Unfortunately, managing that also takes time and requires the completion of a lot of menial tasks. That’s time you don’t have or should be spending worrying about other things. That’s why managed hosting of your WordPress site makes a lot of sense for most small businesses. But the benefits of managed hosting go beyond just the actual management of your site.
What Makes Web Hosting GREAT?
The first thing you need to know is that not all hosting service providers are the same. Firstly, instability on the part of your host, means that you will share in the losses. What does this mean? If your hosting service goes down, then that means your website will be down too. Quality web hosting guarantees you security, reliability, and great customer service – the three factors that should be at the center of your decision-making process.
1. Security
Many web hosting services cram websites into the same servers due to resource inadequacy. Additionally, as stated above, shared hosting environments leave you at risk of being hacked. A security breach in one site can create a gateway to your website. This can be very frustrating because now you are not even in charge of your data’s security anymore. Always consider your host’s server security strategy before signing up.
2. Reliability
Reliability is of real importance. It is what your clients expect from you, and you should expect this from your host. Having your reliability compromised by an inferior web hosting service provider isn’t a wise choice. A bad web host will slow your site’s loading speed. Imagine going through all of the work to obtain a new customer, only to have the prospect click away from your site due to loading speed issues. While most user experience issues are under your control, some are hosting-based, and a good balance of both is required for your website to run as smoothly as possible. Cheap hosting often leads to slow loading speeds and it’s not a great first impression for users.
3. Customer Service
Customer service may be the most important of all three. Cheap web hosting solutions are just that, cheap. What happens when an issue arises? You will likely spend a couple of hours on the phone with a tech support person, who may or may not have the experience necessary to rectify your issue. Then what? You will spend hundreds of dollars for a developer to fix the issue. There have been many instances of clients calling who are currently with an inferior web hosting service, that then opt to have me move their sites to managed web hosting to get away from this headache alone. If a hosting plan doesn’t include a guarantee to get your site back up and no additional cost, move on to a better solution.
Should you consider cost when looking for a host?
For anyone operating on a budget, cost is a factor, but you should never forfeit services just to save a few bucks. You can find a hosting service provider with the perfect combination of price and quality. If the cost is too low, there is a chance you are paying for mediocre services.
Hosts that charge more can afford to hire enough customer support representatives and pay for data protection services. This reduces the risk of attacks, optimizes page load speeds, increases user experience, and improves issue resolution for clients. In the end, you get the peace of mind you need to run your business knowing your website is well taken care of.
I often hear “but GoDaddy hosting is $15 a month”. This is not an apples to apples comparison. When searching for the best hosting solution, make sure to be comparing services equally.
In today’s digital environment, your website is the first impression of your business. Slow loading speeds and frequent unavailability are red flags that most internet users won’t forgive. Give me a call today for more information on web hosting and how to find the perfect hosting solution for your website.
