What to Look for in a Website Host?
4 min readThere are several things you should consider when you’re looking for a website hosting service. For example, you’ll want to look at the reliability of the service, the bandwidth, and the storage space it offers. In addition, you’ll want to check to see if the service is free or if it’s priced.
Free vs Paid
When it comes to the best way to go about launching a website, free vs paid is a debate for many. The cost of hosting a website can be an expense that many small business owners aren’t willing to put up with, especially if they are just starting out. There are a number of reasons to consider paying a fee, but the number one reason is for business continuity. By making sure your website is always available, you’ll increase your overall visibility.
One of the first steps you’ll need to make is to decide what type of web hosting provider you’ll be using. There are a variety of types ranging from budget to enterprise and your choice of provider is going to depend on the level of service you’re looking for. You can also choose to host multiple sites on a single account.
Cloud vs Shared
Cloud hosting and shared website hosting are two different types of hosting solutions. The main differences are the resources offered, pricing, and security. They also affect how well the site will load, regardless of the website hosting provider.
Cloud hosting is much better than shared hosting, as it offers an unlimited number of resources. It also has the ability to scale resources according to a site’s needs. This means that you can get the resources you need for a particular project without having to purchase additional hardware.
Cloud hosting can help you keep your site running smoothly during high traffic spikes. Shared hosting can be expensive, and it is not always ideal for larger sites. For example, if you have a large number of dynamic pages on your website, cloud hosting will be able to power the site without slowing down.
Dedicated vs Shared
When looking for a host for your website, you will have to decide between dedicated vs shared website hosting. These two options have a lot of similarities and also have many differences. Depending on what your website needs, one may be better suited than the other.
Shared website hosting is the best option if you do not need a lot of resources. It is easy to get started with, and is usually inexpensive. However, it can limit your flexibility if you need to customize your website.
If you need a lot of control, or want to run specific applications, you should consider dedicated hosting. With this type of server, you can optimize your memory and CPU usage and set up your own scripts. You can also have full root access, which gives you complete control over your website’s hardware.
Reliability
The reliability of website hosting is a very important aspect of a website. Not only does it determine the quality of the user experience but it also reflects your business image.
It may sound like a given that a website is available to the public at all times, but it is not always the case. Downtime can occur for a variety of reasons, including maintenance, glitches, and spikes in traffic. A reliable host is able to tame downtime and make your website accessible to visitors no matter what the circumstances.
One of the best ways to find out if a website is reliable is to check the uptime of your hosting provider. Most of the big boys will guarantee a minimum of 99.8% uptime, but you might want to go a step further and look for a company with an SLA (service level agreement).
The reliability of website hosting is not always the most obvious thing. For instance, a better host will store your website on a server that is less likely to be hacked or compromised. This makes it easier to keep your data intact in the event of a cyber attack. Keeping your data safe can save you from a lot of headaches in the future.
Bandwidth and Storage Space
If you’re going to host a website, you need to know how much bandwidth and storage space you’ll need. This is because the amount of data you’ll need depends on the type of content your site contains.
Obviously, the more data you have, the more bandwidth and storage space you’ll need. Your storage capacity will depend on the size of your website and how many users you expect to visit.
You may need more bandwidth if your site has lots of video or images. You’ll also need more disk space if your site has a database. However, most people don’t need very much. A good starting point for a personal or small business website is five gigabytes.
The number of pages on your site will also determine the amount of disk space you’ll need. It’s best to avoid over-stacking your site, though.