How to Choose the Right Web Hosting Platform for Your Business

What is web hosting?

When we talk about web hosting services, we are referring to the process of hiring a professional company to provide you with dedicated hosting services.

Unless you have a dedicated server on your property, you will need to rely on a third party that can host your website for you. Essentially, you are going to rent out space on the server to make sure your website runs effectively.

It can be expensive to host your website on your own. If you only have a small website, it may not be worth it for your business to purchase all of the equipment you need to host your website.

As a result, you might be interested in using a third-party dedicated hosting service instead. Before you decide whether you want to hire a dedicated hosting service after you purchase a domain, you need to think about the pros and cons of all of your options.

Advantages of web hosting services

If you decide to use a professional web hosting service after creating your site, there are several significant advantages you will enjoy. They include:

• Affordability: You might be surprised at just how formidable it is to hire a professional hosting service. There is a tremendous amount of competition in this industry, which means that it may not be as expensive as you think. Hosting companies also continue to innovate, which means they can reduce their overhead expenses. This means it is even more affordable.
• Performance is a priority: If you want people to visit your website, it has to load as quickly as possible. The very first website to load will probably be the most popular one, which means web hosting companies are continuously prioritizing performance. If you go with a professional web hosting service, you can maximize your speed and uptime.
• Lots of great deals: In addition to paying for hosting services, you often get access to a wide variety of free amenities that can help you streamline your maintenance schedule. For example, you might get access to free email accounts, SSL certificates, and great options for website builders. You might even be able to customize your package to meet your needs.
• Support teams: When it comes to website and image hosting, you need to have access to an expert who can help you. From time to time, you might have questions, therefore, you might be interested in working with an expert who is always available if something goes wrong. Regardless of whether you want chat, email, or phone support, many professional teams have experts who are always available to assist you.

Disadvantages of web hosting services

Even though there are a lot of benefits to working with a professional team, there are several drawbacks to web hosting services as well. Some of the biggest drawbacks you need to keep in mind include:

• Scalability: If you have a strong website, do you think your company is going to grow in the future? If so, you need to find a web hosting service that can grow with you. There is a chance that the web hosting service might not be able to keep up with the needs of your website as your traffic increases, so you might have to change web hosting services down the road.
• Security: There is a saying that a castle is only as strong as its weakest wall. No company is immune to data breaches, and there is a chance that your web hosting company could be hacked. If that is the case, your information could be vulnerable, so you need to find a web hosting company that prioritizes cybersecurity. That way, you can reduce the chances of your information being compromised.
• Rising expenses: Even though there is a lot of transparency regarding web hosting, your costs will increase as your website grows. If you need to expand your website down the road, or if you need to upgrade to a better hosting service, you might end up having to pay more money.

These are a few of the drawbacks you may want to consider as you are exploring the possibility of professional web hosting. Even though you might be thinking about posting your website on your own, this is generally not a favorable option for small businesses.

With a relatively small website, it is probably not worth it for you to purchase all of your own equipment, and you need to rely on experts who can help you if something goes wrong. Even though you do need to think about the drawbacks carefully, you can mitigate a lot of them if you do your research and find the right company to help you.

7 types of web hosting

Just as there are lots of options available if you are looking for web design help, there are plenty of options available if you are looking for web hosting as well.

Some of the main options you should consider if you are interested in hiring professional hosting services include:

Shared hosting

If you have a relatively small website, shared hosting is one of the first options you should consider.

Shared hosting is a great option for an entry-level website, and your website will be stored on a server with a bunch of other websites. This means that you can divide the cost of hosting across multiple websites, helping you reduce the price.

This is often the easiest method available if you are looking for web hosting services, but the trade-off is that you are sharing the server with other sites. That means if there is a surge for one website, it could impact your website as well, as all of the sites are on the same server.

VPS hosting

If you are looking for a middle ground between a shared server and a dedicated server, a virtual private server could be the best option. A VPS plan gives you more control, but it doesn't require a dedicated server.

Every hosting provider that falls under this category is unique because each website hosted has its own virtual space. Even though you might share the physical server with other users, your virtual space is private. This means that you get access to different customizable options and storage space.

It is still possible that your website could be impacted by traffic rates on other sites on the same server, but it could be a great option if you are looking for specific software and package choices.

Cloud hosting

Cloud hosting has become one of the most popular options in the industry. This means that there are a lot of computers that work together, each of them running different applications using combined resources. This is a hosting solution that uses a network, turning the computing power into a utility you can rent.

One of the major advantages of this option is that the resources are spread out across multiple servers, reducing the chances of a server malfunction taking your website offline. This is also a scalable solution, meaning that you can change your resource consumption as your needs grow.

