Starting a website isn’t quite as simple as people make it out to be, especially if you need that website to serve a business purpose. The website not only needs to look good but it also needs to load fast reliably. Having a great looking website hosted on a server that goes down several times a month does no good to the business. That is why it is crucial to find a good web hosting provider. Here are the things you need to ensure a web host has before you consider signing up with them.
Uptime of at least 99%
99% may seem like a lot, but it equates to about seven hours of downtime per month. So, it’s the least you should be looking for; any lower than that is a waste of your time. Ideally, you’ll want to find web hosts that can guarantee an uptime of somewhere closer to 99.6-99.9%! This equates to roughly two hours to forty-five minutes of total downtime per month. Most websites you visit probably use a host that guarantees 99.9% uptime.
Specialization
Certain web hosts are going to be better at certain website types than others. It’s worth keeping in mind what it is you want your website to do before deciding on a host. Let’s say you just want to start a simple blog. In that case, getting hosting from WordPress can be the best thing to do. If you’re looking to start an online store, then finding a reliable e-commerce host will be the way to go! Make sure your chosen web host has experience and expertise when it comes to the type of website you want to make.
Great reviews
You should check independent review sites whenever you’re looking at a web host. Whatever claims are made on that web host’s website should be backed up by the details of their customers’ actual experiences. If they’re getting a bunch of poor reviews online, then it’s probably best to stay away from them! (Of course, it’s worth remembering that people are more likely to leave a review if they had a negative experience, and that sometimes the harsh critics are just bitter about something over which the web host had no control.)
Trustworthy and reliable support
Even the best web hosts out there will occasionally give you problems. 99% uptime isn’t 100% uptime, after all. Things will occasionally go wrong or get tricky. But if the customer support of that web host isn’t very responsive or doesn’t provide you with good solutions, then that can ruin the whole experience. There are web hosts out there that are notorious for having terrible customer service that makes customers drop them despite a 99% uptime.
Good price
Last but not least it’s worth emphasizing that the price really is often the last thing you should consider. Not because it isn’t important; the problem is that so many people think the price is the most important aspect when choosing a web host. But when it comes to web hosts, you generally do get precisely what you pay for. The best thing to do is find a bunch of hosts who fit all of the above criteria, then compare the prices of them all to ascertain which is the best value.
