5 Vital Questions To Ask When Choosing A Web Hosting Provider

When it comes to choosing your website hosting provider there are a number of important factors you need to know before making the final decision. The cheapest options although cheap are that way for a reason and could end up hurting you in the long run.

Business owners all too often make the mistake of choosing the cheapest hosting provider. Unfortunately, they fail to recognise the benefits of choosing a more sophisticated and yes more costly option. It is important for you to ask a series of questions to your potential hosting provider to see whether they are right for your business.

These five essential questions are a good place to start.

1. What is your server reliability & uptime scores system like?

It is important for your web host provider to operate 24/7. A hosting provider operating on a stable network connection and powerful server is imperative. The recommended uptime score is 99.5% – anything less than this simply won’t work for your business. There are numerous ways you can obtain host uptime information. You can utilise server monitor tools which help you keep tabs on your web hosting provider, but it is also important to ask any potential host questions regarding their uptime scores and server reliability.

2. Tell me about your security policy 

Understand what security measures are taken by the hosting provider to ensure your data is secure. If you want to include shared hosting, then your potential host’s policies should address the issue; the same applies for dedicated hosting and cloud hosting. What’s more, you want to find out how often they conduct malware/virus scans. Your chosen provider should have sophisticated security processes (inc. SSL certificates) to protect important information.

3. How easy is to scale up/down? Do you offer a variety of hosting packages?

Every business has different web hosting needs. Ask the potential host about the hosting environments they provide. What’s more, enquire about their policies in case you are looking to scale up or down. Choose the hosting provider who offers a variety of different hosting options. By doing so, you can change hosting plans whenever your requirements change, and you don’t have to go with a brand-new hosting solution.

4. Do you offer SSL?

If you have an eCommerce website or store that contains any customer/employee data, it’s vital for you to have a solid SSL certificate. Ensure the host provides one and be sure that it covers all your security needs.

5. Do you provide multiple add-on domains? 

Many business owners will have more than one domain, and you want your hosting provider to accommodate for these. Check the hosting provider’s domain capacity before making a decision. Typically, hosting providers allow up to 25 add on domains to one account. However, many only one, so it is important to check this if you require multi-domain hosting.

 

So, when it comes to choosing a web hosting provider, the decision solely rests on you and your business site’s needs. You have to be sure that the hosting provider is able to handle your specific business requirements, and the above questions are a great way to understand the capacity and efficiency of a potential provider.

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