An online search for a web host will reveal a seemingly endless number of choices for hosting a website. Many have similar features and connectivity. Furthermore, the cost of hosting is competitive and generally inexpensive. As a result, there are many choices that will meet the needs of most individuals and businesses. How does one decide if a web host is suitable? Let’s take a look at some of the things I look for in a web host. Each site is different and may have special requirements, but these should be included. These include certain features, applications, technical requirements, and user interaction.
Disclosure: I am a Bluehost affiliate and use Bluehost as the host for this website. I am paid a commission if you click on a link or ad to Bluehost and take action to purchase hosting. This is a legitimate way to support this site and your support is appreciated! The ideas presented in this article are my own opinion and not intended to represent Bluehost or any other hosting service. Many hosting services in addition to Bluehost satisfy the requirements presented here.
Comparing features and signing up for hosting should be quick and easy
After going to a hosting website, it should be easy to find these things. First, what type of hosting is offered. Usually this is shared, virtual private, and dedicated hosting. For most users and especially new ones, shared hosting works fine. Secondly, by scrolling or selecting a hosting type, it should be easy to compare plans for a particular hosting type. The user should be able to compare what each plan offers for storage, bandwidth, features, etc. Many hosting sites will put this information in side-by-side comparisons. Thirdly, the cost for each plan level should be easy to see. Finally, it should be obvious where to click to sign up once a decision is made.
Hosts should be able to register and manage domains
Although it is not a requirement that a domain is registered and managed by the web host, it is generally easier to set up and make sure that the domain is correctly connected to the hosting account and the Internet if it is. In addition, many hosting plans include the first year’s registration fee for free to new customers to encourage them to register domain names with them. You should be able to search for an available domain name on the host’s website and purchase available names later that can be linked with your account. Finally, hosts should have a way to manage multiple domain names on their site. Domain name registrations will need to be updated yearly and connected to a hosting account. Having a way to update, transfer, purchase, and manage expiration dates is important.
Go for unlimited!
When deciding on a hosting plan, look for a plan that has unlimited bandwidth and unlimited storage. Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred over the Internet. By getting unlimited bandwidth you can feel assured that your website will not stop working because your account ran out of bandwidth for the month. In addition, look for unlimited storage. This will not be an issue for many but can quickly become so if your website has lots of video, pictures, and high resolution graphics. Instead of getting hosting for a single domain, look for hosting for unlimited domains. This will allow you to host multiple websites on one account and often only costs a couple of dollars more per month when combined with unlimited bandwidth and storage .
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Look for hosting that includes email accounts
Most hosting accounts include email with the purchase of a domain. This allows you to set up professional email accounts matched to you domain. So, if your domain is mydomain.com, you can set up email accounts that end in @mydomain.com instead of using free email from Gmail or AOL. Many of the accounts allow for unlimited accounts so you can set up accounts for everyone in the organization and support or help emails for the website. Once set up, email addresses will be yourname@mydomain.com instead of yourname@gmail.com. This is very helpful in branding and identifying your website as well as creating built-in marketing. Many web hosts also sell professional email accounts Office 365 or Google Workspace. These are available at additional costs.
WordPress should be installed on the host site
WordPress has become the biggest content management program on the Internet. It is used on over one-third of the websites on the Internet. WordPress is used to create a website for your domain. Web hosts install WordPress on their sites and make it available for installation on users’ websites created for their domains. WordPress gives users access to countless themes that can be downloaded as well as easy to install plugins that can do most any task necessary on a website. It is this flexibility and ease of use that makes WordPress so popular for website development. If you would like to see a series of videos where I create a website with WordPress, go to https://websitesinten.com.
Get hosting with an SSL certificate
Find and use a host that includes an SSL certificate as part of the host package. What is SSL? It is the thing that makes your Internet connection secure. When you see a closed lock to the left of your web address in the browser address bar, you are using SSL. SSL is used when a web address begins with https:\\ instead of http:\\ and indicates a secure connection.
SSL stands for secure sockets layer, although the technicalities of it are unimportant to most users. When an SSL certificate is installed on a host site, a public “key” is generated that is then matched to a private key that is kept on the server. This insures that the connection is to the correct place and that information transmitted is secure. You do not have to do much to make this happen except make sure a SSL certificate is part of your hosting and that you use https:\\ as part of your links.
24/7 customer service and automated backups
When things go wrong, you will want to get them corrected quickly. I look for customer service that is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. I don’t encounter many problems with hosting but when I do it is nice to have the option to do live chat or if the problem is complex to have a phone number to call that will allow me to talk to an actual person.
Although not completely necessary, it is also nice to have a host that will perform automatic backups of your website. If you are using WordPress, there are plenty of plugins that will allow you to back up your site but it adds peace of mind to know that it is backed up even if you forget.
Conclusion
Hosting plans have become much more standard in today’s Internet world. Finding a plan with the things mentioned in this article should not be hard as most hosting companies will provide them. There are many other additional features that will be included in a hosting plan; many of which an entire article could be written about. However, the things discussed in this article are an important starting place and will ensure that a plan will meet the needs of most users looking for a good host.
If you’re looking for a host that I like, I am a Bluehost affiliate and receive a commission if you click on the ad below and make a purchase. It will help support this website at no extra cost to you. I appreciate your support!