Top 10 Website Hosting

How to choose the right web host?

Choosing the right web host is not a tiresome job, but it does need some sincere research and finding. Before you dive into getting the details of the web host and its services, you must know your business requirements.

Some important points that need to be considered about your business:

• Estimate and assess the amount of traffic that you are expecting on your website. If you are expecting the traffic to grow exponentially as your business grows then choosing a small host will be a wrong decision.

• Do you need encryption? If you are dealing with sensitive information of the visitors like personal information then encryption is a must.

• Do u need to build a website from scratch? If yes, then a web host who also provides web building services is what you need.

 Uptime

One of the most important factors to consider while choosing a web host is the Uptime guarantee it assures. Uptime is the time for which your website will be up and functional. Once you have a website you will want it to be functioning at all times.

However, even the most efficient web host services guarantee an uptime of 99.9%. With this uptime, you will have your website non-functional for a total of one hour in a year.

Anything below 99% should be unacceptable as even the most basic hosting services provide a minimum of 99.95% of uptime. On the other hand, some premium hosting plans do offer 99.99% of uptime with a premium fee, of course.

Security features

The world has progressed technologically and so have internet crimes. Hacking, malware attacks have become more common than ever before. Hence, ensuring tight and up-to-date security features is crucial.

Choosing a web host without knowing about its security policy is a big mistake. Features like backups, firewalls, SSL certificates, etc. are very important for your website’s protection.

Depending upon the nature of your business some websites need minimal protection while others may need tighter security features.

It is wise to know about all the security features of the web host in-depth and then decide if the features are sufficient to secure your website.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is one of the factors that is going to impact your site performance. In simple terms, bandwidth is the amount of data that is uploaded or downloaded from your site. It also determines how quickly your visitors can access the site information.

Higher bandwidth means more people can visit the site simultaneously and vice versa. Thus, it is better to choose a bandwidth that will leave room for your website to grow.

Pricing

Pricing is one of the deciding factors when it comes to buying a web host service. While it is an important factor that you should consider don’t sacrifice quality and performance for it.

Have a fixed budget for add-ons like domain names, plugins, and themes which may or may not be included in the pricing. Many web hosts also provide discounts on signing up for a longer duration.

Hosting packages

To choose the correct hosting package you need to assess your business needs thoroughly. If your business needs are simple and small then a shared hosting package should do the job well. However, if you own a complex and bigger business your hosting needs will scale up.

Following are the different hosting options that you can choose from.

• VPS- Also known as Virtual Private Server hosting, this is a viable option for medium businesses. It is better than a shared server as it gives you customizable server options and allows you to add scalability and convenient resource upgrades. Though you are sharing the actual server, it creates a virtual server of your own. Thus, giving you better control with affordability intact.

• Dedicated- If your business needs are large then dedicated hosting is what you need. By opting for this type of hosting you have access to a physical server of your own. Thus, you are in full control of the administrative access and can do things the way you like.

• You don’t have to worry about other sites using up the resources and slowing down your site. If your website needs to handle high volumes of traffic then dedicated hosting is what you should opt for.

• Cloud- This type of hosting combines the benefits of shared hosting and VPS hosting. While the hosting environment is standardized like that of shared hosting, it has the scalability of a VPS hosting.

  The Cloud hosting environment is always up-to-date and can scale up efficiently depending upon the needs of your business. A very interesting thing about this type of hosting is that it makes a great choice for any kind of business.

• Shared- If you are a beginner with limited business operation and simple requirements then you can get going with a shared hosting plan. You share the server resources with many other users and hence the cost is shared amongst all. This type of hosting is best suited for simple operations like sending files, emails, and basic e-Commerce activities.

• WordPress- If you have a website created on WordPress then you can consider this type of hosting. WordPress servers are optimized differently and have features that are particularly useful for WordPress users.

Features to consider

• Sign-up vs. Renewal - Many hosting services come with a discounted sign up price. However, upon renewal their prices skyrocket. And this is one aspect where you need to be extra careful. Before clicking the buy button read the sign-up and renewal feature thoroughly so that you don’t get a shocker when it’s time to renew your plan.

