What is web hosting? Things to look out for before you buy web hosting 

If you think about what is web hosting, here are some things to consider before buying a web hosting service.

Are you in the process of creating your website?

Or

Are you looking to make your Website Faster? 

or planning to migrate your website to faster Web Hosting?

Well, if your answer is YES, you are at the right place.

Establishing a web presence is now easier than ever, but many people will get stuck in one place which is – Which Hosting should I use? and, “Who do I choose for my hosting?”

With so many hosting providers in the market offering multiple plans, it becomes a bit hard to choose the best web hosting for your business/website that matches your requirements. 

Well, in this article, you can figure out the best host for your business that helps you make the right decision. 

We will have a look at the following in detail in this article.

1. What is Website Hosting
2. Types of Web Hosting 
3. How to choose the best web hosting service/plan for your business 
4. Why is it important to choose the best web host?
5. Factors to look out for before buying web hosting
6. Mistakes to avoid when choosing a web hosting provider
7. About WebSpaceKit. Pricing and Plans 

So, let’s dive right in. 

What is Website Hosting

Every website needs a domain name and website host. The domain name is nothing but the address of your website that people type in the browser to visit your website. Web hosting is a space on the Internet where your website’s files are stored, such as images, code, and other documents. So, when you purchase a hosting plan, it means that you rent their server space to store your website’s files.

Now that you know what hosting is, let’s understand the different types of Web Hosting.

Types of Web hosting

When choosing a hosting option for your website, it’s essential to pick the right one. The different types of Web hosting services are listed below:

1. Shared Hosting 
2. VPS (virtual private server) hosting
3. Dedicated hosting
4. Cloud hosting
5. Managed WordPress Hosting

Shared Hosting

If you are just starting a business or already own a blog or business, Shared Hosting is an excellent option to begin with. It is one of the most affordable hosting options that are available and as the name suggests, your server space is shared with other websites. So, therefore, the server resources and costs are shared by all. In addition, the hosting provider takes care of technical assistance right from hardware upgrades to maintenance.  

Pro’s 

• Easy to set up and manage

Even beginners with no/little experience can get started with shared web hosting. All the setup and maintenance-related stuff will be taken care of by the hosting provider.  Once you make a payment, you can begin using the hosting service and build your website in no time.

• Low-cost web hosting 

Shared hosting is one of the easiest and low-cost hosting options for small to medium businesses with low budgets and minimal tech backgrounds. Furthermore, since you share the server with other hosting customers, you only need to pay a small portion of the entire server cost. 

Cons 

• Less server space and bandwidth resources

Since your website is hosted on the same server as other hosting accounts, you will have lesser bandwidth and server when compared to dedicated hosting. As a result, your website can get affected when other websites on the server use too many server or bandwidth resources, thus affecting the user experience. 

• Poor customization flexibility

You cannot change or manage the web server as you share the hosting server with other websites. It can also make an impact on your ability to perform some tasks. 

• Scalability

When traffic increases on your website you might have to move to another hosting plan as shared hosting does not support high traffic due to limited resources. 

VPS (virtual private server) hosting

VPS stands for Virtual Private Server, which provides you with dedicated (private) resources on a server with multiple users. Though you share the same server, resources such as the processor, RAM and Disk Space will not be shared with other website owners, unlike Shared Hosting. 

VPS is a more secure and stable solution when compared to shared hosting, where you don’t get a dedicated server space. Website owners with medium-level traffic can opt for this as it is much cheaper than renting an entire server.

Pros

•  Easy Customization and maintenance of the server 

The VPS hosting plans are easily customizable and you just need to pay for the features you need. It offers you root access, allowing you to install scripts and applications suited for your business. In addition, you don’t have to worry about updating the server or maintenance as the hosting provider will take care of it for you.

• Better security standards

Security is a significant advantage of VPS servers over shared hosting because you are the only one with access to the virtualized server and no danger of anyone else gaining access to your site. 

Cons

• Budget

If you are just starting out, VPS hosting may be significantly more expensive than shared hosting. The virtual space you get for yourself such as RAM, disk space etc. adds up in the cost.

• Server management

Though VPS hosting is less demanding for users, you need technical experience to control the server if you choose self-managed plans. 

Dedicated hosting

As the name implies, dedicated hosting gives you complete control over the web server. Dedicated hosting plans are ideal for websites with a high volume and they can have a positive impact on page loading times. Also, you can customize the server to help meet your security and compliance needs. You can go for this if you have an IT team or personal experience and it is not exactly a beginner-friendly solution.

