You own a small, or middle-size business and realize it’s time to choose a web-hosting provider? With such an overwhelming choice of services it’s hard to make a decision, but we’re ready to help. If you’re a newcomer in the world of dedicated server hosting, and hosting at all, you should take several factors into consideration. Although at the first glance, web hosting services seem to be the same, at the heart they may appear to be different. Taking a deeper insight into the elements of dedicated hosting server you will get a better idea what your business really needs.
Support
Web hosting support is crucial for every business, and is especially important, if you’re not a tech person. When you have questions about using the control panel, assigning DNS settings and eliminating technical issues, you should be able to contact customer support in a few minutes and have everything fixed quickly. Therefore, you should check the level of client support of dedicated server provider. Although standard customer support may be enough for a usual website, your business may require a higher level maintenance and more additional options. Look for the number of options available: if there’s only a ticketing system to connect with the provider, it means you will need for hours or even days to get help. Choose a hosting company that provides live chat, e-mail and some other means of communication for customers. User-friendliness and speed of reply matter, as well.
Security
Hacking of corporate websites and attacks are becoming more frequent than ever. You may sleep soundly knowing that your data is safe and secure, being protected against the vast majority of security threats. Decent hosting companies realize that security is number one priority, and provide two factor authentication, firewalls and other security settings to sabotage hackers’ efforts to steal your data. Modern security settings will route your business and customers’ information via SSL certificates for a better level of protection. Top-notch web hosting services also come with proactive monitoring options that help to keep track on traffic in real time and avoid all kinds of vulnerabilities. All abnormalities are addressed instantly. The best dedicated server providers understand business needs and support websites on 24/7 basis to make sure that the standards of security are complied with.
Uptime
As a serious company, you can’t afford downtime of website: it costs money and customers’ loyalty. Our advice: don’t opt for companies that offer uptime lower than 99%. The most consistent web hosting providers guarantee 99.99% or even 100% uptime. That will ensure that your website is always available for the customers. Don’t forget to read SLA and fine print to understand whether website downtime is compensated, and how. Cloud web hosting may also be a great variant for those who need a scalable solution and efficient plans for ever-changing needs. The redundant technology of Cloud web hosting allows switching to another web server, if yours is down, so it may save website when some issue arise.
Scalability
As your successful web business is growing, it needs more bandwidth and space to serve a higher amount of clients and the website itself. This is why sooner or later you will need to upgrade bandwidth, storage and CPU power. Select a dedicated server provider who has a wide selection of plans that can meet your needs for the future growth.
A decent web hosting provider will evaluate the ratio of your traffic and data requirements so that to guide you and offer the best plans at an optimal cost. If you have a seasonal business, or a special event planned, or expect traffic spikes for some other reasons, you need to be able to scale up and down. Scalable dedicated servers and other hosting solutions are not only convenient, but cost-efficient, too. You can scale up and down during traffic spikes and be prepared to busy times without overpaying and being backed up.
Backups
Along with hacking and attacks you also need a solution for keeping your data backed up. Loss of data can truly ruin your website and business, that’s why many web hosting providers offer backups. That gives you guarantee that the copies of your data will be available even in case of hacking, floods, hurricanes, etc. Owning a high level business you should make sure that your data is stored in multiple locations: today it’s not enough to rely on your host only. Decent hosts will maintain user’s data in multiple locations and introduce recovery plans in case of dangerous disasters.
Performance and SEO
A static IP on a high-quality dedicated server will both improve your SEO and help you to advance your website in the Net. These two factors are crucial for your business. Websites that load quickly and have a non-changing dedicated IP address are ranked better than slowly running websites with altering IPs. Besides, Google favors websites with HTTPS designation, because they have an SSL certificate enabled. It’s crucial for businesses’ hosting, because they are created to meet the demands of developers, startups, e-commerce projects and other types of business. If you work with a reliable web hosting provider, you can reap all benefits of hosting enjoying stable growth, higher sales and inevitable success.
Hardware and Software
Not every business has a well-established website when it searches for hosting service. Therefore, when you’re seeking for a dedicated server solution, you should consider whether your hosting plan offers website building software and the opportunity to manage various scripts, cPanel software for website management, free domains and many other extra features that will help you to make a more attractive and functional website. For instance, those who need advanced features can try dedicated hosting servers with SpamExperts and LiteSpeed together with top-notch hardware, such as Intel Quad Core Xeon processors. As a growing business, you need the ability to leverage e-commerce hardware either through scripts, or via specific security settings for better user experience and fault-free operation.
Reputation
Web hosting is a large industry with hundred thousand providers all over the world. Before opting for some particular provider you should find unbiased reviews online and estimate overall reputation of the company. Its longevity also matters: some hosts ensure minimal customer support, and don’t manage to respond to users’ requests in a timely manner. Before you sign a contract, or pay for your first service period, check company’s credentials, read about real user experience, if possible: that may save your time and money down the road.
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