When building a website, one of the very first decisions you have to make is which hosting provider to use. However, for many people, this is something they barely consider. If you’re using an easy web builder, like Wix, they even make the decision for you. And, since some of the language used to describe the different types of hosting can be technical, it’s easy to leave it at that.
Unfortunately, choosing the wrong hosting can be catastrophic for your business or blog. Instead of serving your needs, it ends up hindering you. Take a look at this Bluehost review to see how going with one of the top Google results can go terribly wrong.
So, what should you be looking out for when choosing web hosting? You don’t need any particular expertise. Just follow these 3 tips.
Reliability
This seems like it should be obvious, but if a hosting service is not reliable the vast majority of the time, you should steer clear. The reason it needs to be said is that many people assume this is a given, especially when a service is popular. Millions of other people are using it to host their websites, so they must be reliable, right?
Due to this assumption, many have been burnt by services like Bluehost and GoDaddy which, while popular, are beset with fundamental problems.
Therefore, the very first factor you must take into account is reliability. How often does this service have issues? Do these issues affect most users or only some? And how quickly are they resolved?
No service is reliable 100% of the time, but those who respond to setbacks with haste are a much safer bet.
Customer Service or Support
Things go wrong sometimes. That is a given with just about everything. However, when it comes to hosting, you as a customer may feel particularly helpless. After all, you probably can’t do anything from your side, even if you do have some tech expertise. For this reason, good customer service is crucial for hosting providers. The last thing you want when things go wrong is for your provider to be unavailable.
Check out what other customers have said with regards to service. They know better than anyone how the provider responds to setbacks. If there are many disgruntled customers, steer clear.
Versatility
Finally, another important factor when it comes to choosing the right hosting is versatility. Chances are, you have a good idea of what it is you expect from your website. However, that may well change down the line. If the remit of your business changes, or you turn a blog into a business, or even if you just attract more visitors than you expected, you might need to switch to another plan.
Good hosting providers are versatile and give you leeway to make changes to your plan. They don’t keep you locked into a plan that is going to hinder you in the long term. Furthermore, they are ont so niche that they only cater to your original needs.
Follow the above 3 guidelines and you will be well-set to choose the best hosting provider.
