus on your business, instead of your website.
