Every Business Needs A Web Site
Anyone new to business knows they need a web site. What is one consideration a small business should take when selecting a website hosting service?
To help select a website hosting service for your small business, we asked tech experts and small business owners this question for their best advice. From customer service to load time per page, there are several things you may want to take into consideration to help you in selecting the right website hosting service for your business.
Here are eight things small businesses should consider when selecting a website hosting service:
Start With The Fundamentals
Research Customer Reviews
Allocate A Budget
Think About Security
Avoid Cheap Services
Understand Your Core Business Needs
Look For 24/7 Tech Support
Consider Load Time Per Page
Start With The Fundamentals
The most important thing to consider in selecting the best web host is determining your website’s requirements. Consider things like “what kind of website am I building?” “Do I want to use WordPress?” and “How much traffic do I expect?” These questions can seem naive, but they are critical, and the more precise you can be, the easier it will be to select the best hosting company for the job. If you want to use WordPress, consider using a WordPress hosting service that is controlled. Are you setting up an online store? Look for e-commerce-specific hosting providers.
Sylvia Kang, Mira
Research Customer Reviews
Before selecting a hosting service, I would do some research on their customer service! There are a lot of different hosting providers out there that offer different levels of technical support that can make a huge difference down the road when you need to make updates or redesigns. The better the support, the smoother the journey!
Dale Gillespie, Tic Watches
Allocate A Budget
One consideration a small business should take is the price. Look at your business’ budget and calculate how much money you can allot towards picking a website hosting service. Whether you are looking at a top of the line website hosting service or one that is more simplistic, consider how much money you want to spend. Sometimes it is okay to go with the one that is a bit more expensive because they may offer the features you need for your website. However, always keep in mind what your budget is.
Peter Babichenko, Sahara Case
Think About Security
The worst feeling in the world for a small business is to have their website hacked. All of a sudden there’s a foreign language coming up in your branded search results, and patching the vulnerabilities becomes a nightmare. When considering hosting solutions, think about the security the company offers. For example, WPEngine has excellent customer support and may be able to help detect vulnerabilities with your website before an attack happens — or may be able to help you fix the hack after the fact. Other hosting companies may not do this for you, and will push the responsibility on to their customers to fix. Small businesses should think about how their website hosting company plays a part in the event of a cyber attack, and should make hosting decisions based on their internal technical abilities.
Brett Farmiloe, Markitors
Avoid Cheap Services
As a small business, picking website hosting isn’t easy. There are literally hundreds of hosting services—often very comparable in their offerings. The competition in the hosting market is strong. Often the quality suffers, especially when it comes to cheap WordPress hosting. This leaves the question: do you actually still need WordPress hosting? Services such as WIX and Carrd.co are offering very cheap website builders without the pain of hosting the website yourself. Just sign in and start putting the site together in your browser. Once you are done, click save and publish.
Peter Thaleikis, Bring Your Own Ideas Ltd.
Understand Your Core Business Needs
I build a lot of websites for clients and the main things I consider before making a service recommendation are: 1) How does the company intend to make money? (i.e., are they selling a product or service?), 2) Is the product or service a known commodity or something new? (i.e., how much information will a customer need to understand what the business is selling), and 3) Does the company have any specific needs that can be solved by selecting a specific web service over another? By looking at all of these considerations together, I can start to identify what providers will best serve the company’s needs. The key for me is to first understand what website features are a priority for the client and then to marry those needs with the service that has the best integrated tools to support them.
Amy Zwagerman, The Launch Box
Look For 24/7 Tech Support
When you’re having a website emergency, you don’t have time to spare finding a trustworthy and affordable web developer. If your web host offers free tech support 24/7 via phone or live chat, it can be a lifesaver in these kinds of situations. Some hosts also provide additional web support services for free (or for a low fee), such as SSL certificate installation or custom website themes.
Chloe Brittain, Opal Transcription Services
Consider Load Time Per Page
One factor to consider when choosing a hosting service for your site is the load time per page. In an age where users scroll through content rapidly, any delays in their shopping time can affect their whole experience and be a detractor for them to complete a purchase, return for more, or refer a friend. The slower your web pages load, the more frustrated the visitor gets. I have found that to be the issue while shopping on other sites, which has dissuaded me from returning. Therefore, when we set up our site, we decided to choose a host that would provide optimal service in that regard.
Katie Lyon, Allegiance Flag Supply
Use Video
It’s proven that visitors will stay on a website three times longer if there is a video on the home page and they are twice as likely to buy from you. Start building trust the moment people enter your site through customized video marketing solutions. It’s important that you show your own face in videos and don’t just rely on b-roll and animation. If at the end of the day people will do business with you, it’s important they hear and see you. Get videos produced for you by Financial Potion.
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