Choosing a web host for your company website can be a relatively challenging task. With so many options in the market, many businesses struggle to determine the best UK web hosting company that would suit their unique needs. Luckily, with a few guidelines and enough information, choosing the right company host for your business could quickly become a walk in the park.
A while back, disk storage and bandwidth were all you had to consider when choosing web host services. Today, things have drastically changed. When deciding on a web host company, you have to gather information and compare all the options you have at your disposal. Identify the perks of choosing one over the other and ensure you don’t end up with the wrong choice that could cause all kinds of headaches for your business.
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5 Tips for choosing a company host for your website
Your website works as a base for all your online marketing strategies. So, finding the right company host for your business site is vital for the growth and success of your brand.
1. Define the Needs of Your Company Website
When choosing a UK web hosting company, your business website needs are the most important things to consider. What do you feel your business website requires, and will the company host you choose suit these needs? Only proceed to shortlist host companies that meet the bare minimum you require for your web host needs.
If you run a google search now, the search result pages will display tons of website hosts UK. Each has something different to offer – and host services that work for your friend’s company might not be the best option for yours. So, it is essential to identify the unique needs of your website before you consider any of these web host companies.
Some questions to ask are:
- Where will my primary clients be?
- Does the web host provide secure and reliable hosting?
- How much am I willing to spend for hosting?
- Are there any UK-based hosting that specialise in ecommerce?
- Will I need a local domain like .co.uk?
- Will the web host provide support in my language?
Once you define your website needs, then it’s time for the next step.
2. Check for Reliability and Average Uptime Scores
Besides your needs, it is important to consider reliability and average uptime scores before you choose a company host. Average uptime refers to the average time your site will run within a specified period. It is an important aspect to consider since it significantly affects how much traffic your website gets.
Regular downtimes, even for a few minutes, can mean your business losses out on traffic and potential sales. So, it is essential to find a reliable company host that can ensure an average uptime of at least 99.90%. If your desired web host company offers anything below 99%, it might be time to move to the next option on your list.
3. Review Registration and Maintenance Pricing
Another essential factor to consider before you choose a web host for your business is the registration and maintenance costs. Whether you are starting out or looking to replace your current web host company, the most important thing is to get the best services at a relatively lower cost. So, it is essential to review the pricing for both account registration and renewal.
As you sample web host companies, you will notice that most offer attractive deals when you sign up for the first time. But the subsequent renewals are often more than triple. So, to avoid any surprise costs at the end of the discounted period, check the costs of renewals before settling on a particular UK web hosting company.
4. Check for Security Ratings
With the ever-rising cases of cyber-attacks, finding a web host that offers secured hosting is paramount. If a third-party gains access to the server, your business could lose valuable data or suffer other devastating losses. Most security issues are your company’s responsibilities – but the hosting company is responsible for some of the most vital ones.
Some of the things a high-quality host company can do to ensure secured hosting include:
- Running regular malware scans on behalf of your company (and removing if any is found).
- Regular data backups.
- Preventing DDoS attacks
- Providing an SSL certificate
Although the others are equally important, an SSL certificate is vital to ensuring a secure hosting service. Most web host companies offer the certificate for free for at least the first year. But some sell the SSL certificate right from the start of the hosting plan.
5. Ask about Customer Support
Customer support is an essential facet of any service. So, before you settle on a particular web hosting company, ensure they have a reliable customer support team.
Although your in-house IT team can manage to handle any issues, you might require the technical input of the company host from time to time. That is especially true for small-scale businesses with smaller IT teams. That’s why customer support comes in.
Reliable customer support can ensure you deal with any website or server issues faster and more effectively. These issues can cause downtimes, which can be bad news for your traffic and sales. So, ensure you choose hosts UK with 24/7 customer support and offer multiple channels that you can use to contact them.
In a Nutshell
With tons of options, choosing the right web host company can be relatively challenging. It is essential to take your time and compare all your options. That will help you make a well-informed decision that wouldn’t waste your time and become a problem in the future. If you are ready to take the next step, check out this web hosting plan for more information.
