subject: Tips To Select The Right Hosting Service For Your Business [print this page] Selecting the right hosting service when taking your small business online may be a little daunting to some SME's. With that in mind, there are a number of things you can think about when considering your hosting requirements.
One of the first steps you take when setting up your small business online is to purchase and register a suitable domain name. Once you've registered your domain name, it's time to to decide where to host your website or select the right hosting service for your business. There are a number of options and many providers, however, the decision is really one of two: you can host it yourself with your own server or you can outsource that task to a service provider.
A website host generally offers these main services,
1. provide internet connectivity to your website and
2. provide a data centre,
3. store and transfer the files necessary to run your online business.
When you think about it, this data centre or server performs a hugely important role because the wrong server or host can put your files at risk for corruption, loss, and spam. In fact, your entire business online could be in jeopardy.
Following are a few tips when considering the right server for your small business when beginning online:
1. Make sure the control panel is easy to use. Many hosting services offer what is called 'cpanel' and I recommend you check to see the hosts you are selecting from has cpanel.
2. Check their hours for support. Again, many of the hosting services today offer round the clock support. The thing is, you never know when you might need help and having to wait until 'normal business hours', even in your own country let alone on the other side of the world, can cost you bundles of lost time and revenue. The hosting service provider must have 24/7 customer service. And the support system whether it's on the telephone, skype, via email or chat should be recordable in the event you may need to reference the information at a later time.
3. Look for a hosting service that promises a very high percentage of uptime. This translates to your website being up and running 99-100% of the time. This must be guaranteed.
4. Look for a hosting service that backs up your server on a regular basis, preferably daily. Some back up less often however you don't want to lose any information on your website and if the unfortunate happens and your site gets hacked, you want to be able to quickly upload the last saved version with little or no downtime to your business operations.
Know what type of server you're getting with the plan being offered. There are different types of servers with the main ones including:
Shared web hosting service: your website resides on the same server as many other websites and you all share the same resources. This is very common, and is perfectly fine for the majority of small to medium businesses out there.
Dedicated hosting service: you have your own web server and have full control over it and you are responsible for the security and maintenance. This service is more expensive, but an option for a number of medium businesses who want the control and security offered.
Managed hosting service: you are provided with your own web server but do not have full control over it. Security, backups and so on are taken care of by the hosting provider.
Deciding on the right hosting provider can be a little challenging, however there are a number of qualified providers available. When making your decision, compare hosting providers based on their track record, what they offer, what they can do for your business and finally compare prices.
The hosting service for your business is too important to take lightly.
Use these tips to ensure you select the right hosting service to take and grow your small business online.
