Things To Consider Before Choosing Your Web Hosting Provider
When you create a website, you’ll need a web host. Unless you know your stuff, choosing the right web hosting provider can be difficult and confusing.
There is a lot to consider: site design, site usage, server location, bandwidth, size of site, disk space, support, etc., but without the right knowledge and understanding you can get it wrong and end up costing yourself a lot more than you bargained for.
You’ll need to know a few things about your site upfront before you buy a web hosting service to determine which web hosting company will best suit your website. For a more in-depth analysis head to MangoMatter and check their best UK web hosts comparison page. Or check out some of the best website builder options on the market.
The size of your website
The size of your website will determine which web host will be the best fit. There are multiple web hosting types to choose from, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated server hosting, cloud hosting and reseller hosting.
Remember to think ahead and factor in how big you expect your site to get, as well as the predicted volume of traffic. If your site is going to grow you should consider a host that allows to you to grow and upgrade.
What site you’re building
Before setting out to find the perfect web host for you, you need to decide which type of site you are building. Will it be static HTML? Or will it be a CMS like WordPress? Each type of site will require a different kind of host, so make sure you’re 100% certain beforehand.
The location of your server
The location of your server is an important aspect to consider when choosing a web hosting provider. Ideally, your server would be as close as close to your users as possible. So, for example, if you’ve built a website in the UK but the majority of its visitors will be located in India, you should choose a server in India.
Note: make sure you choose a web hosting provider that offers support
Buying a web host without excellent, round-the-clock customer service is a waste of money. Things can go wrong all the time, and you need to make sure you have the support in place to tackle those problems quickly.
Types of web hosting
These are the five most common types of web hosts
- Shared hosting in short, is great for small websites and projects such as personal sites and blogs that use popular CMS’s such as WordPress (see our recommended WordPress hosts). It’s the cheapest option in web hosting because you share bandwidth and storage space with other small websites. The only issue you will have with shared hosting is if the size and scale of your site increases massively, in which case you’ll want to switch web host.
- Dedicated server hosting is ideal for web developers who have a large budget and can afford their own web server that allows for excellent performance capabilities. Large e-commerce sites such as online clothes shops and large forums will use dedicated server hosting. However, a downside of this option is that your carbon footprint is larger, and in a time when we need to be eco-conscious this may sway your decision in opting for a greener web host instead.
- VPS hosting (aka virtual private server hosting) is somewhere in-between shared hosting and dedicated server hosting – it is cheaper than the latter and has a good amount of storage space and bandwidth (but not unlimited).
- Reseller hosting is a clever investment that will not only offer you a great web hosting service but will allow you to pass it on. Many companies and agencies who develop websites use reseller hosting for their own sites but also offer it to the clients they design websites for.
- Cloud hosting is ubiquitous. With cloud hosting you can change your upgrade or downgrade your plan according to the current performance of your site. This makes it very attractive to businesses of all sizes.
Now you have the basic understanding of what to look out for, you can jump in and choose a web host provider.
About the Author Staff Writer
Our writers come from all over the world, but one thing unites them - their passion for sustainability.