There’s no place in the digital world for bad web hosting providers. This isn’t like picking between vanilla ice cream and chocolate—the future of your website depends on it.
You get one flavor only and it should always be great!
Now, you might think that, nowadays, choosing a web hosting service is a piece of cake, but if you think twice, you’ll realize there are a lot of features to keep in mind and compare before you decide to commit.
Below, we’ll discuss seven of those necessary features that every great web hosting provider should offer.
1. Price and Value
The price shouldn’t be the only criterion or feature you’re interested in, but it most definitely is an essential one. You can spot some of the best web hosting providers through the number of offers they have.
For example, those that have offers for every budget are likely to be better and more flexible than those that don’t. Or if they have a money-back guarantee, you can bet that if you aren’t happy with their service, you’ll get your money back within a given period.
Also, some brands have discounts, and you get a free domain name or they give you an extra month for free. If you’re offered an extra ice cream, you’d take it, won’t you?
Don’t get carried away, however; you’re not aiming for cheap deals, you simply want value for your money.
2. 24/7 Customer Support
Yes, you read that right—not only do you absolutely need customer support, but you also want a 24/7 one! Why? Well, simply because the internet never sleeps! You do, and you should, but your website never rests.
What if you get hacked? What if your site crashes? These things happen even to the greatest of websites (take, for example, when Gmail went down). So, always strive for perfect customer support!
The most reliable web hosting providers offer support through email, live chat, and phone. Is the provider you’re considering offering all these? If not, re-think your choice.
3. Storage and Bandwidth
Storage and bandwidth are similar and they often go hand in hand, but if to be more specific, you can look at it this way: storage is the total website space that you can use to store files; bandwidth is the amount of data you can transfer between your website and your users, as well as the Internet.
The amount of storage and bandwidth you need depends on your business type, your needs, how many downloads occur daily on your site, etc.
So basically, how much storage and bandwidth you need totally depends on the size of your site and its overall appearance, such as visual elements and the like. Meet your website’s needs and you really have nothing to worry about!
However, if you want to be carefree, you can take a look at hosting providers like Haphost, which offers dedicated and managed hosting with unlimited bandwidth and nice storage options.
4. Speed
This feature is pretty much self-explanatory. Users want it all, and they want it NOW. Preferably yesterday even. You want an “in the blink of an eye” loading speed, and you shouldn’t settle for anything less.
If your users insist on speed, you better make sure your website hosting service provides it. Did you know that if a site takes longer than three seconds to load, 53% of mobile users leave?
Now imagine waiting in an ice cream queue in July and it’s 40 degrees celsius. And NO ONE moves. And it feels like forever. You’d probably start checking out other ice cream shops. Similarly, your users will start checking out other websites providing the same services as yours. So, speed, speeeed, speeeeeeed!
5. Extra Features
Always, and I mean, always look for extras! And extras can be whatever you need them to be!
Do you need any specific backup services? Are you concerned about cybersecurity, but are not happy with the security features of a specific web hosting provider? Are they offering adequate email features?
The special features list is endless, but your website needs aren’t. Make sure they are satisfied.
6. Reviews
What do other web hosting service users have to say about the provider you’re considering? Take a look at real users’ experiences as they are the most reliable.
How long have they used services from this brand? Are they satisfied? Are they happy with the contract? Are they planning on continuing using the same web hosting provider? Is the web hosting provider efficient?
Reviews and real-life experiences will tell you more than the provider’s landing page ever will.
7. Web Hosting Provider’s Website Scan
Take a look at the web hosting provider’s website. Scan through their key services and overall website.
This is probably the most important feature because if a web hosting provider practices what it preaches, then you’re looking at a reliable brand whose services you might end up trying. Or, it might be the other way round.
They might tell you they guarantee speed, yet it takes forever for their website to load? Or they offer a detailed plan and outline for your website, but their website is hectic and weird?
In that case, all you need to do is leave their website—life is short, and the number of web hosting services available today is vast.
Choose wisely and accurately.