Pros

• Flexibility

With dedicated hosting, you can run and control the server the way you want, as you have total control over your server. Moreover, as you have faster connectivity, you can manage a huge traffic flow to your site. Hosting companies also offer good customer care support if you use dedicated servers. 

• Security

Having a dedicated server means that the security for your website is high. And you don’t need to worry about other websites affecting your website’s load time or uptime.

Cons 

• Price 

Dedicated servers are usually an expensive hosting option for small businesses or individuals. Businesses or websites with massive traffic can benefit from this type of hosting. 

• Technical knowledge

It can be hectic if you have no experience in handling a server before. Besides, daily monitoring and regular server maintenance must be done from time to time to ensure the server runs well. So you need some knowledge about managing the server.

Cloud hosting

Cloud hosting is the latest type of web hosting in the market, where your website files are stored across multiple servers. In other words, you will be assessing the server on-demand or a virtual machine to share resources with others or manage your website.

The provider usually takes care of the setup, infrastructure, security, and maintenance while allowing the clients to customize the hardware, and applications and scale the servers online.

Pros

• Scalability

One of the main advantages of cloud hosting over the others is that it can give you the extra capacity you need when dealing with unexpected traffic surges. In addition, you can quickly increase your server space as per your growing business needs.

• Performance

In addition to offering great scalability, it also provides better performance. That’s because, even if one of the servers is down, others can pick up the task and make sure the website isn’t affected by it. Thus leading to a better user experience.

• Reduced costs

Cloud hosting can remove the need to buy and maintain hardware, thus reducing your expenditure to a great extent. And the ease with which you can scale up or down means you don’t have to pay for unused capacity. 

• Disaster recovery

Another advantage of cloud hosting is that it makes disaster recovery much easier, mainly if you already use a multi-server hosting architecture.

Cons

• Speed

Cloud servers can usually be accessed over the internet, and the speed of your internet connection determines the speed of your connection to the server. Therefore, as long as you have a reliable and fast internet connection, users will not have problems accessing your service. 

• Cost 

Cloud can be cost-effective; however, it may sometimes have hidden costs. In addition, you may have to dig deeper into your pockets to cater to those expenses and your hosting plan can turn out to be more expensive than expected. 

Managed WordPress Hosting

Managed WordPress hosting is specifically tailored to and made exclusively for the popular Content Management System, WordPress. As a result, all technical aspects of running your website are taken care of and it makes it easier for you to manage, secure and speed up as per your needs. 

Pros

• High speed and improved performance

Compared to other hosting options, managed hosting provides better uptime and loads faster as it is optimized for WordPress. As a result, your website will run smoothly and you need not worry about load speeds. 

• Site management

Everything is in one place and you need not deal with different website setups. It can act as a single hub if you have multiple websites in a single dashboard. And the hosting provider takes care of all of the backup settings for you.

Cons

• Price 

If you look at any of the pricing plans available from managed WordPress hosts, you will see that they are more expensive than entry-level hosting plans offered elsewhere. But the extra costs are justified by optimized servers, which results in faster loading. 

You can read this blog to know more about different web hosting and the best providers.

How to choose the best web hosting service/plan for your business 

Choosing the best web hosting service can be pretty challenging, especially when you set up a website for the first time. To help you make an informed decision, here are some factors that you must consider before you choose a web host for your website. 

1. Hosting 

First, take a moment to consider what exactly you are looking for. 

• Decide what kind of hosting you need 
• Estimate the amount of traffic you expect 
• Would you like the hosting company to take the lead in maintenance?
• How much storage and bandwidth will you need? 
• How many domains do you wish to host in your account?

Whether it be shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, or managed hosting, have a look at the pros and cons of all that we have discussed above. Then, ask yourself what you need to do and never be afraid to ask for advice.

The following infographic can help you to choose the type of hosting you need for your business. 

2. Security 

Choosing the right Web Hosting is very important for your Website.  However, as a Web site owner, you may also want answers to the following questions before choosing a web host in terms of security. 

Is your hosting company able to meet your expectations

Are SSL certificates included with hosting? 

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and it’s the standard technology for keeping your internet connection secure and safeguarding sensitive data.

You must choose an extremely safe and reliable web hosting provider with an SSL security certificate. Having an SSL on your website can secure online transactions and keep your customer information private and secure. Also, an SSL certificate guarantees that your website and customer data are safe from external and internal threats. 

3. Compare various hosting providers 

Research, compare and read reviews about web hosts who are popular, high-rated and well established. Then compare plans they offer and additional benefits of guarantee that they provide. 

If you are still having trouble making your decision, check out this article Different Types of Web Hosting where we provide you with an in-depth review of the best hosting providers for each type of hosting.

