How to Choose a Web Host
You’ve taken the time to create the best, most compelling content you can. You’ve got a firm idea of what you want your website to do, the customers you’d like to attract, and the features you want to include. Now all you need to do is find a way to hang out your electronic shingle—you need someone to host your site.
Choosing a Web hosting provider seems easy. A quick Internet search, a few clicks, and a credit card number, and you’ve got a home for your site on the Web. What could be simpler?
But slapping down your hard-earned money for the first solution you find isn’t necessarily in your best interest. In order to find a hosting provider that’s the perfect fit for you and your website, you’ll need to take several factors into account.
The Importance of Needs Analysis
As with any major decision that affects your business, it’s critical that any investment you make in Web hosting has a positive return. Take some time to ask yourself some important questions about what exactly you expect—and need—from a hosting provider.
What Kind of Hosting Do You Need?
Understanding what kind of hosting plans are available, as well as their respective merits and limitations, is a must.
- Shared Hosting is the most popular, and most affordable, hosting option. You’ll be renting space on a shared (hence the name) Web server with other site owners, which means you’re also sharing resources like RAM and processing power. It’s comparable to living in an apartment building: lots of neighbors, shared everything, and limited access to the inner workings of the property.
- Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting generally offers more flexibility and control than shared hosting, at prices that are slightly higher than (or sometimes even comparable to) shared plans. The “virtual” in the title refers to a software-generated virtual machine that serves as your Web server. It functions just like a real-world dedicated server and gives you more control over configuration along with greater resources. However, the virtual machine itself may be just one of many such servers hosted on the same hardware machine. Think of it as a chic bungalow on a private estate; you don’t have to share resources with your neighbors, but you’re still dependent upon the estate’s resources as a whole.
- Cloud Hosting is similar to VPS hosting. However, these plans offer increased performance and greater resources by spreading demand across multiple servers on the Internet. Your data and site are secured using advanced encryption, and you can scale your hosting plan in real time thanks to the flexibility of cloud-based sharing (many plans are pay-as-you go, meaning you only pay for the resources you actually use).
- Dedicated Hosting is generally the most expensive basic hosting you can buy. You get your own dedicated, physical machine, which you can configure, reboot, rebuild, and control any way you like (within the limits imposed by your provider). You have complete control, but you may also be on the hook for repairs, upgrades (both software and hardware), and backups. Dedicated hosting generally offers the highest available amount of resources as well, but at a premium price. Comparable to owning your own home, dedicated hosting lets you be king or queen of your domain—but funding the royal treasury is up to you.>
- Reseller Hosting plans are used to create sites that resell hosting to others. They’re available at all four levels (Shared, VPS, Cloud, and Dedicated), but due to the resource demands inherent to hosting resale are most commonly used with VPS, Cloud, or Dedicated plans.
- Managed Hosting is a service that can be applied to any level of hosting, though it’s generally reserved for the more powerful VPS, Cloud, Reseller, or Dedicated plans. With this service, your hosting provider will attend to all the hardware and software upgrades, backups, and traffic monitoring that would normally eat up time you could be tending to your business. These plans often include a dedicated customer service support rep and priority support options as well. Whether as a complete hosting package or an add-on service, Managed hosting will generally add a significant cost to your hosting costs—but may actually turn out to be a cost-cutter in the long run thanks to the time and trouble it saves you.
Which Features Do You Need?
Your hosting needs, like your website, are unique. The applications you use, content you share, and traffic your site receives are all things to keep in mind when searching for a hosting provider. Are you planning to open a Web store? A host with strong e-commerce support and options would probably be a smart choice. Are you new to the Web, or working on a modest budget? You’ll probably want to hold off on that maxed-out dedicated server until business picks up a bit.
In addition to the specific needs of your site, you should keep in mind a few “must-haves” for any serious website owner:
- An established and reputable hosting provider. As with any other business, hosting providers tend to gain prestige and credibility the longer they’re in business. This is due in large part to the notion that businesses with unhappy customers tend to fizzle out. Find out how long the hosts you’re considering have been in business. Do a quick Better Business Bureau search to find out whether they’ve got a checkered (or exceptional) track record with customers. And, of course, read those customer reviews and testimonials. A little research up front can help you spot potential problems early on—before you spend a dime.
- The more uptime, the better. The Internet may be an “always-on” environment, but even the best servers can suffer from a mishap, equipment failure, or hack attack. Since every minute your site is down is a minute you’re potentially losing money, customers, and credibility, look for a site that offers an uptime guarantee of at least 99%.
- Don’t overlook the control panel. If you’re managing your website on your own, then chances are you’ll be spending a great deal of time in the hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel, zPanel, Plesk, etc.) your hosting provider gives to its customers. Make sure you find one that’s user-friendly and yet powerful enough to assist you with tasks such as email account creation, database management, and installing applications or scripts.
- Save money and resources with scalability. Technological advances such as Software Defined Networks (SDNs) are poised to revolutionize both network and local scalability, saving you time and money. But right now, growing your business means more traffic, more resources consumed, and a higher hosting bill. And that bill can sometimes be much higher, if you haven’t planned ahead to allow for growth. Scalable hosting not only lets you plan for the future, but can actually help save you money from day one by allowing you to select a pay-as-you-go plan. You’ll have access to the resources you need during peak times, and won’t have to pay for resources you never use during quieter times.
- Make security a priority. Even the most affordable hosting providers generally include some sort of built-in firewall and anti-virus options for their hosted websites and email accounts. If you expect to handle a lot of transactions (and sensitive customer data), it’s well worth it to investigate any additional security options (including traffic and file monitoring) to protect your investment (and your reputation). Some services, such as SiteLock and Barracuda Networks, provide third-party security enhancements (e.g. monitored firewall protection, site restoration, etc.) for a monthly fee.
- Don’t get too hung up on cost. Yes, the old adage “You get what you pay for” applies to hosting as well as any other service, but the cheapest plan may be so limited in resources that it ends up costing you more in overage fees than you would pay for a more powerful plan. And if you’re running a site that pulls a lot of traffic and moves a lot of data, investing in hosting that’s more expensive up front or per unit (such as Cloud or VPS hosting) may be worth it if it gives you enhanced scalability while keeping costs down with an as-you-go rate. Compare plans carefully, across features (many hosting providers break down their various service tiers with helpful charts designed just for this purpose) and choose the one that gives you the most bang for your hosting buck.
- Customer support is not a luxury item. Most hosts offer some variation of ’round-the-clock or 24/7/365 support (usually via e-mail or chat as well as phone), but not all customer service plans are created equal. Investing in enhanced, real-time support, a dedicated rep, or even fully-managed hosting will turn out to be a bargain if a problem crops up that you’re not ready to tackle yourself.
One of the best ways to narrow your search is with a hosting compare tool. You can quickly sort out likely candidates by specific criteria, then examine each of them in greater detail before making a decision.
Choosing the right Web hosting provider is a key part to building a successful presence online. The myriad options and features can sometimes seem overwhelming. But if you take the time to identify your needs, understand the hosting plans on offer, and carefully vet possible providers, it won’t be hard to find a safe, stable, and affordable home for your website.