As a business owner, you should be aware that it will take more than word of mouth to attract customers. Indeed, nowadays, the success of a business also relies on its digital assets, primarily a website.

In order function well, your website must be more than just beautifully designed. It also needs to perform well—which a web host can help with.

When creating your website, whether for a blog or e-commerce function, you need to carefully evaluate the web hosting requirements. Web hosting is a crucial consideration because this is where all your website’s files will be stored. Everything that appears on your live website will be kept in and maintained by the web host. With poor web hosting, your customers will have a hard time viewing the content on your website.

This is why you need to select the best hosting services that will help your website work efficiently. Don’t just choose the first web host provider you see. Rather, you must first understand the needs of your business and website.

Here are some things you need to consider before deciding on the web host provider:

Average Uptime

An important aspect of the performance of your website lies in the average time your website stays up within a given period of time. This is called average uptime, and it can determine how much traffic your website receives. You won’t get much traffic if visitors can’t access your website, which can lead to the loss of potential customers.

If you want more people to be able to access your site, you need to have an average uptime that is as close to 100% as possible. When selecting a web host provider, make sure you get one that offers an uptime of 99% or above.

Page Load Time

Web pages that load slowly can be frustrating for viewers and they’ll likely abandon the website completely—which can again be considered as a loss of potential sales. Similar to uptime, the page load time affects the traffic that goes to your website. Ideally, you should select a web hosting provider that will ensure your web pages load within 3 seconds or less.

Data Security

You need a web host provider that can protect your website’s content as well as your visitors’ data, so look for security features such as DDoS protection and SSL certification. In addition, find a web host that offers an information redundancy system and constant backups. This way, in case of any problems or unforeseen issues, you can rest assured that your website will still be online and operational.

Price

As a business owner, you want value for money in each investment you make. It’s the same with your website’s web host services. Although affordability can help narrow down your decision, it shouldn’t be the main factor. Remember, a lower-priced service doesn’t always mean it is bad; a more expensive option doesn’t guarantee quality, either.

It’s best to evaluate what exactly your website needs and look for a plan that will work both for your budget and your business requirements. Try to explore different offers from the various website hosting services. Some of them have special discounts based on the length of the plan you choose. Usually, longer web hosting plans have lower prices.

Technical Support

Aside from providing a high-performing and secure website, your web host provider must also offer reliable tech support. This is a key factor business owners need to consider because it can make a lot of difference when you are dealing with a crisis. Imagine how relieved you will be if the web host provider can efficiently assist you in resolving a quick issue compared to the frustration of dealing with your website being offline for a couple of hours.

To ensure the web host provider has excellent technical support, check if they have different contact channels available. Also, see if you can easily send them an email, chat with their representatives, or connect to their toll-free phone number. Remember to select a provider that puts customer support as part of their priority.

Storage

When selecting storage, keep in mind to choose a service that will best match the way you will use your website. For example, you will need ample storage space if you’re going to post a lot of videos. Therefore, you need to find a web host provider that can offer not just enough gigabytes but also a bit of wiggle room.

On the other hand, if your website doesn’t require a lot of storage, you can opt for a more affordable plan and save some money. If you come across a service that offers unlimited disk space for a reasonable price, then you have nothing to worry about.

Customer Reviews

Reading through customer reviews is one of the best ways to learn more about the web host services you are eyeing. Aside from the feedback written on the provider’s website, check blogs and social media sites to find out what their current and past customers are saying about them. See if they respond immediately when an issue has been reported or if it’s easy to contact their support team.

Scalability

As a business owner, you are always planning for the future of your company. Hence, it’s only practical to build a website that can keep up with the growth of your business. This includes evaluating if the hosting provider fits your future plans. For example, your web host provider might be able to adequately support a standard blog-type site but it might not have the capability to support e-commerce requirements.

See if the provider you choose can accommodate your business growth plan or if scalability will become an issue. It’s best to prepare now rather than deal with the challenges of transferring from one host to another in the future.


An efficiently performing website can attract new clients and help grow your business. Thus, it’s important to have a reliable web hosting service. Keep this list of considerations in mind before selecting a web host so you can make the right choice and set your company up for success.


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Originally posted here: https://www.activatedesign.co.nz/Blog/8-Things-to-Consider-When-Choosing-a-Web-Host/