4. Price

Web hosting price depends on the needs of your site. When you decide on the right hosting plan for your website, keep in mind that it is not a one-time cost; but a subscription-based billing model. Compare the sign-up price and then the renewal of various service providers before you move forward. Dedicated hosting is the best but pricey, followed closely by VPS and shared hosting.

5. Support

Your web hosting will be long-term; therefore, good customer service is an essential part. Ideally, you must choose a web host with a 24/7 support team and various contact methods available whenever you need help. Having reliable customer support can help you have a better experience and have peace of mind knowing that your site hosting is in capable hands. 

Why is it important to choose the best web host?

Selecting the right host is very important because everything from the speed and stability of your website, thus delivering the best online experience resulting in more sales and conversions. Also, website hosting plays a very relevant role in positioning your website in search engines. 

Also, a good web host works along with ensuring that your website is not affected by any hosting-based issues and security is intact with no vulnerabilities. A good host resolves any issue you face and ensures similar problems do not affect you in the future.  A knowledgeable support team will always be at your service for any inquiry or emergency. 

What happens when you choose the wrong web host

Never take your website hosting for granted! Choosing a bad host can cause endless hours of headaches and, in some cases, lose of trust and credibility. In addition, you may end up hurting your business and income. Here are some issues that you may face. 

• Loss of money: If your site is slow or down, your potential customers may not be able to view your site, or buy something, and you lose out on potential sales and income. While the loss may not be that huge initially, you may not want to miss out on any deal.
• Security and Malware attacks. Having reputable web hosting will help back up your data and make it easy for restoration even if your site is hacked. They will also assist you with any technical support, maintenance, and security issues you face. WebSpaceKit offers you a perfect solution by providing backups every day.
• Negative effect on SEO ranking: Your goal as a business is to rank high in search results so that customers can find you easily. Your ranking may go down if your site is down despite repeated searches. Also, a slow website can hurt your rankings. 

Mistakes to avoid when choosing a web hosting provider

When you choose a web hosting provider for your company, it may feel like a chore, and you need to get your decision right to save extra hassle down the line. Choosing the wrong web hosting service can turn out to be disastrous as your reputation is at stake. We have identified a few mistakes you can avoid when choosing a web hosting provider and listed them below.

1. Using a free hosting plan: 

The plan may seem impressive at first,  but it is not advisable for business websites. It can be a good choice for a basic blog or hobby website,  but it will cause problems in the long run. For example, you may face slow loading speed, uptime, and availability, and pop-up ads, making a wrong impression when people visit your website. You also risk losing credibility; for example, with free hosting, you are hosted on a sub-domain URL like www.yourbusiness.freehosting.com rather than a real domain name like www.yourbusiness.com. 

2. Choosing a web hosting package with no refund guarantee

Opting for web hosting with no refund guarantee is not advisable for a new website owner. Although you may choose a package that may not work for you in the long run and to be on the safe side, you must have the option of getting your money back. Any reputed hosting company will refund your money if you’ve made a wrong purchase or if you are not happy with the package you’ve chosen or even transfer you to a suitable package. Therefore, it is better to avoid web hosting providers who don’t have a proper refund policy. 

3. Not checking the customer support service.

Many web hosting companies claim to have 24/7 support, but that may not be the case. Anything can go wrong anytime while you are checking your website. So before choosing a web hosting service, make sure to test their customer service like email, live chat, phone, etc. and see if they are responsive enough. 

4. Being unaware of limitations

An excellent hosting plan lets your business grow, and you can quickly scale up too in case of need. One of the most common mistakes is choosing a plan that limits you. If there are restrictions in your existing plan, like how much bandwidth or storage you can use, it can cause significant problems in the future when there is more traffic on your website. Moving your website from one web host to another can be tricky too. Most web hosting providers have a long list of terms and conditions to which you must adhere before you exit from them, so make sure to read the fine print before you sign-up for a longer web hosting contract. 

5. Not paying attention to Security.

Security is one of the main concerns when it comes to a website. Free hosting providers do not secure your website from security breaches. At the same time, some web hosting providers do offer an SSL, some don’t. Never choose a web host who does not provide an SSL. Remember that when you sell something on your website, your customers will be using their cards to purchase your products/services. If they feel you are exposing them to threats or encounter any warning message that your website is not secure enough, they will leave, and you will miss out on sales. 

6. Choosing the wrong server location 

If your site is not loading fast enough, your visitors will leave even before your site finishes loading. Wrong server location might be one of the reasons why your website is loading slower. If your website is for Singaporeans, hosting your website in a Singapore-based data center is essential. Some web hosts may advertise local hosting, but they may not have one in reality. So it is good that you clarify everything before you sign-up for the service. And if your website is global, you may want to use a CDN(content delivery network). In a CDN, your files are stored on a globally distributed network of servers, so that you can deliver content from a server closer to the user.  

