Choosing the right web host determines many factors of your business’s success. For starters, it is important to consider your web host’s effectiveness and role in terms of generating web traffic, engagement, and profitability. Below are 5 key elements that your web host has a role in contributing to. Upon reading them, you will be able to confidently assess whether or not your web host and your business are a good pair.
Let’s dive in:
Site Speed
Almost half of website users expect their page to load in less than two seconds, otherwise, they will leave the page. Perhaps even the site entirely. Long loading times could have very detrimental effects on your user engagement or sales. Particularly if you have an e-commerce website, the risks of slow loading times could cost you a significantly higher amount.
If your site is properly maintained and optimized, loading times can be extremely fast. If it isn’t, this is a fault of not your own, but your web host. Perhaps your web host isn’t investing enough into server infrastructure, or there is an overload of shared servers. This should never happen, and if it does, it means your provider is neglecting their duties.
The best thing you can do for yourself is to do a quick search for independent reviews and speed tests. There is a large community of professionals who will review these kinds of services. Often, very thoroughly.
Uptime
For every minute your site is offline, you’re losing out on new traffic, repeat visitors, and, most importantly, sales. According to a study which polled 400 mid to large clients, most businesses face an average of five network downtimes per month. Downtimes are serious for any sized business.
Here is a list of reasons why downtimes may occur:
- Network device failure
- Lack of supervision by system administrators
- Power outages
- Poorly implemented configuration changes
- DoS attacks
No provider can guarantee or offer 100% uptime due to a multitude of factors both in and out of their control, but the best ones work hard and tireless to get as close as possible. It is important to have a web host who truly is there to support you and your business needs.
Support
With every web service provider, it is crucial to have around the clock customer service. Why? Because your website is your online business that is operating 24/7 365 around the clock as well. The last thing you want to do is waste precious time trying to even get a hold of your hosting provider, only to have them respond to you a day later when the issue could have been solved in minutes.
Security
Attackers are constantly on the lookout for exploitable vulnerabilities to gain access to both your servers and any valuable information stored. If your hosting provider isn’t maintaining and updating their cyber security, your business could be in a lot of trouble.
If your web host has outdated versions of admin panels and database management tools or is storing passwords without hashing them, maybe it’s time to take action. Because these kinds of issues can often be hard to identify, it is a good idea to make sure you Google your web host and check for any big security breaches.
Scalability
Whether you’re running an online store or a personal blog, site growth should be the overall aim. A good host will provide you with an array of plans designed to suit multiple budgets and have the necessary resources to have your projects running swimmingly. They will even go as far as to consult you on when is a good time to upgrade to a higher tier and offer you more resources catered to your needs.
In conclusion, a good host can help you reach your full potential without the headache. Here are the main criteria to keep in mind about your provider:
- Good site speeds to encourage low bounce rates.
- Uptimes as close to 100% as humanly possible.
- An excellent support service to back you up if difficulties arise.
- Solid security practices to ensure the safety of your sites and your visitor’s data.
- Enough room for your projects to flourish!
