It’s a common practice for most business owners to emphasise design, content and SEO when it comes to maintaining a web presence, and the web hosting part is generally ignored. However, the truth is that web hosting is the canvas that will hold together everything you put online; even a tiny glitch can result in all your efforts in ensuring top-notch content, white hat SEO and customised themes and layout for your website going to waste.

From boosting your revenue, ensuring optimum site traffic and SEO to securing your website and retrieving any lost information – the exemplary web hosting service can do wonders in making your business shine amidst the competition and keeping your performance sky high even during the highest traffic volume.

So what are the criteria for selecting a web hosting service, and how can you determine which web hosting plan will work best for your needs? The following tips will help you out. Take a look:

The Type of Hosting

First, decide which hosting option is best for you by researching online or contacting a professional web hosting service provider who can guide you in the right direction. For a rough analysis, four critical hosting services are available – Shared hosting, Dedicated hosting, Managed hosting and Virtual Private Server. Shared hosting is a more affordable choice that suits start-ups but may not be as scalable as dedicated hosting, where no resources are shared, and you have the sheer amount of disk space and bandwidth.

The Maximum Downtime

Being down for even a few minutes can cost you a lot of revenue, traffic and customers and is particularly a major issue for e-commerce websites. When selecting a business hosting service, always ask the provider about the maximum downtime they guarantee, as there can be no compromise. Aim for 99.9% and ensure it does not increase more than 0.5%.

Versatility and Flexibility in Features

While you may start with a basic hosting plan, go for a reliable hosting provider that can provide scalable functionality, more control and additional features as your business evolves, grows and attracts more traffic and users. Customisation in plans is always a plus and can give you the edge you need to make a mark in the industry without spending much time or resources.

Reputation and Customer Service

A reliable, established hosting provider with dependable service and dedicated customer service is the best choice because you will have the peace of mind that there is an expert out there to help you resolve any issues in case of a sudden glitch in the system. Before selecting a provider, look for reviews and testimonials about them online and ensure they offer 24/7 customer service. While gauging costs is essential, consider premium service to build a credible name for your business in the long run and don’t compromise quality over affordability.