Are you about to launch your new site? Congrats! You’ve probably already selected your theme, your CMS (content editor). But how did you choose your accommodation? Did you choose this accommodation only for its price? Or for its features?
As you can imagine, if you are asked the question, it is that hosting will have a definite impact on the performance of your website, and it is clear that most bloggers/site builders do not give much importance to this.
So what factors should be kept in mind while choosing a web host? In this article, we are going to share 6 tips to help you choose the right one for you to optimize your site performance.
1. Take stock of your needs
Unfortunately, there is no one answer to help you choose the best web host for your project. Everyone’s idea of ​​the “best hosting” depends on the needs and specifics of each website.
For example, if you chose to work on WordPress, it would be relatively interesting to choose a customized hosting for this CMS (eg WPX Hosting). If you plan to operate an e-commerce site, you will need a web host that can support the transaction system you are using.
Before you start looking for a web host, take the time to define your project and your needs. Ask yourself the following questions:
- what type of site are you going to build , For example, are you going to be working on WordPress or building a static HTML site?
- Are you going to build more than one site? Some hosts allow you to create multiple sites with a single account;
- How much traffic do you expect to receive each month? be realistic. This will help you determine how many resources you need. If you plan to grow your traffic over time, you may need a web host that offers to optimize hosting performance based on site activity;
- What technical requirements do you need? Most coding languages ​​like HTML and CSS can be integrated into any hosting, but if you’re working on Python, for example, you’ll need to find a host that can support that language;
- Do you need additional functions? We are thinking of hosting an email address, an SSL certificate (for security) here. Make sure the accommodation you choose offers what you’re looking for (and at a reasonable rate);
- What is your monthly budget? Yes, hosting is paid monthly. By figuring out your budget, you can quickly weed out cheaper and overpriced services.
2. Hosting Reliability and Speed
One of the most important things to consider when choosing a web host is their reliability and uptime. Obviously you want your site to be up and running as often as possible.
While no host can guarantee 100% uptime, many companies can (see more) claim to have 99.5% uptime. Avoid hosting companies with less than 99% uptime.
Why ? Hmm… just because your site isn’t available… you won’t be able to make sales. If a user (wanting to place an order on your site) logs in at this exact moment, it is very likely that they will go to the contest if your site is not available.
Along with uptime, you also need to make sure that the host’s servers are fast enough. There are many ways to speed up your website load speed, but if your site is on a slow server, no matter how many changes you make, it will still be slow.
NB: Core Web Vitals Update Google will be deployed in mid-June 2021 and should affect the organic visibility of slow sites. So make sure to read this article and be ready for this update.,
Speed ​​may not seem important to a newbie with low web traffic, but it will become more and more important as your site grows.
To find statistics on a given host’s reliability and speed, first check out their website and then browse the reviews available online to get an idea of ​​how other customers’ sites have performed with that host.
3. Be Aware of Available Upgrades
In general, shared web hosting is a good place to start. It is cheap and meets the needs of most beginners. However, your needs may not remain the same forever. As your website grows, you may need more bandwidth. Or storage for email and other resources.
If everything goes according to your plan, then as your business grows, you will need to increase the capacity of your hosting. So be sure to go for “flexible” offers that will allow you to develop your own housing according to your needs.
Our advice: Start with quality shared hosting on a platform that offers hosting on a dedicated server (or a VPS). This will allow you to tailor the service to your needs (without having to go around getting more than one unsuitable service)
4. Remember to Take a Look at Security to Choose the Best Hosting
Another important aspect to keep in mind with a web host: security. This is especially true if you plan to run a website that stores personal user data (name/email/credit card…).
Start by checking whether hosts have working firewalls and malware detectors on their servers. Look for a web host that provides SSL certificates to ensure that the data sent to your site is secure and encrypted. Some web hosts also offer IP denial services, which allow you to block specific IP addresses, such as those that may come from hacker groups.
Lastly, also make sure that the host does regular backups of your site. Even with different levels of protection, it is very likely that your site will be hacked in its lifetime. If your web host provides backup services, you will be able to restore your site quickly in the event of a crisis.
Our advice: Friendly hosting that backs up your data every 24 hours (eg WPX Hosting, WPEngine, Blue Host). This will ensure that you are left with the most up-to-date data.
5. Focus on Customer Service
Like any other site, good customer service makes all the difference. Especially if you need help getting your site live. When doing your research, check the available support channels and most importantly test them to make sure the service is responsive.
Also take a look at the support times for each host. Some web hosts offer 24/7 customer support, while others are only available during office hours, which can make it difficult to reach them when you need quick help.
Finally, read the reviews of each host to get an idea of ​​the quality of support they provide. We can never tell you enough. Look for reviews that mention the speed and capability (or not) of the support staff. Keep in mind that people leave reviews only when their experience is very positive or negative. So it skews the comments a bit.
6. Compare Prices
It is clear that you want to choose a housing formula that best suits your budget. However, when looking for prices, it’s important to look beyond the initial monthly payments highlighted on the “Prices” page.
First, be aware that many web hosts offer introductory offers for new users. After your first billing period, your plan will renew at the normal price. Make sure that the offer selected during this launch phase is only interesting.
Compare the price of other packages offered by the host as well. Even if you choose the cheapest option today, watch the upgrade cost. Starter offers are often very competitive, but growth can make a difference. Some web hosts, for example, charge extra for hosting email addresses, while others include it in their base rate.
What to remember to find the best web hosting?
There are many things to keep in mind while choosing a web host. It all starts with knowing your needs so that you can find the best web host. So you have to learn to read between the lines. This will help you find the best service for your project.
Do you have questions? Don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments! I