Now that you know the elements of designing a website, you need to get it live on the Internet. This is where a web hosting service comes in. A web host provides you with a method for building your website and connecting you with customers on the Internet. But how do you know which web hosting company is right for you? Here are a few tips for choosing the right web host.
Decide what you need
Before you even start looking, know what you need in order for your site to be successful. It’s tempting to get either the biggest or cheapest package, but small businesses probably don’t need tons of storage space or domain options, and the cheapest package might not offer enough.
What kind of service you need depends on how many web pages you need, whether you upload text only or audio, video and image files and how much you plan on expanding your business in the future. A web hosting service that offers a few different options is best.
Set a budget
The next step is to determine how much you’re able to spend on a web hosting package. If you don’t have much to spend on this service, opting for a shared hosting provider is the most affordable option, but you’re required to share server space with other websites. A pricier option is to hire a web hosting service to set you up on your own server with more space and your own domain name.
Choose a reliable company
There are hundreds of web hosting companies you can choose from. Not all of them will do your website justice, though. It’s hard to tell which ones are legitimate unless you do some research. Look up reviews on web hosting services and read forum comments to get an idea of what customers have experienced with certain companies.
Another area to examine is the company’s customer service. A web hosting company should have representatives available 24 hours a day who quickly respond to questions in case your website malfunctions.
Get recommendations
If you read reviews and check out different web hosting services and still aren’t sure which one to go with, simply ask other business owners to share their web host experiences. Even asking competitors will help you get an idea of what will work best for your business. It also helps to ask around on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter – business professionals using these sites are typically more than willing to help other businesses.
Once you’ve chosen a reliable web hosting service, you’re ready to unveil your website. But how do you help users find your website? And how do you make your site gain notoriety? Read part three of this series to learn how to build your site’s reputation through local SEO tactics.