Dos and Don'ts of Web Hosting for Beginners

When you're a new website owner, there's a lot of information for you to analyze and big decisions to make. You need to estimate the size of the hosting plan you'll need, decide on how you want the site to look, figure out extra features and plugins, then there's the issue of outsourcing your content which is a completely different ballgame, and – well, it's easy for things to get overwhelming.

It takes a lot of work to build an efficient website, and if you're taking on this task personally without outsourcing, it's important you get all the steps right. If you miss one small dynamic early, it could cost you a lot of time later to go back over everything and change elements of your site.

It's also important to avoid needing to switch hosts or plans halfway into your website build. The more solid your decision-making is in the beginning, the easier the overall job becomes as time moves forward. You can browse this site for a good example of how to review a hosting provider efficiently.

When you're just getting started with a new website and finding a hosting provider, there are certain things you want to do and certain things you don't want to do. We'll go over these in the following article.

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Don't Fall for These

These are common tactics used in the host provider space to lure new customers into less than satisfactory plans.

Limited Time Offers

When you browse hosting websites, you always see special discounts and one-time offers that are expiring soon. There sure are a lot of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities out there. We see at least three or four every day.

Beware of offers that seem too good to be true. If you pay for a hosting service for pennies on the dollar for the first year, chances are the second year you might get taken to the cleaners.

Hosting companies will use the first year of service to lure customers in, giving them an appealing offer that seems to save them hundreds of dollars. The first year does save you money. The problem is when the second year rolls around; you usually end up paying an above-average price for your hosting.

One way to counter this is by asking the hosting company for the terms of the first and second years. Get the total price for the second year printed or in writing; that way, you know what you're in store for.

Downtime

You should always ask a provider what their downtime percentage is. Beware of website content that reads things like 'minimal downtime' or fine print mentioning the high speeds they provide only occurring during certain time slots or dates.

You need to be especially mindful of this with cheap hosting providers. Sure, the price is low, but are they able to keep up with peak times and a lot of traffic? You shouldn't satisfied with anything less than 100% uptime. Regardless of what a hosting company tells you, it's not normal or okay for your site to be down, period.

High-Priced SSL Certificates

It's essential to obtain a decent SSL certificate that allows your website to run as an HTTPS instead of an HTTP. Google prefers HTTPS sites because of the higher security levels, and this leads to your chances of ranking higher better than when you have an HTTP.

Many shady hosting providers will tell you that you receive a free SSL certificate, only for you to find out it's not efficient enough to give you HTTPS status. After researching, you might find out they charge an additional $150 to $200 for a 'top-of-the-line' SSL certificate. Truthfully, they're probably selling you a normal SSL certificate that you could have gotten for free if you went with a reputable hosting company.

Not 24-Hour Support? No Thanks

One of the most important dynamics in a hosting company is the fact they're available 24/7, 365. Your website doesn't close, and neither should the hosting company. Make sure someone is always available in case there are problems or you have questions

Do Choose These

These are the characteristics you want to look for and choose with a hosting company.

High Security

You do want a hosting company with high security. It's important that your website is protected from malware and other potentially damaging security threats.

Make sure the hosting company has an option for automatic backups. There should also be constant updates that stop hackers from stealing your site.

High-Speed Delivery Options

You want a hosting provider with fast speeds to deliver the data on your website. If the provider is too slow or has lag issues, it could cause precious traffic to bounce from your website.

If traffic leaves because the site takes too long to load, you're going to lose money. Be mindful of 'cheap' hosting plans that have issues with slow load times.

Just Remember..

It's not hard to choose an efficient hosting provider. Pay attention to the details on the website and avoid features or plans that sound gimmicky. Make sure when you're prepared to make the final payment at checkout, all the terms are listed clearly somewhere. You should be able to clearly understand what the price is, the length of the service, and any other additional features you added. There shouldn't be a need to read the fine print!

Everything should be clear, concise, with all the technical details listed in a professional manner. You shouldn't feel like you're buying web hosting from a car salesman.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 20 August 2021