Why Should You Be Bothered Where You Host Your Website?
Buying a home is a monumental decision; the same can be said for your website. Hosting services provide you with the home for your website – your particular ‘plot’ of online space where you store your assets and build your foundations – so it needs to be considered with the same care and attention.
The trouble is: temptation is always there to do it cheap.
There are so many costs to consider when you’re running your own online business, both planned and unforeseen. It’s why at soVision IT we very often see that hosting falls down the priority list for lots of businesses, and with it so too does the budget.
Perhaps it’s time to reconsider your priorities?
However impressive your website is, it won’t amount to much if your cloud hosting services isn’t up to scratch. Average won’t cut it in the hyper-competitive and fast-paced online space you’re trying to establish your business in. If you’ve chosen a hosting provider that is below par or one that isn’t a good match for your website, you’ll be playing catch-up from the start…
Do you know the key factors you should be looking out for in a hosting service?
At soVision IT we believe there are a few key factors you should be looking out for in cloud hosting services:
Maximum uptime
If you’re serious about your online business, you really need to be pushing for maximum uptime from your hosting provider. We recommend an uptime guarantee of at least 99.5%, ideally 99.9%. The bottom line is if your website goes down, business grinds to a halt. If yours is mission-critical you can’t afford for that to be happening, so don’t be afraid to spend more on a better uptime guarantee.
Customer service without the ticket
What happens if your website has a glitch? All too often it involves logging your problem onto a generic website, receiving an automated response, and then waiting indefinitely until your ticket is answered by someone on the other side of the world. At soVision IT we pride ourselves on being at the end of the phone whenever our clients need help. If you have a problem, we want to know about it instantly, so we can get you back up and running straight away.
Ample data
Remember that when you choose a hosting service you are also buying space on a server, and the last thing you want is to have problems with uploading data. Trying to resolve these issues will waste your time, cost you extra and, to add insult to injury, it is completely avoidable. If you’re going to be running your online business properly, it’s important you come across professional in every aspect of your business; and that means not scrimping on data.
Cyber Security
Did you know that more than 30,000 websites get hacked each day*? And online threats have increased by as much as six times their usual levels**. If you’re using a shared hosting service, you could be at more risk of a hacker taking down all of the websites on one server (yours included) even if you weren’t directly targeted. Look for cloud hosting that offers extra security features to keep your website protected such as two-factor authentication.
Scalable web hosting services
If you’re launching a new website the chances are you have plans for your business to grow, so you’ll need a website that has the ability to grow with it. High volume traffic can overwhelm a server so take this into account from the start. Your website needs to have the speed and capabilities to cope with periods of high levels of usage – after all, every 1-second delay in page load is thought to equal a 7% loss in conversions***. When business is booming don’t let a sudden rush of visitors also be your downfall.
The good news is a brilliant hosting service does not have to cost you the earth. If they can keep your website up and running, improve the security and usability of your website and provide the tools to combat any technological glitch, they will prove their weight in gold from very early on.
If you’re still unsure what type of hosting service to go for, feel free to get in touch with us at soVision IT. You won’t receive any sales spiel, but we’d be very happy to give you a bit more information on what type of hosting plan might suit you and your website best.
References:
*** www.forbes.com