What exactly is web hosting, and why do I need it?
Every website needs a home. Whether you have a personal or family blog, an online photo gallery, a business blog, or an e-commerce website, it is necessary to have a web hosting provider to make your site available on the Internet.
Think of web hosting service like space that you rent on the Internet. It is your very own spot to place your personal or company information, photos, product details, or e-commerce system.
There are so many companies out there. What should I consider when choosing a web host?
There are millions and millions of websites on the Internet, which means there are also thousands upon thousands of web hosting providers to choose from. There are many factors to consider when choosing a host. Here are a few of them:
Your level of technical expertise:
If you are not a technical expert, there are web hosts who will explain things to you in plain English, and ask you questions about your needs, without a lot of technical gobbledygook. Many web hosts explain their services in technical terms, numbers and statistics and figures that are not necessarily meaningful to everyone. However many web hosts recognize that all that terminology can be overwhelming and confusing. If you are not a technical person, look for a company that explains things in terms you can understand.
If you are a web designer with great design skills and are not interested in dealing with technical details, there are web hosts who will work with you and deal with all technical matters and let you focus on the design for your clients.
If you have more of a technical bent, you may be looking for direct access to a server with lots of flexibility and freedom to make the changes you need. In that case, a web host that offers dedicated servers, reseller plans, powerful control panels, etc. would be more up your alley.
Geographic location:
If, for example, you are a Canadian business who targets Canadian customers, you will likely prefer to deal with a Canadian web hosting company which has Canadian servers, Canadian support, and operates under the legal jurisdiction of Canada. For example, the USA has privacy laws which do not apply in Canada and may jeopardize the confidentiality of client’s information. It is important to consider this when choosing a host for your site.
Search engines like Google recognize the hosting location of websites, and may assume that your site is geared for a specific audience depending on where it is hosted. For example, a site hosted in Canada is more likely to receive preferential rankings on Google’s Canadian website.
Support:
When it comes to support, you want to make sure your web host is going to be there when you need them. When choosing a web host, look for testimonials which speak to the quality and response time of the support department.
Many web hosting companies now have video tutorials showing how to perform common actions, for example setting up e-mail, setting up your FTP, using content management systems like WordPress, and other normally technically overwhelming tasks. Check out Web hosting companies’ support section for these types of things.
Blogging and social networking is also a way that companies that are staying on top of emerging technologies are engaged in. Check to see if the hosting company you are considering has had the blog in which they keep in touch with their customers, and encourage feedback. See if they have a twitter presence. These types of things promote transparency and show that a customer is serious about engaging with its clients.
Sustainability:
Consider how long the company were choosing has been in business. During the sales process asked them how often they update their servers with the latest security patches. What was their downtime in the last year?
Value:
Generally, you get what you pay for with web hosting. Is the price too good to be true? Well it probably is. If you pay a fair price for service, it is fair to expect fair support and value. But be sure to compare the pricing of the host you are considering closely with competition.
If you consider these factors in your selection process, you will be sure to make a good selection for a host provider.