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If you’re a new brand, choosing a reliable hosting provider probably isn’t your top priority. In the end, there are numerous other things you should set up before embarking on your digital journey.
However, having bad hosting will come back to bite you sooner than later. You might encounter issues with your security, bandwidth, and a few other things. So, finding the right service provider from the get-go will save you a lot of headaches down the road.
In this article, we’ll talk about 8 things to consider when choosing a hosting company. Enjoy!
- Storage
Disc storage should always be at the top of your list.
Every website consists of numerous files stored on the hosting provider’s servers. If you have limited disc space, you’ll eventually be forced to eliminate some of the files on your website, leading to a poor user experience.
Having lots of disc space is especially important for sites that allow user-submitted content. These platforms are usually “heavy” as they feature numerous videos and images.
- Bandwidth
After storage, bandwidth is the second-most-important factor. It basically tells us how quickly you can transfer data during a certain time span. In other words, how quickly users can open your pages. As such, having a lot of available bandwidth can help your website speed and SEO.
Many people go with shared hosting to save some money. But in this case, you have to share your bandwidth with other sites. So, although dedicated hosting is a more expensive solution, we suggest that you go choose this type of plan.
- Backup
Business owners don’t want to think about these situations, but there are cases where your content might accidentally get wiped out. If you don’t have a backup on your computer, you must rely on hosting providers for assistance.
Luckily, all the major brands have solid disaster recovery. Some service providers create an automatic backup every day as a recovery option, so that the files that are lost, misplaced, or deleted can easily be accessible.
- Security
Nowadays, you can never be too cautious with your online security. Businesses are constantly targeted by hackers, and there’s a chance you’ll be a victim at least once during your entrepreneurial lifetime.
When looking for hosting plans, you should focus on those that provide automated malware scans, firewall management, and SSL certificates. Many companies also offer additional protection in the form of add-ons. You can also increase the security of your site by getting multi-factor authentication, domain privacy, etc.
- Apps
Nowadays, hosting providers try to give their users a full service. Among others, they offer various apps that would make website management a breeze. Having access to cPanel and certain eCommerce features is especially valuable.
However, not all apps are made the same. In some cases, using the provider’s applications can lead to all sorts of issues. Just think about Office 365 limitations on GoDaddy. This app has a few major vulnerabilities that open websites to potential cyber-attacks.
So, make sure to analyze apps as well when choosing a provider.
- Scalability
When choosing a hosting plan, many business owners go with the bare minimum. They take the cheapest solution that would cover their basic needs for the time being. However, as your business starts growing, you’ll likely need an upgrade.
Hosting scalability is something that isn’t mentioned enough. In a nutshell, you should always go with providers that allow you to upgrade your existing plan. Nowadays, some hosting companies even give you the option of automatic scalability, increasing bandwidth according to your usage.
- Uptime
Uptime is a stat that measures how often your website is available. Ideally, you should have a constant uptime of 100%.
As a way of maximizing your availability, hosting companies offer backup servers in multiple locations. That way, even if one of the servers goes down, you can rest assured that your site will continue working without a hitch. A few companies have money-back guarantees based on uptime, so these brands are your best options.
- Support
Lastly, we need to consider tech assistance.
Young entrepreneurs don’t understand why it’s so important to have solid hosting support. Many of them believe that this is just an added feature and that they will never contact the support team.
However, having reliable assistance should be one of your top priorities. If your website goes down during peak hours, you’ll have to contact a tech team so they can help you out. In most cases, you can easily resolve the issue, but you need someone to tell you what to do in these situations.
