How to choose the right web host

If you are setting up a website for the first time, you probably aren’t massively familiar with the different features, pricing packages and performance offerings of a web host. Let’s start off with the basics, as it is not entirely obvious to everybody what a web host actually is. As the title suggests, it is the host of a website, so it provides somewhere for your website to live and enables it to be found by people via the internet. Once it is set up on the internet, you can direct people to your website address via links through social media accounts and email marketing.

There are many different companies that offer web hosting services and a wide range of different packages. When it comes down to picking a web host, the decision should be based on the specific requirements of your website. Therefore, if you are somebody that wants to set up a website just for fun and don’t want to spend a lot of money then you will want something entirely different to the web host that a large corporate business will need.

Here are some of the main priorities in selecting the right website:

1. Specific to your business

One of the most important parts is defining what you need from your website – now and in the future. We mention this because a common mistake that people make is choosing a web host and then finding that further down the line, it can’t support the future requirements of the website.

2. Reviews

Reviews are always a good way of gauging the credibility of any kind of service. You can use customer reviews and technology expert reviews to help you come to an informed decision on which web hosts are the best in the market. PCmag.com provides regular updates on the various measures of the top rated web hosts.

3. Customer Support

If you are setting up a website for the first time, the chances are that you are going to need some support when getting it up and running. Most good web hosts offer 24/7 customer support, but you should check which hours they operate; particularly if they are based in another time zone and may operate during hours that don’t align to your business hours. Check the ratings for customer service and the types of channels that are offered.

4. Performance

If your web host can’t provide high levels of performance then your website will not manage a heavy flow of traffic. Slow page loads are frustrating for all users, so having a host that can provide fast performance will be important.

5. Storage/bandwidth limits

Depending on how much content you are looking to produce and how many visitors you will have coming to your website, you will need to select a host that can cater for these sizes. Some hosts offer unlimited amounts of storage and bandwidth.

6. Price

Naturally, price is an important factor. Remember that the cheapest will come with limitations. Therefore, check that they offer the features you are looking for. Also, don’t pay large fees for features that you will never use as this can become a waste of money.