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Web hosting is a crucial part of any website, blog, or online business. Without web hosting, your site won’t be accessible to anyone outside of your network. Web hosting makes it possible for people across the globe to find and view your website.
These services can be paid for by monthly subscription or can be opted for with the help of a free host if you’re just getting started and aren’t sure how much traffic you will receive. There are so many different things that you have to take into account when choosing a web host, but these are some of the most important considerations that you need to think about before signing up with any company: To get started, read our list of pros and cons from different providers in this article.
Disk Space
The disk space is the amount of data storage you get on a web host’s server. Disk space is important because it determines how many files or photos you can store on your hosting account. This includes the operating system, your website files, and any content you have on your websites, such as images or videos. If your website gets a lot of traffic, you might need more disk space to store the extra content.
Alternatively, if your website is brand new and you aren’t posting many files yet, you might not need as much disk space. Before you sign up for a web hosting account, make sure you know how much disk space you need. This will make it easier to select a hosting plan that offers enough space. Alternatively, you can choose a plan that offers more disk space than what you need so that you can grow your website without having to switch hosting providers later.
Bandwidth
The bandwidth is the amount of data that is transferred to and from your website each month. Bandwidth is usually measured in gigabytes (GB) or terabytes (TB). The amount of bandwidth you need depends on the type of website you have. For example, a high-traffic eCommerce website will require more bandwidth than a smaller blog.
It’s important to keep in mind that the amount of bandwidth you purchase each month won’t necessarily be the amount that you actually use. If you host your website on a shared server, your bandwidth usage is probably going to exceed the amount that you pay each month. This happens because all of the websites on the same server use a certain amount of the server’s bandwidth. In some cases, your bandwidth might even exceed the amount that the web host will allow.
A great option when you are not sure about how much bandwidth and disk space you will need is Cloudways. With services as low as $15 a month and automatic scaling to fit your needs, Cloudways can guarantee you will always have the resources you need available.
Storage Type
There are two main types of storage: physical (or direct attached) storage and virtual (or network) storage. Physical storage is usually only offered by dedicated hosting providers, while virtual storage is standard with all shared hosting plans. Physical storage is a dedicated connection between your server and your hard drive. If you have a large amount of data, physical hard drive space can be extremely helpful. However, physical storage typically comes with a higher price tag than virtual storage. Virtual storage is a single hard drive that is shared between many different servers. While this type of storage isn’t as helpful if you have a large amount of data, it does come with a lower price tag than physical storage.
Guaranteed Resource Uptime
A guaranteed resource uptime is the host’s promise that your website’s server resources won’t go offline or become unavailable for any reason. A host’s uptime is usually guaranteed by way of a Service Level Agreement (SLA). While uptime is important, so is downtime. So, you also need to know what happens if the server goes down for any reason. Will the host be able to get your site running again quickly? Does the host have a backup system in place in case of emergencies? These are things you should know before you sign up for a web hosting account.
Back up And Recovery Process
If you’re hosting your website on a shared server, there’s a chance that your data could be lost or stolen if another website on the same server is hacked. To prevent this from happening, you’ll want to make sure that the host offers daily backups on their servers. The host can then restore your data if it ever becomes corrupted or lost.
Alternatively, you can also back up your data yourself to avoid relying on the host to do it for you. It’s also important to know how long it takes for the host to finish a backup. If the host only performs a backup once per week, you may lose a lot of data if the website suddenly becomes corrupted or hacked. Ideally, you want a host that performs backups on a daily basis and finishes the process quickly so that your data is always being protected.
Customer Service Or Support
Finally, you also need to consider the customer service or support offered by the host. If you ever need help troubleshooting a problem or setting up your website, you want to be able to reach a real person who can help you quickly. Ideally, the host should have multiple customer service options available, including live chat, email, and phone support. You’ll also want to see how long it takes for the host to respond to various communication channels. Ideally, you want a host that offers 24/7 customer service. If your website suddenly experiences a spike in traffic or a problem occurs, you want to be able to reach a human being right away.
Conclusion
When it comes to choosing a web host, you really need to do your research. Each host has different features and offers a different experience. It’s important to choose a host that provides the right combination of features that you need for your website. If you’re still having trouble deciding on a host, you can always try searching through reviews to see what other customers are saying about different web hosting providers. With so many options available, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a web host that meets all of your needs.
At ElementPress Design, our chosen hosting is SiteGround. We can honestly say that we have experienced almost no downtime, always have the resources for our multiple websites, and have always had quick and efficient customer support. If you are still confused with all the options out there, send us a message and we will help point you in the right direction.