Right now there are over 342 million registered domain names. All of these need hosting in order to be live so it should come as no surprise to see numerous companies that offer hosting services for those interested. Choosing a hosting package that is perfect for your business becomes complicated when faced with the current market diversity.
If you want to choose the very best hosting service for you in 2019, you need to consider the following factors.
Know Your Hosting Needs
There are different types of web hosting services that are available right now. You need to choose those that are appropriate for your current needs. The most common and recommended options for most site owners are:
- Shared web hosting – Recommended for small to medium sites with not that much traffic.
- VPS hosting – Highly recommended for businesses and high growth potential because the package offers high flexibility for resource demanding and fast-growing sites.
- Dedicated server hosting – You control the entire server, including security and allocated resources. This type is recommended for businesses that need complete hosting control.
Analyze Features And Hosting Plan Limitations
Before you choose a web hosting package you need to fully understand what is offered and what limitations exist. Some tips to help you do that include:
- Avoid unlimited offers – Whenever you see something that is unlimited there is a high possibility that there is a problem since no reputable company offers something like this, especially for free.
- Check limitations – There can be hosting limitations in regards to web space available, bandwidth included, CPU resources, PHP limits and so on.
- Support service offered – A sign of an unreliable web hosting provider is not offering 24/7 customer support.
- Free SSL – SSL is more important now than ever so see if it is included or free.
Own Your Domain Name
When you choose your hosting service it is a good idea to consider providers that give you access to a free domain name with the hosting you buy. Free domain transfer also needs to be included. Keep in mind that some hosting providers register the domain for you but you do not actually own it. This has to be avoided at all costs. Only choose providers that work with your domain name or register it for you. If this is available for free, even better.
Analyze Pricing
Most business owners naturally want to save money when they pay for services. However, with hosting packages you do get what you pay for. This does not mean that you need to go for the most expensive prices since overpaying is also something that should be avoided. Generally, the most important things to remember about web hosting pricing are:
- Always avoid free hosting – Many providers add ads to your site or simply allow low server resources to free sites.
- Check renewal prices – Some providers give you a great deal as a signup promotion but the renewal prices are much higher than with other services. Always do the math and look for the best quality offered for the money you pay.
- Hidden fees – Be particularly careful about hidden fees. Read everything about the pricing structure used and the fees that exist.
Choose The Desired Support Level
The most reliable web hosting providers take great pride in offering stellar support. This is completely normal since you never know when something might go wrong and you might need help from a company specialist.
Choose providers that offer as many support options as possible. This includes email and phone support. Livechat support is also something that you might need from time to time.
Basically, think about whether or not you need 24/7 support or specific support options like phone support. If you are a beginner and you do not know much about web hosting, 24/7 customer support is a vital service to have.
As an extra related tip, be sure that technical support assistance scope is presented. Practically, see what support is offered so you understand what the department can do to help and what it cannot do.
Read Customer Reviews
One of the easiest ways to be sure that you will be offered really good hosting is to read customer reviews. You want to research reviews written about the exact service you want to buy. For instance, if you want VPS hosting, check reviews written about the VPS hosting packages of the company and be sure they are written by actual customers.
The most reputable web hosting providers offer stellar customer support. They quickly deal with problems that appear and treat customers with complete respect. If you see there are many complaints written about a provider, there is a good possibility that you will also have a problem.
Don’t Forget About Security
There are now more cyber criminals than ever. Hackers look for weak sites that can be exploited. If the security offered by the web hosting provider is low, it is a certainty that you will have problems in the future. Always be sure that you see what security is offered. All servers need to have a firewall and be monitored for hacks and virus infections.
A great way to see what security level is offered is to check what backups are available. The more often backups happen, the higher the security for your site! This means that if your site is compromised, a backup can be restored. Just check and see if this is included in the pricing.
Check Reliability And Uptime Scores
Unstable network connections and weak servers push sites offline. If this happens, you lose valuable sales and site visitors. At the same time, you end up with low search engine rankings. Because of this, you need to choose the hosting companies that have truly reputable uptime scores. You should choose those that have a guaranteed uptime of over 99%. Those with a lower rating should be avoided.
Conclusions
When you consider the tips that were mentioned above it is much easier to choose a truly reliable web hosting provider and a package that will be perfect for your current and future needs. Never be tempted by really cheap deals or free mentions but do not overpay. Understand exactly what is offered and if your budget allows it, seriously consider VPS hosting since such packages grow with the site and offer the highest possible flexibility.
