How to Choose a Web Host: 8 Tips to Find the Best Company
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Choosing the right web host is a critical decision for your website’s success. Whether you’re starting a blog, launching an e-commerce site, or creating an online portfolio, the hosting provider you select will impact your site’s performance, security, and scalability. With countless options available, it can be overwhelming to decide which host will best meet your needs.
It’s also tough when there are so many ads out there, and every host in the world is telling you how great they are, and without the experience of having used many hosting companies, it can be hard to know what’s what!
The truth is that it’s not that complicated—a reliable web host ensures that your website is always accessible, loads quickly, and is secure from online threats. On the other hand, a poor choice can lead to downtime, slow performance, and potential security vulnerabilities.
This guide will provide you with eight essential tips to help you choose the best web hosting company for your specific requirements.
Before diving into the tips, here’s a quick note: this article contains affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. Don’t worry though, we’re proud to be unbiased and hate scammy sites that recommend junk!
If you’re looking for a larger list of web hosting companies, you an always check out our list of web hosting companies here. But the list above represents our top favorites for most applications. With that said, let’s jump into this how-to article, and look at how to choose a web hosting company!
1) Determine Your Website’s Needs
The first step in choosing a web host is to understand your website’s specific needs. Different types of websites require different hosting solutions. For instance, a personal blog with low traffic will have different requirements than an e-commerce site with high traffic and numerous transactions.
- Type of Website: Identify whether you are building a blog, an online store, a portfolio site, or something else.
- Traffic Levels: Estimate your expected traffic. Will you have a few hundred visitors a month or thousands daily?
- Technical Requirements: Consider any special software or technologies you need, such as specific CMS platforms (e.g., WordPress), programming languages, or databases.
2) Research Web Hosting Types
Understanding the various types of hosting available will help you make an informed decision. Here’s a brief overview of the most common hosting types:
- Shared Hosting: Ideal for small websites and beginners. Your website shares server resources with other sites, which can be cost-effective but might affect performance during traffic spikes.
- VPS Hosting: Virtual Private Server hosting provides a dedicated portion of server resources. It offers more control and better performance than shared hosting, suitable for growing websites.
- Dedicated Hosting: You get an entire server dedicated to your website. This option is the most expensive but offers the highest performance, security, and control, perfect for large, high-traffic sites.
- Cloud Hosting: Uses a network of servers to host your website, providing excellent scalability and reliability. It’s a good choice for websites that experience variable traffic.
Chances are, you likely need either a) shared hosting or b) WordPress hosting.
These are the most common types and are the best balance of cost and features for most people. Generally speaking, only people with high traffic websites or businesses need a VPS or a dedicated hosting solution.
Next, we’ll cover the importance of uptime and reliability, and how to evaluate customer support when choosing a web host.
3) Check Out the Uptime and Reliability of Hosting Companies
Uptime is a crucial factor when choosing a web host. Uptime refers to the amount of time your website is available and accessible to visitors. Even a few minutes of downtime can result in lost revenue, decreased visitor satisfaction, and harm to your site’s reputation.
- Importance of Uptime: High uptime ensures that your website is always accessible to users. Look for hosting providers that guarantee at least 99.9% uptime.
- Reliability: Reliable hosts have robust infrastructure and redundant systems to minimize downtime. Check for details about their data centers and backup systems.
When evaluating uptime and reliability, it’s helpful to read customer reviews and check independent monitoring services that track hosting providers’ performance.
The reason for this is that even the crappiest web hosting companies will say “oh we have 99% uptime blah blah” but really, they don’t.
The good ones—will have thorough uptime guarantee pages, and call out external services that monitori their uptime. For example, Hostinger has an entire blog dedicated to their uptime guarantee. WP Engine has a public status page that shows how they track uptime and performance, and gives an outage history.
Choosing a Web Host – Our Recommended Providers
We wanted to take a quick break in the steps to choose a web host, and drop our recommended providers here.
1) Hostinger
Hostinger has an amazing website builder, is recommended by WordPress.org, and represents the best value for the money (in our opinion), in the web hosting world right now. They can be had for $2.69/month with our special code—WHBUDDY.
2) SiteGround
SiteGround is an absolutely top-tier shared hosting company who does a great job with WordPress, static sites, and basically any site. Their servers are blazing fast, and their support is awesome. They are $2.99/month though our link.
3) Bluehost
Bluehost is one of the longest-standing shared hosting companies around, and at $1.99/month via our link, they represent one of the best budget options in shared hosting right now.
4) WP Engine
If you’re looking for the cream of the crop WordPress web hosting, it’s WP Engine, hands down. They are a great WordPress host, and although they are more expensive than the other hosts we recommend, if you need top WordPress performance, they are worth the money.
