So, first, let me ask you a question. Are you a startup or have you just shifted your offline business online? if, yes. Then you must be going through a lot. like, you may be looking for fast, scalable, and effective web hosting services. Here I am going to list 5 factors a small businesses should know about web hosting.
When it comes to starting an online business, it may look like an easy task but it is much more difficult to get through. According to some online sources, 20% of small businesses shut in the first year while only 50% of them pass the five-year mark and only 20% got to the 10-year mark. That means the rest 80% fail. But what is the reason for that? Have you ever thought about it?
Well, most probably the reasons are that we just don’t give much importance to the website which is obviously the backbone of our businesses, though it is not the only reason. The selection of the right web hosting partner is the most important aspect which we all ignore and do not take seriously and choose web host providers without proper research which indirectly affects our business.
In this article, we shall discuss some important aspects of web hosting which you should know before purchasing a hosting service.
But first, let’s go through…
Some of the Interesting Facts of Web Hosting World
- 64% of small businesses have their websites
- The Global Web Hosting market is expected to grow at 15.9% CAGR from 2018 to 2023 annually
- The market value is expected to reach from $32.12 billion in 2017 to $76.2 billion by 2023
- As per the 2019 report, there are 154,608,076 domains hosted worldwide
- The United States tops the list of country with 107,624,658 -the highest number of hosted domains
I hope these facts have helped you understand the significance of web hosting, and how it helps our business to grow. Now, you might be wondering what exactly web hosting is and how does it matter to your website. To get the answers, Read on.
WHAT IS WEB HOSTING?
When you launch a website, you need a space to store your website data and for that, you need a dedicated digital space. That’s where we all need web hosting.
Web hosting is a service allowing the individual to host a website on the internet and allow users to access the website through the World Wide Web. A web host service provider helps you with the latest technologies and required services to host the website on the internet and make it easily accessible to your users. Your website is hosted on a special computer which is called a server.
Now, let’s talk about those 5 factors;
1. WHAT DOES A WEB HOSTING COMPANY EXACTLY DO FOR YOUR WEBSITE?
A web hosting company is someone who provides services and technologies that you need to host and manage your website on the internet. A hosting company ensures that your functions are smoothly and easily accessible by typing your web address.
In short, a Web Hosting company;
- Manages your website
- Provides round the clock support
- Protects your website from cyber attackers
- Provides technical support
Manages your website: A web hosting provider will help you get rid of all your website-related issues, including, speed, performance, scalability, etc.
Provides round-the-clock support: A good web hosting company offers round-the-clock support to its clients so that your query is solved instantly.
Protects your website from attackers: Everything online is vulnerable, but the right care can protect you from all vulnerabilities. A reliable web hosting company does this, by all means, be it scanning your website for malware or updating the software, everything is done by the web hosting provider.
Provides technical support: A web hosting provider offers you technical support, such as creating a modern website template or writing code using a robust framework.
2. TYPES OF WEB HOSTING YOU HAVE IN CLOSET
The next most important thing you need to know is the type of web hosting. Yes, there are different servers and hosting types. You need to understand which web hosting will suit your small business.
There are four main types of web hosting, they include;
- Shared hosting
- VPS (virtual private server) hosting
- Dedicated hosting
- Cloud hosting
Shared hosting: Shared hosting is cost-effective and a good choice to start with an entry-level website. There will be a single server with multiple users.
VPS (virtual private server) hosting: VPS hosting is almost similar to the shared one, but here the difference is each website will have dedicated space on the shared server. No one will share that space with you.
Dedicated hosting: The Dedicated server is a bit expensive, but you get immense benefits. Importantly, you will have your personal space and will not be sharing resources with anyone.
Cloud hosting: It’s an on-demand computer system resource that is just like VPS, but it does not have a single server hosting a number of users together. You can call it a hybrid of VPS.
3. KNOW THE BASIC FEATURES OF WEB HOSTING
The features of web hosting may differ based on the type of hosting you have selected. However, all web hosting services come up with all the necessary features. Let’s take a look at the basic features of Web Hosting;
- Bandwidth Usage
- Webspace
- SSL Certificates & Site locks
- cPanel
- Backup
Bandwidth Usage: Your website’s network depends on how good Bandwidth usage is. The higher bandwidth ensures that your website can manage high traffic with a faster page loading response. Faster loading is important today, as a 1-second delay in page response will reduce 7% conversions.
Webspace: You need to consider this with regard to the size of your website and how much space you will need for it on the server. Generally, web hosting providers offer unlimited disk space so you need not worry much about this.
SSL Certificates & Site locks: Both SSL certificates and Site locks relate to the security and safety of your website. SSL refers to the security protocol which establishes a secure connection between a web browser and server while Site lock is a cloud-based security tool in which a web hosting provider utilizes to scan your website quite frequently for malware or any vulnerabilities.
cPanel: It’s a Linux-based graphical interface, loaded with the latest features which enable the smooth functioning of your website.
Backup: It’s an excellent feature that is included in almost every plan. Still, you need to make sure that you get this feature included in the plan you select.
4. WHAT TO CHOOSE ACCORDING TO YOUR NEEDS
Not all web hosting will be suitable for your needs. There are lots of factors involved when it comes to selecting the right web hosting service for small businesses. For example;
- Performance
- Security
- Scalability
- and, management
Think about these factors and select from the web hosting server from the options given. It is you who will decide, but consider these four factors before you make a choice. And according to that, you can choose between Self- managed and Managed Hosting services. The main difference between these two is that in Self- managed you have to manage everything on your own for example the setting, installations, etc. The hosting provider will help you at that as well but everything will be in your own hand. But in managed hosting, the hosting provider will do everything for you, and you don’t have to get worried about installation and other factors. They will set up your website.
5. HOW TO SELECT THE BEST WEB HOSTING PROVIDER FOR YOUR WEBSITE
That’s the most important thing you need to know –selecting the right web hosting provider for your business website.
When it comes to finding web hosting, businesses must follow due processes. Let’s take it as an example. Imagine When you move to a new house, you check the property, cost, flexibility, facilities, and comfort and if it fits into your requirement and family needs, only then do you make a decision, right? The selection of web hosting is no different. You need to research and research a lot till you get a reliable and suitable web hosting provider all according to your requirements.
There are hundreds of companies offering web hosting services for small businesses, but selecting the right one requires research and knowledge. Even though we are a web hosting provider company, we don’t hesitate to say that even a good web host company may not always be the right host for your website.
REASON…?
Each website has its own specific needs while web hosting providers may be good in certain areas. That means some may be providing excellent speed and cutting-edge technologies while others may be offering considerably cheaper web hosting services with a stable server.
BUT DON’T WORRY…
We provide custom web hosting services, suitable for your every common and specific business need. You can grab more details by visiting our service page.
BESIDES, YOU CAN DO THE FOLLOWING TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION;
Compare various web hosting services: It is important to choose a reliable service provider who provides authentic services with healthy uptime and load time. At the same time, you must inquire into the cost, services, features, and support from various web-hosting providers, before signing up.
Read Third-Party Reviews: You can approach the third-party reviewers who you believe that would give you an unbiased opinion. At the same time, you can get reviews from the company’s existing clients and then take your decision.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Web hosting is one of the most important things which you need to take seriously. Select a web hosting service that perfectly fits your requirement. Follow the tips and suggestions given above and take your step. You can write to us for more information, suggestions or anything you wish to communicate with us. We would love to hear from you.
If you need a reliable, affordable, and dedicated hosting provider company which [provides great uptime and performance then, you can visit Averthost.