Building an attractive website and finding a suitable host go hand in hand. The importance of having a reliable, secure, and trustworthy web hosting service like namehero can never be overemphasized. The smooth-running, operation, and maintenance of your online platform go a long way in boosting the website’s performance. There are several options available, making selecting a particular service rather challenging.
What is web hosting, what factors should you consider before choosing a hosting provider, and why is it important? Read on to find out.
What is a web hosting service?
After creating a website, you need to store the group of files used during its creation safely somewhere. Not doing so makes them inaccessible on the internet. A web hosting provider hosts these files in one of their servers for a specific price. Companies that provide these services have something called data centers, which are a collection of servers. After you have hosted the files on the web, they become accessible to everybody anytime. All the visitors to your website have to do is type your website’s name into the browser. Besides hosting your files, the web host is also responsible for troubleshooting, updating the software, and removing any security breaches.
Why is it essential to have a good web host?
One of the most obvious reasons behind having a good web host is safety. When you select a reliable host for your website, you can be sure it is HTTPS enabled. That offers several layers of security, which in technical terms is called secure socket layers (SSL). Any information processed from your website is automatically encrypted, which keeps it safe from hackers. Even then, if your data were affected somehow, the hosting service will back it up and allow you to restore your information safely.
In addition to safety, if you want to rank high on various search engines, having a slow website will not work. Having a good host will ensure that your files are loaded at an incredible speed.
What qualities to look for in a web hosting provider?
Sufficient storage space
As your online presence and business increase, your platform will witness growth too. The host should be able to provide sufficient space for your platform. You should always have more space than needed. That will keep any storage limitations out of the way, and all the more if you store media content, videos, and user data on your website.
Significant bandwidth
Bandwidth, in simple terms, refers to the amount of data transferred on the web over a given period. You can trust a web hosting service when it offers significant bandwidth along with speed and flexibility. Nothing is worse than having your bandwidth locked after a certain point. If your site hosts multimedia regularly along with frequent uploads and downloads, then you have to get more bandwidth than you might think you need to initially.
Number of domains that are provided
After you have a successful website, you might want to create another one with another domain. A web host worth his salt will allow you to host multiple sites at once. Things are fine as long as you have one host with one website, but finding separate hosts with numerous websites and domains can be highly inconvenient. Before selecting a provider, always ask them regarding the number of available addresses from a single account. You can also check whether the host has the tools required for domain management.
How many email accounts can you operate?
Along with domains, an efficient web host provider should offer several email accounts for your sites. It is better to inquire in advance regarding the number of accounts you will be allowed to operate. You should also check the email sending and receiving interface and integrate it easily with other email programs. If your provider restricts the number of email accounts you can create, it’s better to look for another one.
Type of database management system available
Several types of database systems exist, including hierarchical, document, network, graph, and object-oriented. A trustworthy host will be willing to provide you with a database system that you are familiar with and works smoothly with your website’s design.
Strong backup
Emergencies strike without warning, and when they do, you should be able to rely on your web host for a safe backup of your data. In addition, they should also have various firewalls, vital monitoring programs, SSL certificates, and other protection tools. The importance of this is magnified several times over if your website contains sensitive and private information. You should be notified at the first instance of a security breach by your host.
Web hosting providers play a significant role in your website in more ways than you might think. That is why you should go for one that promises the optimum performance. Choose your provider carefully, and you will thank yourself in the long run.