Factors to look out for before buying web hosting

• Quick server responsiveness and speed

Having a fast loading website is very important for your business and website. It is recommended to go for hosting providers who offer you a stable server to ensure your website loads fast and smoothly. It improves the overall user experience and helps your website rank better on search engines. 

• Customer Service

There will be times when you face server issues that you cannot solve yourself. Ideally, you want a hosting provider who provides excellent and responsive support via chat or telephone to resolve your website issues. 

• Availability Of Site Backups

Any website can crash, but it is crucial to have your website backed up regularly, and therefore a good backup policy can come in handy to restore your website if any accident happens. In addition, a good web host provider should be able to restore your site with very minimal downtime to avoid any significant losses.

• Registration And Maintenance Costs

Based on your decision, compare the prices of all your potential hosts and other features, such as budget, price, etc. A good hosting company will give you the option to upgrade or downsize the hosting package as per the need. Also, you must check for any hidden extra costs like bandwidth, renewals, maintenance and upgrades. 

• Email Options

You will want an email that matches your business branding and website’s name, and you will need a host for that service. Having an official domain email adds a professional appeal to your business and helps maintain consistency and credibility. 

• Server locations

The closer your host’s servers are to your audience, the faster your website will load for your visitors. Therefore, it is good to check if your data centres are located close by and whether you’ll have the option to choose among multiple server locations. If you have a global audience, you might want to consider access to a CDN(content delivery network) that stores a cached copy of your site on servers around the world so that visitors can visit your website faster from anywhere.

• SSL 

How safe would you feel if your browser warned you that your website is not secure? With the growing amount of cyberattacks, security is one of the most important that ever and if malicious attacks compromise your website, everything could be affected. An SSL on your website can secure online transactions and keep your customer information private and secure. In addition, your traffic could suffer if you choose a host that does not take security seriously. 

Can WebSpaceKit be your perfect choice? 

Well. An excellent example of a high-quality web hosting service for WordPress and price is WebSpaceKit. 

WebSpaceKit is a relatively new hosting provider that has been built specifically for WordPress websites. Known as the fastest WordPress hosting provider in India, WebSpaceKit has four different WordPress hosting plans. WebSpaceKit is becoming the favourite for websites with the most traffic from India with fast website loading times. 

You can read this blog to know more about WebSpaceKit-which can be a good bluehost alternative in India. 

Pricing and Plans

Hosting costs are an essential consideration as they exist for the lifetime of your website.  WebSpaceKit offers you different web hosting plans as follows that fit your business’s needs. They have four WordPress hosting plans starting at just ₹199/month.

Unlike other hosting providers who mostly have their servers in the US, WebSpaceKit has strategically placed its servers in India, Europe, and Singapore, thus increasing the speed of websites in India.

Web Space Kit also takes it up a notch by providing users with a free SSL certificate and Business Email. In addition, it is to be noted that they provide daily backups for your WordPress website.

Though web hosting solutions can be time-consuming, the list above can help you decide quickly. Soon enough, you’ll be much more confident as you go out as you figure out the right hosting provider and plan for your business. 

Why go for WebSpaceKit?

1. Safe and Secure Hosting: You don’t have to worry about your website security when you’re hosted with us.
2. Built especially for WordPress: Get your WordPress site live in a few seconds. You get everything you need right at your fingertips. 
3. Fast load times: Every second counts when it comes to page loading speed. Your website will load in seconds to visitors. 
4. Pricing: The hosting plans are well within reach of most users, especially those just starting. No surprise jumps in renewal price. 
5. User-friendly control panel: With an easy-to-use panel, you can launch your website with just the click of a button. 

You can read this blog to know more about WebSpaceKit.

Conclusion

When choosing a web host, make sure you take your time and weigh all options. It can save you a lot of time and trouble, and make sure to keep the above factors in mind before you look for a web host. Going for a cheaper option can work out for now, but a slower website can mean fewer visits in the long run. Many people leave a site when it takes more time to load, and people bouncing off your website is not what you are looking for. That is why it is advisable to choose WebSpaceKit as the eCommerce hosting provider, as it finds the right balance between website speed and pricing without having to sacrifice one. 

Also, If you are looking for an expert to help maintain your website, do not hesitate to reach out to our team at Website Learners. We would be happy to work with you on all your web design and hosting needs for you. 

FAQs

Do you have other practical suggestions to share with us? If so, drop your opinion in the comments section below.