With that said, let’s jump back into our list of top 8 tips on choosing a web host!
4) Evaluate Customer Support
Reliable customer support is essential, especially if you encounter technical issues or need assistance with your hosting account. Good support can save you time and frustration.
- Support Channels: Look for providers that offer multiple support channels, such as live chat, phone support, and email. Some hosts also offer support via social media and community forums.
- Availability: Ensure that support is available 24/7. Problems can arise at any time, and prompt support is crucial.
- Response Time and Expertise: Test the response time and quality of support by contacting the provider with a few questions before making your decision. Look for knowledgeable and helpful staff who can resolve issues efficiently.
If a hosting company only has “ticket support” then stay away. This means that you have to open a support ticket, and need to wait for a reply in order to get an answer, and this is not fast enough if you are having a critical website issue.
At a minimum, a good hosting company will have 24/7 chat support, and the best ones will have chat, email/ticket, AND phone support (although there are some good hosting companies that don’t offer phone support anymore, many still do).
5) Review Security Features at Web Hosting Companies
Security is an important concern for any website owner. Ensuring your host provides robust security features can protect your site from various threats, including malware, DDoS attacks, and unauthorized access.
- SSL Certificates: SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates encrypt data transferred between your website and visitors, enhancing security and building trust. Ensure your host provides free SSL certificates (this is commonly done through a service called Let’s Encrypt or through their proprietary control panel).
- Backups: Regular backups are essential for data recovery in case of a mishap. Check if the hosting provider offers automatic daily backups and easy restoration options. Backups and staging environments are a MUST HAVE in this day and age, so make sure a host you choose has them.
- Malware Protection: Look for hosts that offer malware scanning and removal services to keep your site clean and secure. Hosts like WP Engine that specialize in WordPress take this even further.
- Firewalls and DDoS Protection: Advanced security measures such as firewalls and DDoS protection help prevent attacks and ensure your site remains accessible.
Security and backups are super important—we can’t emphasize this enough. So, make sure that your hosting company offers these, and it’s clear the features that they provide.
Next, we’ll discuss the importance of scalability, compare pricing and value among hosting providers, and emphasize the significance of reading reviews and testimonials.
6) Consider Scalability Options – Make Sure You Can Grow with a Host
As your website grows, your hosting needs may change. Choosing a hosting provider that offers scalable solutions ensures you won’t have to switch hosts as your traffic and resource demands increase.
- Upgrade Paths: Look for hosts that offer easy upgrades from shared hosting to VPS, dedicated, or cloud hosting. This allows you to scale up your resources without experiencing downtime. Most of the time though, you won’t need a VPS or dedicated service, and will just need to move up to a higher tier shared hosting plan (but still make sure this is an option).
- Resource Allocation: Ensure the provider can accommodate increased bandwidth, storage, and processing power as your site grows.
- Features for Growth: Features like Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and caching can help manage higher traffic volumes and improve site performance.
7) Compare Pricing and Value
Understanding the pricing structures of hosting providers is essential to finding the best value for your money. Keep an eye out for introductory offers and renewal rates, as they can vary significantly.
- Introductory vs. Renewal Rates: Many hosts offer low introductory rates that increase upon renewal. Make sure to check both to understand the long-term cost.
- Value for Money: Compare what you get for the price. Look at included features like SSL certificates, backups, domain registration, and more.
- Hidden Fees: Be aware of any additional costs that might not be immediately apparent, such as migration fees, additional storage charges, or support fees.
By taking the time to truly understand costs, you won’t be surprised by billing or the cost of having to upgrade, etc.
8) Choose a Web Hosting Company
After evaluating all the factors, it’s time to make a decision! Consider your specific needs and how each hosting provider meets those needs. Balance the features, performance, support, and pricing to find the best fit for your website.
- Prioritize Your Needs: Determine what features and services are most important to you, whether it’s uptime, customer support, scalability, or cost.
- Compare Shortlisted Providers: Narrow down your options to a few providers that best meet your criteria and compare them side-by-side.
- Take Advantage of Free Trials: Some hosting providers offer free trials or money-back guarantees. Use these offers to test the service before committing long-term.
Choosing a Web Host – Conclusion & Our Favorite Providers
Choosing the right web host is a crucial step in your website’s success. By considering factors such as your website’s needs, hosting types, uptime, customer support, security features, scalability, pricing, and customer reviews, you can make an informed decision that best suits your requirements.
Use the tips provided in this guide to evaluate potential hosting providers and ensure you select the one that offers the best combination of performance, features, and value. With the right host, you can build a solid foundation for your online presence and achieve your website goals.
And one last time, here’s a shortlist of our favorite web hosting companies:
These are great hosting companies, and in our opinion, they represent the best of the mainstream hosting options on the web.
