For how much value websites have, especially to business owners, it can be stressful to protect your assets—especially amidst threats like server problems, or worse, security breaches. The harsh reality is that there is no perfect insulation for your online assets, and tens of thousands of websites suffer hacking attempts every day.

With that in mind, it may be the right time to invest in a reliable hosting plan for your website, and to shop around for a reputable provider. Here’s our quick guide on why your hosting plan matters, and some tips on choosing the right one.

The Importance of Your Hosting Plan

If anything, the importance of a good host lies in its power over two things: web security and accessibility. Visitors to a website operate under the privilege of being able to check in for information and services 24/7. At any time that they cannot do this, it could mean a significant loss in revenue; traffic to the website could drop, and so could its ranking in search engines like Google. A less quantifiable but equally important loss is that of the trust in the website’s brand.

Then, of course, there is the looming issue of security. The worst that can happen if your site is vulnerable is you losing all of your files, or compromising valuable data such as company finances, or private transaction details of customers.

Tips on Sealing the Hosting Deal

Moving forward, here’s what we feel should be on your checklist when securing a deal for a hosting plan, and for the services of your hosting provider.

  • The type of web host you need. Look for a provider that can service you according to your website’s individual needs. Typically, smaller and more utilitarian websites would do better on shared servers, whereas a website with more demands of its user experience (UX) would also demand more features. Choose a cost-efficient hosting plan that can cater exactly to how your website usually performs, especially with regard to speed and traffic.
  • The bandwidth you need. Strike a balance when determining how much bandwidth your site will require. A good way to operate is to operate on a slightly wider space, because your website may grow in the future. Look for a provider that won’t lock you into a certain bandwidth, then charge you very high additional fees for the excess that you consume.
  • The price that’s right. Get a hosting plan that’s reasonable for your company’s size, core competency, and level of performance. Stick to the company’s budget, but at the same time don’t fixate on the lowest price available by default—else you reap unsatisfactory tradeoffs in poor server performance, downtime, or association to less reputable websites.
  • Security measures that you can depend on. Get answers from your potential provider about what they will do in the case of a security breach. Choose the provider that has a feasible backup plan for your data, involving regular backup operations to secure and remote servers, and/or a secure sockets layer for private, sensitive information.
  • Great customer support. Trust us, you’ll need this from your provider. Look for one that you can depend on 24/7 via phone, email, or chat, because problems can strike at any time. Ask to test features, make an assessment from any third party reviews available for the hosting plan—essentially, do your homework so that they can do theirs.

Thus, the goal should be to establish an environment for your site that is safe, secure, accessible, and responsive to all who use it. Best of luck on looking around, and ensuring your livelihood through your website.