Looking for a suitable web host is integral in building an online presence for your business. After all, a web host can provide you with a reliable server to ensure that your website can deliver a great user experience. Not to mention that this can also affect your search engine optimization efforts. A professional like Robert K Bratt DLA Piper can also provide some invaluable insight into how your business can undergo digital transformation.
So, before you take out your wallet and pay for a web host subscription, here are some rookie web hosting mistakes that you should be aware of:
Opting for a Free Web Host
It might be enticing to get started with a free web host. After all, you can have a website without paying a penny. What you do not know is that not paying a premium for a web host could mean limitations on making your business grow.
For one, you will have limited disk space and bandwidth, which can restrict the amount of content you can publish online. Not to mention that you cannot maximize the site visitors you could have generated.
That’s because a surge in website traffic could overload your server, and it could shut down anytime.
There is also a security issue to deal with. According to ServerMania, when you settle and opt for a free host, it means that you are sharing your server with other website owners. And who knows what kind of shady stuff they are doing with their websites.
This explains why choosing a free host makes your website vulnerable to hacking and data breach. Find out how you can get a data breach compensation here.
Lastly, you cannot fully optimize your website. Sure, you can publish valuable multimedia content. But since you are on a free host, that means you do not own your domain.
Most websites that are on a free host have a domain like yourbusiness.freehost.com or freehost.com/yourbusiness. Unfortunately, the search engines do not crawl and index subdomains often. And when it comes to SEO, you cannot rank what you cannot index on search engines.
Think of it this way: Opting for a free web host is like renting an apartment. You are limited in what you can do, and you can get evicted anytime.
Selecting the Wrong Type of Web Host
So, we have established that you should not be on a free host. But how would you know which type of web host is right for you?
Here are some of the common types of web hosting services:
Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is when you share your website’s server to other site owners.
This is the most affordable option, which makes it ideal if you are just starting out. However, sharing resources with other websites could affect your site’s performance.
Dedicated Hosting
If your website is starting to gain a lot of traffic, then you might want to consider paying for dedicated hosting.
Doing so means that you have the entire server all by yourself. However, it comes with a hefty price and might require you to manage your server yourself.
VPS Hosting
Also known as Virtual Private Server, VPS Hosting is ideal if you want to break free from the limitations of shared hosting and but do not need an entire web server either. Learn more from this Symfony developer.
Although you are still sharing your server with other websites, you have a dedicated virtual amount of space. That way, your website’s performance will be unaffected regardless of how the other sites on your server consume their resources.
Which web hosting type should you pick? This will depend on what you can afford and what your business needs.
Choosing a Web Host Without Money-Back Guarantee
Any decent web hosting company would ensure that their customers are happy, even if that means letting go of a client. That said, it is vital to look for a web host that offers a money-back guarantee.
Here’s the thing: An excellent hosting company will gladly refund your money should you opt to move to a new hosting package that suits your needs. The same thing goes should you decide to subscribe to a new service provider.
The length of the money-back guarantee varies with some offering a 30, 60, or 90-day refund. Nonetheless, this should be enough time for you to try whether or not a web host is something that you prefer.
Not Reading Online Customer Reviews
Aside from looking for the right web hosting provider with a money-back guarantee, it is also important that you read and see hosting reviews that are available online.
Doing so will not just help you affirm whether you are picking the right provider, but it will also give you an insight into whether a service provider is legit or not.
For one, it allows you to learn how a web host performs based on unbiased user feedback. It can give you a sense of what matters, especially if you intend to build a strong online presence for your business.
Not to mention that these hosting reviews are first-hand information. They are from people who have experienced subscribing to any of the hosting plans of the service provider that you are eyeing.
And because customer feedback enables you to anticipate possible hiccups along the road, you are able to make an informed decision on whether to push through with your preferred hosting provider.
Ignoring the Terms and Conditions
We all know that no one reads the terms and conditions. More often than not, we just scroll down and tick the checkbox beside “I agree” or “I accept.”
However, it is important to take the time to read the Terms and Conditions so that no one can take advantage of you. Otherwise, you might be surprised to know that you agree to be scammed.
If you cannot be bothered reading through the terms, you can skim it and look for the following:
- Hidden charges
- Maximum number of files or inodes allowed
- Number of databases and tables allowed per hosting account
- Limits to the number of concurrent connections
- Maximum percentage of CPU and RAM usage allowed
- “Unlimited” Bandwidth and Diskspace policies
- What you can and cannot do with your website
Aside from those mentioned above, make sure to look for the payment and refund section, restrictions, and service cancellations.
Keep in mind that agreeing with the Terms and Conditions is law binding. So take the time to at least scan it. That way, you will know what you are committing yourself to.
Overlooking Customer Service
Choosing a web host that suits your business needs is important. However, it is also imperative to look at your web host provider’s customer service quality.
Technology is evolving in leaps and bounds, which means that cyber threats are also advancing. So even if you have the best web host, there would still be a need for cloud services.
In fact, it is not a matter of “if.” It is a matter of “when.”
Thus, it is important that your web host provider has a customer support service that is available 24/7, can respond and help you within minutes, and available on various platforms (since not everyone is comfortable talking over the phone).
The web host you choose will play a vital role in the success and growth of your business. Knowing the common web hosting mistakes can help you look for the service provider that suits your needs properly.