Every website depends on a web hosting provider to store and maintain the site and keep it functioning. If you choose the wrong web host, all of your efforts can fail. A clunky, slow, and technically challenged website is no friend of search engines. Here we list the most common web hosting mistakes you should avoid.
Although business is all about the bottom line, there are times you should scrimp and times you should go for the best you can afford. Hosting services fall under the latter category. You get what you pay for in the world of web hosting, and few companies can afford to sacrifice the technology and support their hosts provide. Instead of going for the cheapest solution, if money is a factor (which it usually is) look for the most affordable option offered by the best service provider. In most cases, you will find a discount if you go with the annual plan instead of the monthly.
Avoid Shared Hosting Services
Shared hosting services often fall under the concerns above. This type of service is often available for as little as $2 per month. The price alone should be a red flag. In the case of shared hosting, you and who knows how many other customers are literally sharing a server and the resources the company offers. And more can join at any time. As a result, your website’s performance will be far from optimum. Also, if a fellow website on the shared host isn’t big on security, when they are hacked, your site becomes vulnerable, costing way more than you save.
Thinking a Dedicated Server is the Only Option
Dedicated servers are much more expensive, even though it is the best way to guarantee optimal performance. This type of plan means you have your own server, reducing the risk for hackers. You also have complete control and ownership of the resources. However, you are looking at a minimum of around $100 to as much as $2000 per month.
Most small businesses don’t have the demand to warrant the cost of a dedicated server and consider a “virtual private server” (VPS). VPS plans hit the sweet spot on not just price, ranging from a reasonable $20 to $50 a month, but also offer more for your money. You get the same security and performance of a dedicated server with a more secure way of sharing, using partitioning so your site acts like it is being run on its own.
Not Considering Support
When it comes to anything techie, unless you are an expert, always opt for the service with phone and/or chat support. You want to know you can get help when you need it, and email support just doesn’t cut it.
Difficult Interface
Again, when dealing with techie stuff, you want an interface that is user-friendly. In situations where you need to access your server, you want to make changes easily. If you aren’t incredibly computer literate, it makes more sense to allow a professional web management service to worry about things for you.
