What Businesses Need To Look For In A Web Hosting Service

Did you know the most essential function of a web hosting service is speed? Website performance, aka site speed, can attract visitors when loading pages quickly and push customers away when it’s too slow.

Plus, speed also affects SEO and site rankings, i.e., how Google treats your site in search results.

Once you’ve worked out your web hosting provider can deliver on speed, so your bounce rate is low and conversion rate high, you can look at the other vital factors of a top-rate web hosting service.

Support is a priority

How good is your web hosting provider’s customer service? Did you know globally there are 4.66 billion users of the internet? That’s a lot of people, so when your website experiences downtime, it means you don’t exist.

Website visitors and customers may not wait till your site is back online – and simply head straight to your competitors. Therefore, every second your site is offline is bad news for your business.

Knowledgeable internet users can access cached pages of your website when it’s offline, but you will want your web hosting provider to act quickly to bring your site online as soon as possible.

Customer response and technical support are key differentiators of web hosting services. Your hosting plan will outline what support services are available to you.

If you need your website’s uptime at least 99%, you will need around-the-clock customer response. Some of the features to look for include online chat, email and the usual support ticket helpdesk system with technical staff available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Never underestimate the value of great customer support and ensure it is a key requirement when selecting a web hosting provider.

Scalability

Choose a web hosting plan that accommodates scalability. Just as in the real world, the number of customers showing up at your doorstep (virtually in this case) when you open for the first time will decrease and increase over time.

Your broadband and data plan should scale accordingly. Start off with what you need with the premise that when site traffic proliferates, your hosting service will too.

Your web hosting provider shouldn’t lock you into an inflexible agreement but allow for the adding of services, bandwidth, and data via customer support contract points, i.e., online chat, email, or direct phone call. I

If scalability is not something that the provider is not in a position to offer you, continue your search as web hosting is very competitive, and you can get the service that you need when you need it.

Cost

The pricing of web hosting will vary extensively even with comparable services. The web hosting market will become even more competitive too as it is forecast to grow to $144.4 billion by 2027.

The price difference can influence your choice of provider; however, as the saying goes: you get what you pay for. So choosing to pay less may very well mean getting the most basic and inflexible service, which may hinder the growth plans for your business.

Other Services That Influence Choice

Some of the other services web hostings provide include

• Websites
• Ecommerce
• Domains
• SEO and online marketing

A compelling reason to choose a provider is when there have tools to build your own website, or the provider makes it for you using templates and CMSs like WordPress. Adding a shop and an Ecommerce feature is also a service provided by many web hosting providers. Plus, you may also get SEO and some online marketing services too.

If you’re starting a new business and site, you’ll need a domain name that needs TSL – check your hosting provider can offer these services.

The one-stop-shop web hosting service that includes many features and plug-and-play options is often the most important criteria for many people starting a business. The good news is many providers bundle their services in their monthly or annual payment plans.

Security is a must

Web hosting providers would soon go out of business if they didn’t have secure networks, servers and didn’t take cybersecurity seriously.

The greatest dangers for your website usually arrive through security gaps caused by vulnerable plugins or themes. However, it pays to ask your web hosting provider the right questions to ascertain how they deal with sites that have been breached by a cyberattack.

Summing Up

Avoid complacency with your web hosting service. Remember speed is paramount to growing your site traffic and online sales.

Customer service must be up to the task, so your site is online and that you can request changes to the plan, so it scales according to demand.

The provision of additional features, services, and prices are also crucial factors in choosing your web hosting provider.