5 Important Features You Need For Web Hosting

5 Must Have Features You Need For Web Hosting

It’s been quite some time since we last talked about web hosting, but today that will change. In this next article, we are going to take on the topic of what to look for in a web hosting plan, as this can be a bit complicated if you’re new to this world. 

Whether you’re launching your first WordPress blog or looking for a new hosting plan for your existing online store, it’s important to know what to look for in a web hosting provider. 

You will soon discover that once you do understand the basic features a web hosting service should provide, it will all become clearer and will definitely help you run your business smoothly. 

So, hopefully, this article will help you navigate the sea of options by highlighting the 5 must-have features you need for web hosting.

Let’s get started!

First, what is web hosting?

Now, just in case you’re really new to this topic, web hosting is part of the process that makes your website, and in fact any website, accessible to users worldwide. 

It’s like renting a space on the internet for your website to live in. But just like finding the perfect apartment, there are key features you need to consider when choosing your web hosting service.

Why is this such a big deal? Choosing a web hosting provider is one of the most important decisions you’ll make during your journey to opening an online store or having an online presence for your business.

Now, there are many options out there, so it can be tricky to find a host that offers the right features for your specific needs. Well, that’s where we hope this article can help you decide. 

So, these are the 5 must-have features you should consider for web hosting.

1. Uptime guaranteed

Imagine your website as a store. Every moment it’s open, you have the potential to make sales. That’s what uptime actually means, as this is the time your website is accessible by users and also works smoothly. 

It’s usually expressed as a percentage, and you should aim for a web hosting that guarantees 99.9% uptime or higher. This means your website would be down for less than 0.1% of the time or approximately 8.76 hours in a year. 

Remember, every minute your site is down, you’re potentially losing users who can become customers and sales.

2. Strong security features

Cyber attacks are a growing threat, there were over 35 million attacks in 2022. This means all websites face the risk of hacking, malware, and data breaches. As these attacks often target web servers too, you need to choose a web hosting provider with robust security features, including SSL certificates (for secure, encrypted connections), firewalls, and regular malware scans. 

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A web host that has strong security measures in place keeps your websites protected from constantly evolving cyber threats. If you want to be even more on the safe side, you can look for web hosts that offer additional features like DDoS protection and spam filtering. 

All these features will help secure your website against potential attacks and provide peace of mind for both you and your users. It’s important that your potential customers feel safe and protected from cyber threats when navigating through your pages.

5 features to look for when choosing Web Hosting

3. 24/7 customer support

Even with the best uptime and security features, you will encounter issues. And even the most tech-savvy people can get technical issues they can’t solve on their own. That’s why a web host that has your back is invaluable. 

So, make sure you choose a web hosting provider with reliable customer support, one that offers 24/7 availability via multiple channels, such as phone, chat, and email. 

More than that, look for a hosting provider that offers helpful support resources. Tutorials and YouTube How-to playlists allow customers to find answers on their own. 

Extensive knowledge bases also empower your customers to learn the basics of web hosting. If you are new to web hosting, well, these options are especially important as they will help you navigate this world faster.

And, before deciding, you can also check out the reviews about their support team. Quick and helpful replies from support will help you address any problem quickly, minimizing potential disruptions to your website.

4. Easy to scale up and down

Even if you start small, that doesn’t mean you won’t need more resources at one point, right? That’s why it is important you choose a web hosting provider that offers scalable options. Scalability means you can start with a basic plan and upgrade to another one as your traffic increases, for example. Or the other way around, to downgrade to a smaller plan.

Look for hosting providers that offer easily upgradeable (or downgradable) plans, ensuring that scaling up or down doesn’t disrupt your operations. This will allow you to easily upgrade or downgrade your resources, such as CPU, RAM, or storage space, to meet your evolving online needs. It also ensures your website can handle spikes in traffic without compromising performance.

5. Pricing and full transparency

Yes, we know, it can be quite tempting to go for the cheapest hosting option without thinking that most of the time you will get what you paid for. It’s true that it’s important to find a web host within your budget, but make sure you don’t choose based solely on the price.

Instead, look for a host that offers fair pricing with basic features included, such as SSL certificates or domain names. Also, some web hosts offer low introductory rates, only to have the renewal rates significantly higher. So, always check the renewal price before you sign up and what features are included in each plan. Sometimes, paying a bit more can give you access to essential features like backups, advanced security, and better customer support. 

At the same time, the most expensive option isn’t always the best. For example, shared hosting offers basic features at lower costs for personal sites and small businesses. VPS and dedicated plans provide more resources for higher-traffic sites at higher prices.

Bonus feature – speed and performance

Today, your website speed plays a significant role in user experience, conversions, and SEO rankings. Around 80% of visitors will leave a website if it takes more than four seconds to load. With fast loading times, your website can keep users engaged and also rank higher in search results.

So, choose a hosting provider that utilizes high-performance servers and content delivery networks (CDNs) to ensure fast loading times. A fast-loading website not only enhances your user experience but also improves your chances of ranking higher in search engine results. If you want to have these features, then you need to look for a web host with fast connectivity and minimal downtime. 

And there you have it, the 5 must-have features for web hosting:

– Great uptime

– Strong security

– 24/7 customer support

– Easy to scale

– Best value for your budget

– Bonus feature: fast connectivity.

By considering these five important features, we hope you can make an informed decision.

So, take your time, do your research, and choose wisely. Happy hosting!

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