When you’re setting up a website for your small business there are a lot of factors to consider. In order for your website to be online, you need a hosting plan, but what does this mean? It may be tempting not to waste time and money by taking the first cheap hosting plan you find, throwing your site online, and calling it good. Instead of looking for quality and affordable hosting, you should focus on cheap web hosting.
Similar to other business utilities, web hosting can also be thought of as a service. Getting cheap hosting may sound appealing, but what you really need is something suitable to your business and affordable. If you had a choice between the cheapest security, cheapest accountant, or cheapest lawyer, which would you choose? No way! Here are some points to consider when choosing a hosting plan and what is and isn’t worth paying for when getting started.
Server Management
When picking a hosting plan, you should consider what type of server you would like to have. Three types of servers are available.
Server Type: The Biggest Difference
HostShare: A HostShare plan is typically the most economical option. Multi-user shared Hosting Servers involve using the same physical server for all users. Each user is responsible for operating and maintaining the server. The monthly cost is usually between $2 and $10.
Despite being technically a shared server, a Virtual Private Server (VPS) has a certain amount of resources reserved for you personally. You can never be infringed on by the other sites, regardless of how much bandwidth or data they need. In order to install programs and configure systems, you have considerable freedom on your end of the server. Monthly fees usually range from $20 to $50.
Hosting Servers:
A dedicated server is distinct from shared hosting because it is entirely yours; RAM, bandwidth and disk space are all exclusively yours. As this server is yours to use as you wish, both one and several websites can be hosted on it. You can also customize it, as you please. Monthly fees may exceed $100.
In the early stages of your business, a shared hosting plan is usually the best choice. Web Hosting companies take care of your difficult maintenance tasks automatically when you use a shared plan. Furthermore, when you’re just beginning to build a web presence, it’s unlikely that you’ll need custom configurations or unusual software.
Read More: What is a Dedicated Server?
Uptime
You won’t get any benefit from your website if it’s offline. It is always important to choose a hosting company that guarantees uptime. At least 99.9% (or better) uptime is a guarantee with most reputable companies.
Bandwidth and Storage
According to your plan, your account can transfer a certain amount of data at once. Depending on bandwidth, your site may not be able to handle as many simultaneous visitors as you’d like, or it may do poorly under heavy load procedures like loading large images or running background programs.
Like a truck, bandwidth is like bandwidth. If you are just starting out, do you need an 18-wheeler to carry more merchandise? Would you be able to drive it yourself? Moderate amounts of bandwidth are usually included with most plans. For those just starting out, this will be sufficient. Just make sure that when your site traffic picks up your hosting company can easily upgrade your bandwidth!
Your business needs will determine how much storage space you need, just as they will determine how much bandwidth you need. WordPress sites rarely exceed 5 or 6 GB in size. You probably don’t need that much storage space until you start hosting hundreds of high-quality images and creating an online store with hundreds of products. Don’t worry about not being able to upgrade – if you just need more data, you don’t want to end up spending ten times as much.
Security
Hosting plans that are more affordable often offer great security. What a shock! A shared server is inherently insecure. You can upload and host hundreds of websites on one server node on a shared hosting server. Quality hosting companies will monitor their servers 24/7 and keep them updated with the latest security patches and bug fixes.
Site Management
However, you won’t have to do all of the work yourself. You are taking basic security precautions, after all. You will be required to take a more active role in maintaining your server’s security if you are running a VPS or Dedicated Server. Having experience can make it easier, but you shouldn’t try and learn it on the job if you have a business at stake.
Administrative Control
Check to ensure you have access to more than just the front end of your website with your hosting plan! Accessing files, changing passwords, and installing basic software should be possible via an interface like cPanel. Having a low introductory plan often means that you have no access to the ‘back end,’ which makes it difficult for you to move your site files and add new features without paying hefty fees.
SSL
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates are required today by anyone accessing a website over the internet. You may have encountered a site with an expired or invalid SSL if you’ve ever visited a site and been warned that it might be unsafe.
If you require a specialty SSL, Hostbillo offers them for purchase as well. Do not get suckered into cheap hosting plans that make installing an SSL difficult- and expensive!
Domains
You obtain ownership of your website’s URL after registering a domain. All of our plans come with a free domain name from InMotion. Moreover, you can also transfer or point domains already owned by you to our servers. Regardless of who hosts your domain, make sure you maintain personal ownership of it.
You should be able to add more domains to your plan if necessary as well. You should be able to add a second or third site to your account and begin building it immediately. An upgrade should be enough for most sites – not an entirely separate plan!
Content Management Systems
Websites are rarely built from scratch by businesses. You can post updates and make new pages with the built-in tools in Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress. If you want to use a CMS for training and education, you may need to use Moodle. If you choose a CMS, make sure it comes with the option to install it on your server or provides the CMS you need.
You should be cautious about plans that require you to use a specific CMS, as well as plans that provide you no CMS option at all. I don’t think that locking yourself into WordPress would be so bad, but locking yourself into a CMS that no one else offers could be problematic.
On the other hand, you can find many cheap plans that are little more than Linux servers on the cloud. A sysadmin with a lot of experience will appreciate these plans. As a newbie, what do you need? You should be aware that the minimalist plans will require hours of additional work and constant attention. Aspiring them is the first step, but not the first thing to do!
Online businesses cannot function without email. A low-cost email add-on is a smart choice if you are looking for affordability in your hosting plan. Don’t be fooled by seemingly cheap plans that require you to purchase expensive, year-long email packages if this is something you want!
Support and Assistance
When you’re starting out, figuring out what the dilemma is can be the most difficult part of solving it. Affordable plans do not always come with support. Make sure that you consider the importance of support before choosing a hosting plan. The extra cost of a plan that includes support is well worth it. Otherwise, you could be spending hours on tasks that could be easily accomplished.
Live technical support is available 24/7/365 for basic hosting problems with all plans at Hostbillo. Our Managed Hosting team can assist you with more complex design and administration issues.
Read More: What is VPS Server?
General Tips
Consider finding an affordable plan that fits your needs, rather than finding a cheap plan. The first time you create a website, we usually recommend starting with a shared hosting plan, either our WordPress Optimized plan or Shared Hosting plan. Consider your needs when choosing a plan, but don’t neglect to add any features you may need. Last but not least, make sure your plan gives you enough room to build while not nickel and diming you.
Take a look at our Linux Shared Hosting plan to find out what you can expect from a basic starter plan.
