To get your business on the web, you will need the services of a web host. There are many web hosts in the market, but the best web hosting service provides their clients more than space on the server. Most web hosts provide – deep control options, easy-to-use website building tools, great customer support and deep control options among others. Choosing the right web host is easier said than done considering the many options which range from local providers to international providers, all which range in terms of the services and price offered. With the price differences between the different service providers, it is important for a business owner to choose the right web host depending on the price and the value of the services offered. The following are some of the important features to look for.
Technical Support
You need technical support every time there are difficulties in the service. A great web host will ensure a 24-hour technical support to ensure your business get back on tract as quickly as possible. It is important to note that no web host can prevent glitches 100%. The vital question to ask yourself as the business owner is who to contact when you find the service has issues. It is important to choose the web host which you may call anytime to resolve the issue and speak the language you understand.
Website Builder
The web host should provide tools to help you create a great website, whether you are a beginner or a HTML or PHP guru, these tools can impact your website either through creating a new one or improving the current website. Some web hosts features integrated website builder. The builder is especially important to ensure you are conversant with the latest and trending website designs of the year. Modern website builders offer templates to choose from, to ensure subscribers use less time to build a website and enable new designers to build simple but professional websites. The templates usually feature a drag-and-drop functionality to enable users easily tweak their site to reflect their brand functionality.
Control Panel
When the business is running, no user want to waste time hunting options in a complicated web interface. A good web host would ensure its service provides an integrated control panel, which to the user serve as the administrative option in a single location. The best control panel will help you control every aspect of your website through easy location of the logs and search optimization tools. Good integration means grouping the related categories together to ensure you find what you need when you need it. It is however important to understand the importance of training, as most popular control panels may seem difficult for beginners to navigate.
Site statistics
A great web host features on-demand statistical tools to help the user keep tabs on the current status and performance of the website. Some web hosts offer site statistics for free, but others require you to pay for the extra service provided. However, the best hosting service is the one that provides site statistics for free, including other information such as the space used, SQL databases you’ve being using, the number of sub-domains and any other relevant website info.
Server Uptime Record
The most important thing for a website is to ensure the users can access the services of the website 24/7. The best hosting service must have a good uptime record. For a business owner, the best web host is one operating with a stable network connections and a powerful server. A good uptime record should be at least 99.5% and above, uptime score of below 99% is prone to website service disruptions that may hurt your business. To obtain a web host uptime info, there are a number of ways to do that. One way is reading review websites which publishes the uptime records based on the test sites in a period of time. The other way is monitoring through server monitor tools – these tools are available for free on trial and they are easy to use.
Multiple Add-on Domains
Domains names are important for a growing business and they are cheap to buy. To host these domains, a business owner would require extra hosting space. It is therefore important for a business owner or administrator to choose a web host which would allow you to add multiple domains. Most web hosts allow for at last 25 add-on domains in one account. If you have your business signup for a web host that allows only one domain, it will be impossible to add an extra domain under the same account.
Scalability
Most people seeking for a web host own a small business. In that case, the anticipation is that the business will grow bigger, and more services will be provided through the website. If you are one of them, it is important to partner with a web host which can scale up your service as the business gets bigger. This may be inform of different tiers of service which is based on the number of visitors on your site to give you an easy time to upgrade your plan. It is especially important to understand how the web host deals with unexpected “spikes” on your available bandwidth.
Site Backup
Servers are just big computers where everyone subscribed can read files and data from. The risk of data loss, un-intended deletion of data, the risk of hacking and all manner of data insecurity can be disastrous for a company especially if confidential files are deleted or destroyed by unauthorized activities such as hacking. You should choose a web host who does backup your files and databases, or figure out other options to ensure your data is secure.
Conclusion
Choosing a web host can be simple or complex depending on what you may overlook at the expense of other features offered by the web host. Some people choose web host based on price while others based on services offered. Whichever reason you decide, the rule of thumb is to do a background check before making the final decision.