Are you’re planning to set up a website? A significant decision that you will have to make is choosing a web host. Different types of hosting solutions and packages can leave you in confusion. It is seen that most newcomers settle down on the first option that comes in front of them and regret it later. So, you don’t make any mistakes, always take your time to select the right hosting plan. This article will walk you through what you exactly need to know to select the best web host. So, with no further ado, let’s get started.
1 Consider What Type of Hosting You Need
Before you start looking for a hosting service, it is important that you consider your own specific needs first. It will help you narrow your web hosting options. The following questions may help you determine the type of web hosting you need.
- How much traffic my site can receive in the next 1 to 2 years?
- Do I have any intention to use my website/blog to make money? If yes, you should avoid choosing a free web host.
- What is my budget? How much can I afford to spend on hosting solutions? Remember that, web hosting costs range from free to hundreds of dollars a month. So, decide on how much you want to spend.
These questions can help you create a list of potential hosting providers.
2 Check Out The Reputation
If possible, try to get recommendations from people you trust about your potential hosting providers. Just because you have heard of a particular host, that doesn’t mean they are reputable. Find out what is the reputation that your potential provider has gathered over the years. Most of the leading hosting providers have been in business for more than a decade, you can easily find reviews about them on different websites. Look for a hosting review guide that compares the top hosting providers of the industry. It will narrow down your research for the right host.
3 Have a Look at the Server Reliability
Don’t compromise on the server quality. Because investing in a poor-quality web server can lead to website outages and crashes. The companies having poor servers might not able to tackle issues like DDOS attacks, massive traffic spikes, and other hosting provider errors. It is important to host your website with a web host that is operational 24*7. After all, your visitors may come to your website from time zones all over the globe.
Look for a host, which is stable in terms of networks. Nowadays, 99.95% uptime has become standard. Even for a shared hosting account, anything below 99% is not acceptable. There are plenty of ways you can get information about your web host’s uptime status. One simplest way to do so is by reading reviews about the uptime status. In addition to this, you can use tools like Pingdom, Uptime Robot, etc.
4 Options for Server Upgrading
A shared hosting account should be sufficient (rough estimate) to run a properly optimized WordPress website having 25000 to 30,000 monthly unique visitors. However, if you expect your site to grow big over the next 2-3 years, you should consider choosing a web host offering you adequate room to grow.
You must have options to choose premium web hosting plans such as VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, etc. After all, with the growth of your business, you will need better processing power, memory capacity, disk storage, and security features. It is recommended to choose a hosting provider that offers all three major hosting services i.e. Shared, Dedicated, and VPS hosting, find more about windows VPS. So, you don’t have to switch your provider when upgrading your server.
5 Choose The Right Amount of Bandwith
No matter what hosting type are you choosing, your hosting plan must offer you adequate bandwidth according to your website’s needs. Although a new website does not use a lot of bandwidth, it is necessary to leave room for growth. Your hosting provider should not lock you into a certain amount of bandwidth and then demand an additional fee to revise your hosting plan.
One easy method to calculate your bandwidth requirement is to:
- Make an estimate of the average page size of your website in KB (kilobytes). Pingdom’s Load time test can help in that.
- Multiply this value by the monthly average number of visitors.
- Now multiply your results (From step 2) by the average number of pageview per visitor.
6 Multiple Addon Domains
If you are running a business of diverse audiences, it could be beneficial for you to buy multiple domains. In a survey conducted by WebHosting Talk, 80% of the voters voted that they own more than 5 domains.
However, to serve multiple domains you need extra hosting space. So, look for a host that allows you to add multiple domains.
7 Compare Signup and Renewal Price
Nowadays, hosting deals are cheap during signup, but it is not necessary that the renewal price will be cheap as well. There are a few companies that offer 80% discount when signup and come with a much higher renewal price. So, be aware of such things before hitting the “Buy” button. To avoid any unpleasant surprises, check renewal rates in advance. Read all terms and conditions carefully.
8 Test The Support System
It is one of the most important things you should have a look at when searching for your right web hosting provider. Check out the mediums you have to access the support teams of your potential hosting providers. Find out if you can contact them via email, online chat, or phone support, 24 hours all seven days of the week. Get to know how their representatives interact with a user. To know that you can read their reviews or raise a fake query on their support system.
9 Check Out The Security Features
Security breaches have become very common nowadays. According to Statista, which reports on the number of data breaches, cyber-attacks are rising every year. Have a look at an annual number of exposed records and data breaches in the United States alone from 2005 to 2018.
When choosing a web host the security features you should look for are:
- Data backups & Disaster Recovery
- Network monitoring
- DDoS Prevention and Firewalls
- Malware Scanning
10 Refund Policy
What is the refund policy after the trial period has finished? Do you charge extra fees or any cancellation charges? These are a few basic questions you should ask your preferred provider before signing up? There are a few companies that charge high cancellation fees when a user cancels his account during the trial period. So, avoid those providers at all.
Conclusion
So, these are a few tips that can help you choose the right hosting service. However, you should remember that there is no fixed solution to one’s web hosting requirements. For example, if you are starting out an eCommerce website, a free host or shared server would not be sufficient for you. In a similar way, if you’re planning to run a small hobby blog or a site that usually needs updating, a dedicated server will be an expensive option for you. In short, different websites have different requirements.
Therefore, always choose a hosting provider according to your requirements. After all, it is not about finding the best web host in the world, it is about finding the right web hosting for you.
