What to Look For When Using Hosting Providers

Show:

October 17, 2020 Web development

One of the best ways to promote services or products is through the creation and use of a website. Whether you have your own business or simply want to promote an event, having your own web page allows others to easily find you and allows you to deliver all information you want to them so that they can use your services. As you can imagine, creating your own website is not as simple as you may think. There are different factors to take into consideration if you want to succeed. One of the things you need to think about, for example, is to have a web hosting account, which is essential so that your website gets hosted. These web hosting providers make it possible for your page to be accessed by others on the internet. The concept of web hosting essentially entails the space you purchase on an internet server used to store your website files. In this article, we will advise you of what web hosting is and the benefits of using it so that you can start your search for the most appropriate one to use for your website.

What is Web Hosting and How Does it Work?

As mentioned above, the concept of web hosting enables societies and/or individuals to post a webpage onto the Internet. Hosting providers are the companies that offer the required technology and support for your website to be viewed by those who visit it.

Websites are stored on servers and whenever someone wants to visit your page they solely have to type the domain of your website into the browser in order to find it.

Hosting providers require that you own your website domain in order to use their services. If you do not have a domain for your website, this is something a hosting company can help you with if you do not already have one.

What Features to Expect from Hosting Providers

As you can imagine, not all web hosting providers offer the same options to customers. And when you have no previous experience and do not know what to look for, it can be very overwhelming and you may fail to go for a hosting provider that will benefit you in the long run. This source suggests a few recommendations of what web hosting providers to use to get started. In order to help you with this search, below are some of the main features you should be looking for when choosing a hosting provider:

Email Accounts

As we have previously mentioned, the majority of hosting providers will require you to have your own domain (the www address that allows people to search and find your page). Once you have this, hosting providers should offer you the possibility of creating your own domain email account – this is great as an organization, as you will not have to use your own personal email and it looks more professional.

FTP Access

FTP or File Transfer Protocol entails the process used to transfer records between systems on a network. You can use this to transfer data between accounts and computers or even to access online software files. When you create your webpage using HTML documents, you are able to transfer the files from your computer to your website through this process, making it possible for your page to be accessed through the internet.

Free SSL

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a common technology that ensures the encryption of a connection between the server and the client. You can obtain your SSL certificate from your web hosting provider, and this is not always free and evidently, it is very important to get this. Look for a web hosting provider that offers this feature free of charge to ensure that all data transmitted remains private and confidential.

Free Daily Backups

Another very important feature to look out for is whether the hosting provider offers daily backups for free. Backing up your information is important so that you do not lose any important files as a result of a crash of the network or virus, for example. It is crucial that you always back up your archives and do this on a daily basis. Some hosting providers do not offer this option, or they do in exchange for a higher cost, but opt for one that does this free of charge.

Optimized Automatic Updates

Technology changes constantly, as you can imagine. If your website is not constantly updated to keep up with recurrent changes, it may easily crash or not accessible via certain devices. For this reason, it is vital that the web hosting provider you choose is able to provide you with this feature.

Customer Support

At times, you will find difficulties with your website or issues caused by the hosting provider. This is normal, however, they should offer you adequate customer support for you. It can be extremely frustrating wanting help and not getting it – and great support to the customer is usually one of the main reasons people decide to stay with a web hosting provider as at least they feel supported in the case of any issues arising.

Benefits of Using a Web Hosting Provider

Server Resources are Not Shared

By choosing a great hosting provider, you will have access to the full resources of one server. This means that your website’s RAM will not be affected by others, and even a sudden increase in usage of bandwidth will cause issues with your server.

Enhanced Performance and Security

Selecting a loyal web-hosting company ensures maximum uptime for your online page. You have the option of shared hosting, which is generally the most appropriate option for websites with reduced traffic. Considering that high levels of traffic may cause your website to crash, if you expect many visitors, you will benefit more from a dedicated server, which will ensure high-level performance for your page.

Flexibility

Working with a hosting provider gives you the freedom of customizing your website and server to your specific requirements and needs. Clients can select the platform and software they absolutely require by permitting higher levels of control over the server’s configuration.

Obtaining a web host provider may evidently come at a cost. However, this is a requirement for any business that wants to promote their services and/or products via the website. It is therefore essential that you understand exactly what hosting companies can do for you and what features to look out for so that you reap the benefits of it.