Dedicated hosting

If you are in need of total control over your website, then you might want to explore dedicated hosting. This gives you a tremendous amount of control because your website is the only one on the server. You also have root and administrative access, so you also control the security.

At the same time, this also means that you'll be paying a lot more money. This is one of the most expensive options for web hosting, so you need to make sure it is worth it for your company. If you have a large website that has a lot of traffic, this might be the right choice for your needs.

Managed hosting

As you take a look at the different options for hosting, you will probably find a lot of managed options. This means that the company provides a wide variety of other services as well, such as software setup, hardware assistance, maintenance, hardware replacement, and technical support.

Essentially, your hosting provider is going to handle the day-to-day management of the hardware, operating systems, and any other applications that might come with it.

A major advantage is that you have plenty of packages from which to choose, allowing you to customize your plan to meet your needs.

WordPress hosting

You might also be interested in WordPress hosting. WordPress is one of the most popular options for people looking to build a free website.

There are plenty of website layout options from which to choose, and if you decide you need a premium feature, you can pay for it.

Because WordPress is so popular, there are lots of hosting options available as well. It is one of the least expensive options available, but if you decide you need to expand your website down the road, you may need to switch your hosting provider.

Reseller hosting

Finally, you might also run into an option called reseller hosting. This is a business model where a web hosting provider allows some or all of their web hosting services to be marketed or sold by a different party or organization.

Because a company might offer several web hosting services from different companies, they are often knowledgeable about the options available. You can talk to them, comparing the benefits and drawbacks of each option before you decide on which option is right for your needs.

These are a few of the best options available, and you should think carefully about which one is right for your company.

How to choose the right web host for your needs

Clearly, there are a lot of choices available, so how can you select the right web hosting provider to meet your needs?

There are several important factors you need to consider, including:

Understand your needs

First, you need to understand what your needs are. What are you looking for in a web hosting provider? Are you simply looking for a host that can help your website load quickly? After all, speed is important when you want your audience to stick around.

Or, are you looking for a web hosting provider that can help you handle hardware support, software updates, and other technical issues? You need to consider the capabilities of each web hosting provider before you decide which package is right for you.

Understand the subscription model

Next, you need to take a look at the subscription models you have available. Typically, web hosting plans run using a subscription plan. Some contracts might only be for a few months, but other contracts might be for a few years.

You don't want to lock yourself into a long contract if you have to change your web hosting provider down the road. As your website grows and expands, you might need to switch your web hosting provider to make sure you can meet the demands of your user base.

Ask about uptime and reliability

You always need to take a look at server uptime and reliability before making a final decision. You do not want to work with a web hosting provider that has a lot of server issues.

If someone tries to visit your website and the server is down, that could be a negative reflection of your business. The vast majority of web hosting providers will share their uptime with you, and you want it to be as high as possible.

If something goes wrong with the server, you want to know what their policy is. Will they give you a refund for the amount of time the server is down?

Look at scalability

You should also take a close look at the scalability of the hosting service. If your needs change down the road, how easy is it for you to upgrade your plan? For example, if you start to notice a spike in traffic, you might need more resources from the server.

Can you upgrade your plan easily? Or is it going to be difficult for you to change your plan in the middle of your subscription? You should try to find a hosting service that provides you with plenty of scalability.

Ask about the security features

Do not forget to ask about security as well. Just as you are working hard to keep your confidential information safe, there are a lot of hackers who are looking to steal it.

Even though you may have strong cybersecurity measures on your network, your website could be vulnerable on the hosting service’s server. Make sure the hosting service has a long track record with strong security features, and ask them if they update their security protocols regularly. That way, you can make sure that your confidential information will be safe.

Inquire about backups and additional domains

Finally, you should ask about backups and additional domains. If there is something wrong with the primary server, you need to know that your information is available on a backup server. That way, you don't have to worry about losing any of your information, and your website will stay active even if something goes wrong with the primary server.

You might need to expand your website down the road, adding additional domains. If that is the case, you need to make sure the hosting provider has the ability to handle it. You also need to know how this will impact your overall cost. Make sure you have plenty of transparency regarding these issues before you decide which web hosting service you want to use.

A good web host is the foundation of a strong website

Even if you just plan on having a few blog posts, you need to make sure your website is active. The vast majority of people use the internet when they are looking for products and services that they need, so you need to make sure your website is a positive reflection of your business.

By finding the right web hosting provider, you can maximize your speed and uptime, making a positive impression on your visitors.

If you want to build a strong website, Mailchimp has a wide variety of tools that can expedite the process for you. Take a look at your options today, and build a strong website.