If you are planning to run an online business, you are probably designing an e-commerce website. After spending a lot of time building and building a website, the ultimate goal is to get it on the internet. For this, you have to host it on a server so that it is connected to the internet for 24 hours. Although you can do this using your own computer, it will be very technically challenging which will cost you a lot of time and energy. To be clear, if you just rent a web hosting service, you can avoid all the hassle.
However, there are many providers out there today that are making it difficult for you to make your choice. In short, web hosting is a service where you store the content of your website. The provider will provide an Internet connection so that your website remains on the Internet. Therefore, anyone from anywhere will be able to visit your website as long as they know your address. There are many hosting options that you can choose from and hence you need to find out which one is right for you.
Out of all the options, you should probably go for a professional web hosting provider. They will have ready-made packages for small or large businesses and even e-commerce capabilities. There are tons of options out there that give you the choice of how much you want to use for your disk space, the amount of bandwidth, etc. However, there are a lot of things to think about when you make your decision about which hosting to go for.
One of the most important aspects to look for in a provider is reliability. Good credibility will ensure that your website works well and has as little downtime as possible. If your website is not visible then it will be useless. This means that you will not get any traffic to your site. Therefore, it is important to get a host that offers you at least a 95% uptime guarantee. This will not be difficult as most of the hosts today are providing 99% uptime in their guarantee.
Then, you should consider the amount of space and bandwidth required for your site. You must ensure that the provider can provide you with sufficient space for your online activities. It’s the same for bandwidth. These 2 components are also very important for the success of your website. For bandwidth, you have to ask if they will charge you a certain amount should you overuse your monthly quota. There are a bunch of vendors out there that promise you great space and bandwidth but always fail to deliver. So be careful with them.
The next thing you should consider is what kind of support you are getting. It is important that you be able to contact your provider in the shortest possible time when you have a problem with your account. Hence, you need to know and test their support before signing up for a package with them. They should offer support in a variety of ways such as phone calls, live chat, and email ticketing systems. Test them out and see how fast they respond to you.
Next, you need to find out how the provider handles the security of your website. How secure are their data centers? Also, you need to ask if they have SSL certificates. This is important so that your visitors or customers can have peace of mind when making purchases from your site. With this certificate, visitors will know that the information they enter on your website is secure. This is a must if you are running an e-commerce website.
Another thing to pay attention to is the backup service from the provider. You need to inquire about how often they back up your data. This is important as protection for your website in case any intrusion damage occurs. If those things really happen, you’ll be able to recover your data instead of losing everything you’ve created.
It may seem like there are several things you need to know before signing up for a package with a hosting company, but it is essential that you do so because if you neglect this part, you may end up with a substandard provider. And that will be more trouble for you.
Tips for Getting Web Hosting For Your Business
A good hosting plan is the backbone of all websites and you need to choose it wisely. Here are some important things you should know about how to find web hosting that is perfect for your online business:
Reliability of the Web Hosting
One important aspect of how to get web hosting is staying away from the hundreds of run-of-the-mill hosting companies. More than the financial loss, such hosting can have a negative impact on your website. Compare different web hosts, check to host reviews, and get advice from other successful webmasters about the most reliable and professional web hosting companies.
Server Access
Contact the hosting company about the type of server access you will have and how you can control your site. If you choose shared or VPS hosting, you will not have much control over your servers whereas with dedicated servers you can enjoy full control and flexibility.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth controls the amount of data transfer that takes place on your site and the amount of traffic your website can handle. In a hosting plan, the main cost is the bandwidth provided and it is important to calculate your approximate value. Use bandwidth wisely. Beware of unlimited bandwidth as most such packages either cost too much or place restrictions on the type of file you can upload.
Connectivity
The best web hosts use redundant lines to ensure that your website stays up and running, even when their primary Internet connection is temporarily unavailable. While choosing web hosting, check which host provides backup connection and high-speed connectivity.
Affordability
There are tons of hosting companies today offering packages from as low as $1.99 to $800 per month and more. Based on the needs of your website in terms of bandwidth requirements, disk space, server type, etc., you can find a hosting plan that suits your budget and is cost-effective.
Customer Service
A hosting company is known for the kind of technical support that it provides because when it comes to online businesses, webmasters cannot afford to take any risks. When you are learning how to get web hosting, customer service is an essential component you should be looking for.
Make sure the hosting provider offers 24/7, 365 days of customer support via live chat, email, and phone. Also, check the reaction time i.e. the time taken to solve a question.
Flexibility
You are just starting out and your website requirements are limited, but as your business grows (which it will be if you choose the right host) you will need more bandwidth, disk space, etc. Talk to the hosting company about this and make sure their plans are flexible enough to accommodate your growing needs.
Security
The answer to how to get web hosting would be incomplete without telling about server security. All your website information, including files, emails, customer data, and other details, is stored on the server and must be kept secure.
Viruses and malware, hacking, physical damage, spam mail, and URL hijacking are all potential threats that can affect your server and ultimately your business. Your hosting provider should include high-end security mechanisms such as video surveillance, security codes, and software to provide complete security and protection.
Web Hosting Benefits For Small Businesses
If you are a small business owner without a website in today’s world, you are either new to business or working from the woods. Without words, the importance of web hosting for a small business cannot be overemphasized, so a serious-minded entrepreneur should make it their top priority.
We are in the 21st century and information technology now sets the pace. People want more information now than ever before. In fact, the simple problems that people face are now brought up on the internet every day. If you think your business is small and doesn’t need a web presence, I will tell you something that will amaze you. Before your neighbor will patronize you for your product or service, he or she may have searched the Internet for those offering the same product or service and their prices. It will be easier and more satisfying for him to do this before choosing the right vendor. Therefore, only those with an online presence will make more money.
Simple problems like ‘how do I put food in my mouth without entering my nose’ have now been brought up on the internet. This is just to prove to you that the internet is now being used in a big way. Even children over the age of seven are Internet savvy now and in the near future, perhaps a newborn will know how to use the Internet – I don’t know if she will receive a tutorial on In the Womb. The research findings also indicated that in April 2010 there were approximately 15.5 billion searches on Google in the US alone.
Fortunately, the cost of website hosting has come down significantly due to improvements in technology and competition. For as little as $3.95 monthly, you can get a reliable service from a reputable company. No matter where you are or your type of business, an online presence is of the utmost importance to you.
More importantly, the cost of website design and management has also come down with the invention of easy-to-use software for website management and design, which you will find in many reputed companies. In fact, if you’re familiar with some desktop publishing software, you can now design your own website.
In addition, there is an opportunity to create multiple email addresses instead of using the usual free email services. This will enhance your company’s reputation and increase the confidence of customers and prospects in you. There are also provisions for online payment so that you do not have to worry about how you will receive the payment.
In addition, the creation of sub-domains is possible at no additional cost, giving the opportunity to have multiple websites on a single account. But when it comes to choosing a web hosting company, you should be very selective because your small business needs to grow into a big business and you would not want that to jeopardize.
