In Part 4, we’ll be discussing the importance of research when choosing the right hosting provider. It’s important you know what different types of packages you have available, and what options you should be looking for as a beginner or expert. The combination of hosting and domain are probably the most important in building your brand and allowing people to access your website. If you have a poor domain then people won’t remember, and won’t know what your niche is about. Next, with a poor hosting provider, your site won’t be accessible, and this slows down engagement. Both work hand in hand, which is why you know how to choose the right hosting provider.
Today, we’ll be going over some of the MOST important elements of choosing a hosting provider, and how to perform research. In the next part, we’ll be going over plan registration and domain setup.
Let’s get started…
Part 4 – Hosting Research
Researching the right hosting providers is NOT tough if you know what you are looking for. I also think it’s very important to know where to look, which will make it much easier for you in the end. I recommend the following areas when researching hosting providers.
Authority Blogs – One of the best ways to find out which hosting providers should be on your radar. Many influential people have been blogging for years, and have a handful of hosting providers they deal with. They have experience and know which ones provide what you need.
Google Search – Sometimes, doing a quick search in Google will provide you with the information you need to choose the right provider. For example, type in “top hosting providers”, and you’ll find a combination of reviews pointing you in the right direction.
Comments and Reviews – There are some directories that are dedicated to providing you with the right hosting providers and reviews. It’s amazing what directories are online that will give you all the information you need. For example, here’s a quick directory that provides you with the top hosting providers. You can also leave a review for others who will be visiting so they choose the right directory, too. Or you can just use HostGator, which host this blog.
Above, I have discussed the “3” most popular ways to find what hosting providers are credible and should have your focus going forward. However, you need to know what features matter so here’s a quick breakdown…
Hosting Features
I always recommend looking over 5-7 features when choosing the right hosting. These features determine how the company will perform while you are hosting with them. For example, you obviously want a hosting provider that is live 99.9% of the time, guaranteed…right? If the hosting keeps going down, then your site won’t be accessible, which is why I always look for uptime first. Let’s go through the others…
Uptime – Very important because this will guarantee how active your site stays most of the time. It protects you from your site going down when people are trying to visit.
Pricing – I like to keep an eye on this because things can get pretty steep sometimes, especially when starting out. Some hosting providers will charge you 1 year upfront, which is something that NOT everyone can afford.
Ad Coupons – Choose a provider that gives you free coupons for advertising. This will help you get a jumpstart after you have gone live with your blog. Some hosting providers offer Google, Bing, and even Fotolia image credits.
Email Accounts – With some hosting providers, you’ll get unlimited email accounts, which is important if you have a team. This way, you are NOT paying for additional accounts, but have them with your packages.
Applications – Very important because you want to streamline the application process during installation. For example, I can think of two hosting providers that have 1-click WordPress installation.
FTP Setup – I like to have access to easy FTP setup because there will come a time I need to upload files or even hire someone to do some work for me. FTP makes it easy for me to hire someone while providing them with limited access to my website.
cPanel – Very important because it streamlines and organizes your hosting control panel. This allows you to navigate through the interface, easily making use of all the elements.
Final Thoughts
In the next part, we’ll be going over how to choose the right hosting package and the setup. We’ll be going over setting up your domain, and what your DNS settings are.
