Not all web hosts are created equal. Web hosting is now a huge, and a hugely competitive, industry, and like many other web services some companies think they can get away with low speeds and poor reliability.
The problem is especially acute when it comes to choosing web hosts, because a lot of companies chose a host during the first few weeks of operation, and then gladly forget which host they’ve chosen.
Your choice of web host can have surprisingly significant effects on your business. As internet speeds increase across the world, users are becoming more and more impatient when it comes to slow loading websites. If you’ve gone through a process of optimising your site, and are still suffering low speeds, it could be that your web host is not keeping up with the amount of traffic you are receiving.
Choosing a web host need not be a complicated business. You just need to look for a few key features.
Uptime
Uptime is merely a measure of how often a site will go down. The problem here is that viewed from your backend CMS; it may be impossible to see if your site is down. Your customers will certainly notice, however, and you will not only lose their business but their trust also.
A good host, nowadays, will hardly ever go down. And if they go offline for maintenance, they should tell you about it, and schedule this at times when you are least affected.
Speed
If your pages take more than 5 seconds to load, people are going to click away before you get a chance to sell them anything. The rise of mobile devices makes page loading times more critical than ever because research suggests that people looking at your site on their phone are even less patient.
There are plenty of websites that compare web hosting speeds, and in this area, a little research can go a long way. Look for a site with average loading speeds of under 500ms, and you won’t go too far wrong.
Customer Service
While it may not seem like you’re going to have to talk to your web hosting provider very often, an excellent customer service team can make all the difference when it comes to developing your business. Primarily, you should look for a web host that is responsive when you call them and doesn’t keep you hanging around all day.
Also, a good customer service department is handy when you need to upgrade your systems or add additional features.
Price
It might seem like the price should be the most crucial factor when it comes to web hosting, but it isn’t. Ultimately, you get what you pay for when it comes to web hosting.
If your web host is free, for instance, you need to ask yourself how they are making money. If your payment is not their primary source of income, you are not going to be their primary focus.
Final Thoughts
Not all hosting solutions are made equal. In the end, it pays off to spend the time and energy researching the best one for your needs and avoiding spending too much money. For a complete list of providers, please take a look at Gary Steven’s list of recommended companies.
