Hosting is a fundamental aspect of running a website. Selecting the right web hosting provider is essential because you want a stable website so you can maintain your online presence. Bad service will have negative implications on your site, such as poor ranking, waste of resources (including your hard work, money and time) and it will impact your online presence and reliability.

What to check for in a web hosting company

There are numerous web hosting providers, but many people find themselves comparing Bluehost vs Godaddy. The two are the most popular across the globe. However, one may be more suitable depending on your website’s needs. Here is a compilation of some key aspects to check for when looking for the right web hosting provider.

Control panel (cPanel)

The cPanel is the software that enables you to manage your server and website. Ensure that the cPanel has all the basic features and more. For example, tools such as Cron, fantastic (auto script installer), simple script and Softaculous. Some services limit some features and consequently restrict what your capabilities are to manage your site. This may force you to contact their customer care for simple tasks such as changing your password. Some will even bill you for additional basic features. You also want a clean, user-friendly cPanel that is rich in features. The panel should offer a quick way to access technical support.

Technical support and availability

Running a website is sometimes very technical. A problem may arise, and you either cannot solve it, or only your host can solve it. Consequently, you need a hosting service that provides 24-hour technical support every day of the year. You do not want to experience failures in your website on a Friday, where you cannot access support until Monday. You want a service that you contact via live chat, telephone calls, and video calls, because most often you will need a rapid response.

Uptime scores and speed

One of the key features to check for in hosting service is their reliability in terms of uptime score. If you run an e-commerce store, you do not want your website unavailable even for a second. You want a host that will guarantee your website will always remain online, and will not go down due to server errors and maintenance. Ideally, you want a service with an uptime score of 99.95% and above. High availability is essential if your business and website wants to earn a rapport for reliability. Aside from uptime, you will want a service with fast servers. Delays in the website cause frustrations to visitors and reduce their satisfaction. Site visitors abandon a site that takes time to load. Thus, these tiny delays can affect your business.

Security

Website security and cybersecurity in general are of paramount importance for both small and large businesses. You want a hosting service with strong security, mainly where your website collects customer information. A secure server will provide a strong firewall, protect against intrusion, continuous monitoring to prevent malware and defense against all forms of cyber-attacks. Additionally, you should check that the host has backup services. If your site goes offline, you can then easily restore it within a very short time.

Know the type of hosting and your hosting needs

The type of hosting will significantly depend on the needs of your website. Before you proceed, understand your hosting needs. To establish your needs, consider the following:

• The type of website you are developing – static HTML website or a WordPress site.
• The amount of traffic you expect.
• Website features such as SSL or email hosting.
• The number of sites – some services will allow you to have multiple sites in a single account.
• Technical requirements, for example, if you are working with Python or PHP, your host should cater to these languages.

The above considerations will influence whether you opt for shared hosting, a virtual private server, a dedicated server or a cloud server.

After you find a hosting service that suits your needs, compare other aspects such as cost and location of the servers. Once you narrow down to a few providers, check out their reviews to see how clients rate them. A web host that offers all the above will be most suitable for your hosting needs.