Does the Web Host You Choose for Your Business Really Matter? You Bet!

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Never assume that the web hosting service that you choose for your business doesn’t matter. They are not all the same! In fact, the one that you choose could have a significant effect on how well your website converts visitors, engages readers and grows with your business.

As you explore your hosting options, make sure you understand how each company approaches these three crucial factors.

Customer Service for New Website Developers

If you’re new to building websites, then you will want a hosting service that will give you plenty of guidance through the development process. WordPress, for instance, has an intuitive interface that makes it relatively easy for newbies to build functional websites.

When comparing hosts, you should also look for tutorials and access to 24-hour customer services. You don’t want to get stuck with a hosting service that assumes you’re a professional developer capable of writing your own scripts.

Shared and Dedicated Servers

Many web hosting companies will let you choose between shared server space and a dedicated server. The shared server costs less, but it may not function as reliably as a dedicated server.

When deciding which option is right for you, consider how much traffic you expect your site to get. If you only expect a few thousand visitors per day, then you can probably get the features you need from a shared server. If you expect heavy traffic or plan to stream data-heavy content to visitors, then you should consider a dedicated server that gives you a greater bandwidth.

Compare Downtimes to Choose a Reliable Host

Downtime can ruin a website’s ability to convert visitors into paying customers. Even if you aren’t trying to sell items through your site, downtime will result in lost revenue from advertisers. The fact of the matter is that people expect sites to work perfectly. If they run into problems with your site, then visitors will abandon it.

Most web hosts will tell you that they offer at least 99 percent uptime. That sounds great until you take a closer look at what that means. In the industry, 99 percent uptime equals more than 7 hours of downtime per month; 99.9 percent uptime is equal to about 43 minutes of downtime.

For a reliable experience, look for hosts that promise at least 99.999 percent uptime. That ensures that your site is available for all but 26 seconds each month.

The web host that you choose really does matter, so you should explore several options before you decide which one to choose for your business. After a few hours of research, you’ll have the information that you need to make the right decision.