Building Small Business Web Hosting From the Ground Up
What's the first thing you think about when building your business on-line? Most companies focus on site design first, content second, and web hosting package/options last. In fact, many business owners never really think about web hosting at all until something has happened, a site becomes overloaded, or there's a question about the cost of web hosting. This isn't the way to make sure your site stands out from the rest.
Go With a Host First
Before you even consider any kind of WordPress plugin or website design guru, think about the type of hosting package that you will need to keep your operation running smoothly. It's simple enough to choose the first cheap plan that comes along, but that's a mistake. Why?
Let's break it down like this:
Shared Hosting Package : the concept here is simple enough. Shared hosting means sharing a server with other websites. This can be an okay idea if you don't ever plan on getting any major site traffic. But, let's be honest here, that's never anyone's plan. You want to get lots of site traffic, right? You want to create content that goes viral and have amazing lead capturing campaigns that are on par with what Hubspot creates, right? If that's the case, you can't go with a shared host.
Dedicated Hosting Package: dedicated hosting means that you won't be sharing a server with anyone else. So, if the Spam site that uses the same hosting company slows down all the other sites on a shared server, yours won't be impacted. In turn, your clients won't get frustrated, your site won't crash, and you won't have any issues. Unless, of course, you decide not to choose managed dedicated hosting.
Managed Dedicated Hosting Package: a managed hosting plan means that you don't have to worry if something happens to your site. You can just call up your hosting company, and that company will take care of anything that has gone wrong. Phew! This can't be a major relief! Take our advice and opt for dedicated and managed hosting package.
Now what? Now that you've chosen the right hosting type, how do you select the right hosting company? Well, that's not such an easy thing to do. But, here are some of our best tips.
Choosing the Right Hosting Company
You can go for a cheap host. You can go for a popular host. Or, you can pick the biggest hosting company that you can find. But, I’m going to tell you not to go with any of those methods for picking a hosting company. Why? Because you don't have to.
The hosting world is packed to the brim with companies offering all kinds of hosting package / plans. That's a good thing for you. Why's that? Because it means that some company out there will offer absolutely everything that you want in a hosting package. It means that you can find your niche hosting company plan, you can look for a company that values what you value, and you can really get all the services you absolutely need – and get rid of the ones that you don't.
When it comes to selecting a hosting package / company, consider these things:
- User reviews
- Downtime reports
- Number of sites using a host
- Host history
- Whether or not a hosting company is green or sustainable (if that matters to you)
- What services / hosting package are offered and what a contract looks like
Service Drilldown
Okay, so now that you know what to look for in a company, let's go over what services you need if you're running a small business. Since the term “small business” can really relate to companies of various sizes, let's break it down even more. This section will talk about startups – those companies that are really at the beginning stages of formation.
What a startup should look for in a hosting package:
- Database support : if you're running an eCommerce business, you'll want database support. Why? Because this is where you will store everything, so that you can later access what you need.
- Customer service : guess what? Customer service doesn't come with every hosting package ! Make sure that you have access to free customer service that's included in your plan
- Scalability options : your business will, hopefully, grow, and that means that you will need your hosting provider to grow with you. Find out if other companies were able to grow with a host, or if some companies had to change hosting providers completely to accommodate growth.
The bottom-line here is that you shouldn't pay for what you don't need. On the flip side, you should absolutely pay for what you do need. So, don't skimp on the services that will really make a difference. There are lots of web hosting companies that now cater to startups, so do your research and find the one that fits your needs the best.
Questions? Need help? Just ask!
