The choice of web hosting is quite wide. Let’s see what are the most important criteria to consider before you decide on what is the right one for you.
Reviewing the best choices for web hosting
We’ll cover:
- Reliability
- Service
- Technology
- The location of data centers
- Type of hosting
- Integration opportunities
- Email addresses
- Back-up
Reliability
The reliability of web hosting is measured by the availability of the server, expressed as a percentage of the total rental time.
For example, if you rent a server over a 30-day month, the total number of hours of rental is 30d x 24h – 720hours. So if the host plans to do 1 hour of maintenance on the server, the server availability will be (720h – 1-hour maintenance) / 720h – 99.86%.
The web hosting company will guarantee you a percentage of availability in the rental agreement:
- 99% – Bad
- 99.9% – Ok
- 99.99% – Good
Remember to make sure that you are offered at least 99.9% and that this is guaranteed in the contract.
The Service
One of the most important aspects of web hosting is the support service. You’ll find yourself wanting the help of a professional if something bad happens to your website (like a bug, or an attack). The support provided by your host is at least as important as the web hosting itself, especially if your technical knowledge is limited.
If there is a problem with your site or server, the responsiveness and efficiency of your host can make all the difference. Remember to check the office hours of technical support, its cost, and responsiveness in case of emergency.
Technology
There are usually no big differences between hosts regarding supported technologies, but make sure you are offered at least:
- 50GB of disk space
- 10GB of MySQL database storage
- some email addresses
- secure FTP access to be able to import files
- PHP and WordPress support
Another point of detail about the technology, when creating your account at the host you will probably be asked to choose between a Linux server and Windows, it may sound surprising if you are a PC user, but in 99% of cases, Linux will be better suited (and cheaper). If in doubt ask the agency that is responsible for creating your website.
The Location Of Data Centers
The location of data centers (web hosting servers) is important for two reasons:
- Privacy
- Loading speed
We will not go into detail about the protection of personal data. Just know (if you’re planning to focus your business in the EU) that European data protection laws are very strict, and that if you collect data on your visitors, it helps greatly if your servers are located in Europe.
Regarding loading speed, the problem is quite simple: the data moves at a fixed speed depending on the mode of transport (speed of light for fiber for example), so the more distant your servers are from the user’s computer, the slower is the connection. Make sure to choose servers that are close to the target location of your business.
Type Of Hosting
There are three types of web hosting:
- Shared hosting: you share a server with other sites;
- Dedicated hosting: you are the only user of your server;
- Cloud hosting: You have a virtual server that can be resized to meet your needs.
The first is the least expensive solution, but also the least efficient: it will not necessarily be suitable for a site with high traffic, for example, but will be perfectly suitable for a small personal blog. Dedicated hosting allows you to take full advantage of your server for better performance.
Finally, the cloud is ideal for sites with very high traffic and very variable, since it is the most flexible solution, but also often the most expensive.
Integration Opportunities
If you use a CMS (content management system) or e-commerce platform, then it is desirable that your hosting is perfectly suited to the chosen solution.
Most hosts make it possible to simplify the installation of sites using the most popular CMS (WordPress, Prestashop, Joomla…)
Email Addresses
Most hosts also offer a service to create email addresses from the site’s domain name. Be sure to choose a formula that provides enough addresses, depending on the number of people who will need them.
Back-Up
Most hosts allow you to regularly back up your site so you can go back to an earlier version in case of a problem.
While there are other ways to make a backup of your site (such as WordPress plugins), or even doing your own hosting, make sure your web hosting service includes this feature.
Conclusion
These are the most important aspects to consider before deciding on what web hosting to purchase.
Think ahead, try to understand the size of your website and business so that you’ll have a better understanding of the needed resources. There’s a wide range of web hosting providers out there and you’ll surely find the best one for your specific needs right here on our website. Try browsing our reviews and guides to save time in your search!
BlueHost
Fast Domain
Fatcow
HostGator
HostMonster
Netfirms
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