• Refund and trial period - What if you don’t like the hosting plan and want to switch to something better? Does the plan come with a trial period? Does it offer a refund also?

  It is important to know the answer to these questions as some service providers do not provide any trial period. Also, they may charge absurdly high cancellation charges. Instead, you can look for companies that provide a free trial period and money-back guarantees.

• Backup - Is your web host prepared for the worst? Ask this important question before you go ahead with any hosting plan. Does the host have a backup for your data? Will they provide you with recovery options in case something goes wrong?

• Server responsiveness - Server responsiveness or speed is how quickly your server acknowledges when a visitor clicks enter on your domain name. The faster your site opens the better it is. A slow loading site is disliked not only by users but by Google also. It can affect your SEO ranking and customer traffic adversely.

• Mobile-friendly - We are in an era of smartphones where a vast majority of customers make use of their mobile phones to search for services and products.

  And this is why it is necessary to have a website that is compatible with all devices. Find out if your web host also provides web building tools that create a mobile responsiveness site.

• Customer support - Customer support speaks volumes about any web host service. How the company performs when it comes to assisting the customers will let you know much importance they give to their clients. You can reach out to them through online support or live chat and know how they respond to customer queries.

• Green hosting - If caring for the environment is your motto then this feature will hold lots of importance for you. Many companies are doing their bit to protect nature by turning to green hosting.

• Website builder - Many hosting services also combine web building into their plans. If you want to build your website from scratch then look for a web host who will also provide you with tools and features to build your website and also host it for you.

• Domain names - Domain names do not cost too much and hence you may own multiple names. While choosing your web host service provider find out if they allow registering multiple domains or not.

• Storage and disk space - Many web hosts today provide unlimited storage space with almost all their plans. Thus, no matter what type of hosting you choose, you can enjoy lots of space to store your file.

• SSD or solid - state drives is an important feature that needs your attention too. SSD’s are faster, reliable, and are priced high. Traditional hard-disk drives have higher capacities and hence are more common in the unlimited plans.

• E-Commerce - If you are running an e-commerce store then you may also want to look at what e-Commerce features does your host offer. Since you will be dealing with transactions, and shopping cart softwares features like SSL certificate, one-click shopping cart, and dedicated IP is essential.

The top players in the industry

• Bluehost - Bluehost is rated as one of the best web hosting options especially for WordPress users. It offers a free domain for the first year, a free SSL certificate, and a regular backup policy too.

  You can also avail a 30-day money-back policy, excellent customer support, and much more with this web host. You can get their shared hosting plan at $2.95/month. So if you are a beginner, this web host can be a good choice to start with.

• A2 hosting- This ultra-fast, reliable, and fast-performing web host is one top names on the industry. From SSD to caching, Windows, and Linux server to SSL, this host does it just right. It was founded by Bryan Muthig and has some features which leave everyone spellbound.

  You can avail the turbo server page that loads 20 times faster making your site super-fast. Its shared hosting plan starts at $2.96/month. Your search for a fast and reliable shared hosting ends at A2.

• Hostinger - Hostinger started operation in 2004 and boasts of having subsidiaries in Brazil, the US, and Indonesia. With over 29 million users this company grabbed attention with its less expensive plans, SSD performance, dedicated IP, and backup for some plans.

  It is one of the most affordable web hosts out there with the lowest plan starting at less than a dollar, though the rates do go up on renewal. If you are looking for a budget-friendly web host then Hostinger is what you should consider.

• •GreenGeeks - If eco-friendly web host is what you are looking for then Green Geeks is the answer. They have been using renewable energy for powering their services for more than a decade now.

  You can avail of fast speed, great uptimes, and top-notch services from them starting at $ 2.95/month. They offer solutions for WordPress hosting, Reseller web hosting, WooCommerce hosting, shared hosting, and VPS.

Conclusion

Choosing a web host is the most crucial decision in taking your business forward. There is no one-size-fits-all type when it comes to choosing your host. Every business has different requirements and all you need to do is choose a host who can support you adequately.

You may want to sign up with one of the host at the earliest and get going forward. But ending up with the wrong one can cause a great deal of hassle. It is recommended to choose a web host who can support your business growth, and at the same time be affordable, reliable, and efficient.