Choosing the best web host for your business requires ticking a few boxes. Every business is different, which means you’re going to need to sit down and analyze yourself before you start shopping around for a hosting provider.
Whether you’re starting out with just an idea that still has to blossom into a website, or you’re already with a host but looking for something different, we’ve got you. Here’s our guide to choosing a web hosting provider that works for you and not against you.
Tick these boxes with your chosen web host, and you can expect to see success coming your way a lot quicker. Don’t brush it off and think your web host has no bearing on your business—this is the foundation your online presence is built on!
What Are Your Website Needs?
Choosing a web hosting provider comes down to your website’s needs. Every business/website is different, so doing a detailed analysis of yours before you start looking for hosting companies is the best place to start.
Type of Website
E-commerce
E-commerce stores are interactive and work with customers’ personal data, so strong security features are a MUST. Excellent uptime is necessary to make sure you’re open for business 24/7, especially if you sell to a global audience. You may need to check if hosts are compliant with Payment Card Industry security standards.
Blog
Blogs should prioritize fast page loading speeds so readers stay engaged and can hop from page to page quickly. A user-friendly CRM (content management system) is key, and a web host with a CDN (content delivery network) will make sure your content is available to everyone, everywhere.
Online Portfolio
Showing off your best work? Choose a host that’s focused on images and video because they can take up a lot of space. Make sure they offer enough space to be able to add to your portfolio as you go.
Business Website
If your website is designed to find leads and bring in new clients, your uptime needs to be on point. Find a hosting provider with a strong history of excellent uptime backed by user reviews. Other useful things here are a great website builder and built-in email marketing tools.
Traffic Volume
Aside from your general needs based on what kind of website you have, your traffic (current and projected) plays a big role in what you need from a hosting provider.
Current Visitors
Analyze your website’s current traffic. That’s your starting point—find a web host that can easily handle your existing traffic and has room for growth. Even if you don’t expect traffic numbers to grow, give yourself a bit of a buffer just in case.
Growth Projections
Anticipating your business’ future growth will help you make smarter decisions on web hosting. First, are you planning on growing? Do you want to increase your traffic? Are you planning on adding more clients, producing more content, offering more products or growing in any other way as a business?
If yes, you NEED to choose a web host with flexible scaling options. While it might seem like growth will be far away, things can happen fast once you get on a roll! Choose a web host that allows you to scale quickly and easily to plans with more storage space, bandwidth, and other resources so you don’t face performance problems when your traffic rises.
Types of Hosting
Getting this wrong can make life difficult from the start. We recommend NOT choosing shared hosting for business unless you’re a local business with a very plain website. Here’s a quick guide:
- Shared: All right for small sites with low traffic and low growth prospects. Multiple websites share the same resources.
- VPS (virtual private server): Suitable for small sites expecting some growth but with low volumes of traffic. Share server space, but have dedicated resources.
- Dedicated: Recommended for most business sites. You have your own server, your own resources, and control over them if you wish. Great for high-traffic sites with multiple features.
- Cloud: Excellent reliability, scalability, and value for money. The gold standard, but not always necessary.
Nice-to-Have Features to Meet Your Website’s Needs
Some features will suit certain businesses more than others. Let’s have a look at some functions you may want to use to boost your business, depending on your needs.
Features for E-Commerce
Compatibility With E-commerce Platforms
Make sure your chosen web host is compatible with common ecom platforms, like Magento, Shopify, Etsy, and others. You may also want to check if they support in-app shopping for social media, which is becoming more and more popular.
Shopping Cart Integration
An easy buying experience needs a seamless shopping cart function! WooCommerce remains hugely popular, but make sure your provider supports whichever one you choose to use for your store.
Payment Gateway Support
For both your own convenience and the convenience of your customers, find a web host that supports multiple payment gateways. We recommend finding one that allows credit and debit card payments, as well as online methods like PayPal or Wise.
Email Marketing Tools
If email is going to be a part of your business, choosing a web host with built-in email marketing tools will streamline your process. If you’re already using a third-party platform, ensure that your host can connect to it with ease.
SEO Tools
Things like website speed and performance make a big difference to your SEO. But if putting out content to attract organic traffic is part of your business, find a web host that provides extra SEO tools like keyword research, performance analysis, and backlink tracking.
A/B Testing Capabilities
A/B testing might sound tedious, but this ll take your store to a whole new level! Choose a host that offers this feature, even if you’re a new business. The ability to test and compare copy, design, and message makes a huge difference to your marketing.
Budget
Set a realistic budget. Decide if you’d rather pay monthly or annually. And make sure to find a balance between the cost and the features you need. Great web hosting WILL cost more, but choosing poor hosting will harm your business. Choose wisely!
Key Features to Look For In a Web Host
Once you know what your site needs and which web hosts can provide it, check out some of these features to make sure you’re getting a quality host.
Performance and Reliability
Check out their uptime guarantee (99.99% minimum), fast page loading speeds (3 seconds or less), and content delivery network integration are some of the things that indicate that you’ve got a quality web host.
Storage Space
The amount of space you need depends on the size of your site and what type of content it will hold. Text-based content doesn’t require a lot of storage space. Images need a bit more, and video requires quite a chunk of space. Choose one that suits your needs and can expand as your needs do.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth is how much data can be moved from your site to a visitor’s computer in a certain time frame. In other words, how quickly your site can send its information. High-traffic sites need higher bandwidth, and so do sites that host large files like databases or high-quality videos.
Security Features
Security should include SSL certificates, threat detection features, malware protection, DDoS protection, firewalls, and regular backups. Don’t cave and choose a host with fewer security features than others—when your site is under cyber attack, you’ll be glad you chose a host with robust security!
Scalability
Whether you’re planning on growing just a little or exploding as a business, make sure your web host can keep up! Choose one that has flexible plans, allowing you to upgrade easily as needed with minimal interruption.
Support Features
The support features you need will depend on your own tech knowledge and how much control you want over your website. Choose carefully—when you have a problem and you need support, this will matter.
- Limited: If you have technical knowledge and can manage your own website with ease, you can choose his option. You’ll typically get online resources, forums, and knowledge bases designed for autonomous use. However, there should still be a limited level of help available.
- Full: For beginners or those without the time or inclination to manage their own site, full support is ideal. You’ll have 24/7 access to a support team who can either sort things out for you or guide you through the processes.
Excellent Reputation
Customer reviews are invaluable when it comes to discovering if a web host is worth choosing or not. Don’t take them at their word—look at what real people are saying about their services. Be discerning, though… Not all reviews are real, either.
Conclusion
Whether you’re just starting your website or you’re planning on taking your business to the next level, the web host you build it on is SO important. Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be on track to choose a web host that really works for you! If they have a free trial, even better—put it to the test to see if it’ll be a great foundation for your business.
About the Author
Paul Wheeler runs a web design agency that helps small businesses optimize their websites for business success. He aims to educate business owners on all things website-related at his own website, Reviews for Website Hosting.
