Important Factors in Choosing a Web Host
When you are looking at creating a blog but you’re not an old pro when it comes to web development, there are a number of aspects that can confuse you. From technical specifications and web development jargon, to understanding the role of your web host, there are many details that will crop up along your journey of building a website.
Now the way that you choose to build your site will largely come down to your own knowledge and technical ability. If you are a complete newbie then you may want to make life easier by going with a host that offers an easy to use site builder. This is much more straightforward than trying to figure out the details of what goes on behind the scenes. So if you think that will be important to you, remember this when you are selecting your web host.
Another factor to consider is how much storage and bandwidth you are likely to need. Different hosts provide different levels of storage and bandwidth and you may find that you do not have enough to cover your requirements. So think about whether your website is going to be a basic site with limited content and what levels of traffic you may generate.
Further to this, it is worth doing some research into what customers and hosting experts have to say on which hosts are the best in the market. It will help to read hosting reviews and check comparison tables to get an idea of which hosts provide the best service. Having a read of unbiased reviews will help you decide whether a host will be a good fit for your website needs or not.
When you are deciding which host to sign up with it is also worth understanding which type of hosting plans are available. There are free hosting options, shared hosting, dedicated hosting, VPS hosting, reseller hosting and a few other types. Free hosting often sounds like a very good idea until you find out the limitations. If you are setting up a website for your business then a free hosting option is not ideal because you cannot do as much with it as you could do with a paid hosting service.
You have quite limited amounts of storage and bandwidth and you will also usually take a domain name that is a subdomain of the company that is providing you with free hosting. So it isn’t really your website, it is the host’s website and they have control over what they do with it, including using it to display ads in some cases.
If you are a small business looking for a relatively cheap way of hosting your website then shared hosting could be the more appealing option. You will have full control over how your website is used, although you will share the server with other websites. You can set up a shared hosting plan that will cost around £5-£10 per month depending on which hosting provider you go with and any additional features you should need.
It is generally recommended that you should take out a hosting plan that offers a money back guarantee, especially if it is your first attempt at getting a website set up. Some companies offer up to 90 days money back guarantee, just in case you get going and realise it isn’t the right solution for you. This can happen for a number of reasons, maybe you want to use WordPress plugins and the solution you went with doesn’t allow you to. Or you took out a shared hosting plan but you are getting so much traffic you want a dedicated plan. Most hosts will allow you to move from one type of plan to another easily but not all of them do!
