As the average small business is now spending around $75,000 a year on digital marketing, it’s likely they’re spending even more on data and storage. Without adequate web hosting services, it’s hard to provide your customers with the kind of service they demand. Your hosting services are going to set the tone for how your business runs and what you can provide clients in terms of value. Your hosting services like Liquid Web are going to set the tone for how your business runs and what you can provide clients in terms of value.
Here are five things to think about when you’re looking for the best web hosting this year.
1. Look At Cost
When you’re looking at working with a web hosting provider, you need to first think about costs. As more companies are offering better and more fully loaded services, the price of hosting is dropping. You can get a lot of cloud-based storage for very little money these days so that you can run the software you need to on your site.
However, you need to think about value. When you go with a well-trusted hosting service, you’re going to pay more for brand names and reputations. Those reputations mean that you’re going to get reliable value and not have to worry about them shuttering or folding in the middle of the night.
If you’re a new and budding startup with major storage needs, it could be a struggle to find the right web hosting. It can be a major drain on your budget when you’re just getting started. However, it’s vital that you have great hosting so that your customers and clients know that they can always rely on you to provide flawless service.
Cost matters but you shouldn’t skimp because you could end up losing out in the end with poor service.
2. Ask About Features
To make sure you’re getting your money’s worth, think about the features that they offer. The most important features that you need to have are high-quality security, the ability to have a dedicated server, and email features.
With the cost of the average data breach now reaching near the $4 million mark, it’s vital to take care fo your data. When you suffer a data breach, you suffer damaged reputations, customers who lose faith in you, and the potential for lawsuits. If you’re in the health and wellness space, you could violate HIPAA regulations and lose your license to provide services.
Even if you offer security, sharing your server space with another site can be dangerous. Let’s say a drive is partitioned to give you half and offer half to a site that tries to make money by spamming other sites. Your whole IP address could be blacklisted by search engines, taking you down with the spam site.
A dedicated server avoids this.
Another thing that web hosts can offer is the ability to give you email services. Running your own email server is challenging. If they can offer you a secure email server, you can have an enterprise level email without having to pay a high price.
3. Do They Offer Support?
One of the things that every company can benefit from is the ability to have tech support when you need it. Whether your customers need access to their data or your team needs to migrate some data from one drive to another, you should be able to get help. If you hit snags in the middle of the night during data migration, you should be able to call someone up.
Having 24/7 tech support isn’t important to everyone but when you’re running a business in the digital world, you’re basically running an all-night enterprise. You might have any number of problems in the middle of the night and need someone to lend a hand. Without reliable tech support, you could be high and dry.
If you’re implementing a new system or training new staff, they could run into snags along the way. If you’re not available to answer their questions, tech support could help you maintain productivity at all hours of the night.
4. Where Are They Located?
One of the things that might be important is where your web host is located. Lots of great web hosts are scattered throughout the world, but when they’re too far away, it’s hard to get the help you need.
Even if they have a free phone support system, you might have to call them during business hours. If they are located at an overseas location, they might have a tech line that’s hard to reach. It might take them more than a day to respond to your emails.
It also might mean that they don’t take security as seriously. Many overseas companies set up shop to make some quick money but don’t work too hard to keep tight security. Make sure you’re located in a country with tight data laws to protect your information.
5. Can They Meet Your Customers’ Needs?
Your customers are going to have their own needs as well. Ask customers and you’ll find, much like you, they value security, speed, and the ability to store without limits.
When your web host or your site has provided access for your customers to store data, they want it to be secure. They also want it to upload and download quickly and efficiently so that they don’t have to wait around for the data they want. When they reach a limit for storage, they need to have an option for expanding, even if that comes at a price.
Since your customers are vital to your business, you should value their opinions.
For a review of what small businesses are looking for, do some research to learn more.
Web Hosting Services Are Vital to Business
When you have quality web hosting services on your side, you can give your customers what they deserve. You’ll provide a connection with little downtime and enough storage space for them to do everything they need to with your site, product, or app.
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