Web hosting… it’s something every blogger and site owner needs to have, but not something people are thrilled to spend a lot of time on. The good news is, most of the time, after your web hosting is set up and in place, you really don’t need to touch it again.
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However, there are times when you might need to focus on the benefits of individual hosting plans — such as when you are setting up your first website or blog. Another reason for doing this, is that your currently hosting provider isn’t doing their part on their end and you are looking for someone new.
No matter the reason, today we have a nice list of seven helpful tips to help you remember what to look for when choosing a new hosting solution.
Don’t worry if you are struggling through this process… once you are all done and settled with your new host, you can get back to the fun stuff like creating content, promoting your site, and monetizing your traffic.
Let’s get started!
1 – Have an idea of what you need before getting started
Whether you are creating your first site or your hundredth, you should have a good idea on what you are looking for in reference to your hosting needs.
Such questions and answers to consider are:
- Do you have a ton of traffic flowing through your site?
- Is your current site speed slow from your existing host?
- Will you need to expand in size in the coming months?
- Are you looking for a WordPress hosting solution?
- How much money are you putting aside just for hosting?
- Where do you see your site or business in the next 18-24 months?
All of these questions and many more are important talking points at the time of signing up with a new hosting solution. Be sure to have a decent understanding of each so you can make the best decision possible.
2 – Go with a trusted name brand
With literally thousands of hosting solutions available, how are you supposed to find the best one for you?
In most cases, the heavily funded and commonly used hosting companies are often a good option. These are the WPEngine, Web.com, BlueHost, WPX Hosting names in the world of hosting. These are also the companies that can afford to not charge a huge premium on their hosting plans as well.
These players are great to go with because they are already hosting millions of sites and have the solutions in place to grow any website or business over time.
3 – Find a cheap, but reliable hosting plan
When it comes to web hosting prices, you can go super low, or super expensive.
For the most part, shared hosting plans are going to be more than enough for anyone looking to start a website or blog.
It’s also important to know there are plenty of hosting coupons out there each month for any of the top brands we mentioned earlier. Since this is such a competitive space, new companies are offering super discounts and deals all the time to bring in new customers.
If you are going to run an e-commerce site or push thousands of visitors through your site daily, you will need a higher end solution. Even if this is the case, you will still probably find a bunch of hosting coupons for these plans as well.
Again, knowing the answers to the questions about will help with this pricing process as well.
4 – Read through trusted web hosting reviews and ratings
There are many reviews and ratings sites online to help with your decision process for pretty much anything. The same holds true for hosting as well.
To get the most trusted and solid reviews online, see if your favorite bloggers are posting reviews and stories on their own hosting experiences.
Also, be sure to visit Google and search for “hosting brand name + reviews”. This will give you a much more direct set of sites and reviews to look through, versus just “hosting reviews”.
5 – Shared hosting is usually a great place to start
Again, shared hosting is great from a pricing perspective, but it’s also great across the board as well.
If you are just starting out, many shared hosting plans offer free WordPress installation, and some even include SSL as well.
6 – Save money with a long-term hosting plan
To save the most money with web hosting, you will want to sign up for a 12, 24, or 36 month hosting plan.
This mostly applies to shared hosting, and some of these plans can go down to just a few dollars per month when paying in advance.
When you are at the checkout process, make sure to check off any up-sell offers, as these are usually bundled in.
7 – Customer support and web hosting is a big focus
We’ve covered a lot of points here in reference to what you need to know when choosing a new hosting solution, but as important as they are, this last one is a biggie!
It’s very important to choose a host that is always online, but it’s even more important to make sure you go with a host that has great customer support.
Nothing is worse than having a question or problem, and not being able to get in touch with anyone!
Make sure you new host has customer support available through online chat, email, and phone.
Follow these 7 Tips to Find the Best Web Host for Your Site
As we all know… web hosting makes the internet world go round. It’s the silent brains behind the operation that powers everything from the smallest websites and blogs on the internet, to massive social platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Choosing a web host for your site doesn’t have to be tough. Just walk through each of the tips and questions laid out above, then eliminate a few different hosting solutions along the way.
The ones that you are left with are likely going to be your best option.
The last step in this process is to look up a few customer reviews, finding a coupon, and then going live with your new hosting.
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