Introduction

A web host is a platform that offers a very specific service: the infrastructure you need to run a website. For you to run your website successfully, no matter what that website happens to be, you will need to find a web host that offers the infrastructure your website requires.

Every web host is a little different, when it comes to the infrastructure that’s offered. Because of this, the process of finding the right web host can be difficult, especially if you aren’t entirely sure what to look for. But, if you know what to look for and consider, when looking at different web hosts, while also being aware of what your site needs, the process is significantly easier.

What Do You Need To Consider When Searching For The Right Web Host In 2021?

Every web host is a little different. The reason for this is quite simple: every web host uses slightly different infrastructure. For some websites, the infrastructure that a particular host uses is ideal for the needs of that website, and for other websites, the infrastructure that the same host uses is far from adequate.

To figure out which web host is right for your hosting needs, there are four key factors you must consider. Each one of these factors will affect the entirety of your experience running your website.

Price

The price that you pay for web hosting will depend on your exact web hosting needs. As a result of this, understanding those needs is crucial.

Take the time to think about your website. How much traffic does the website receive? Do you have any plans to scale the website? How much storage and bandwidth do you need? Are there any special features or functions that your web host must offer?

Asking questions of that sort will enable you to understand what your web hosting needs are and, in turn, the web hosting plan that’s right for your website. Just know, however, that the more elaborate your needs, the more money you will have to spend on web hosting.

As a general rule, focus less on affordability and more on reliability. You get what you pay for, and spending more money to host your website on a web host that’s known to be reliable is almost always worth it.

Performance

The infrastructure that a web host uses is crucial in delivering the proper performance. Poor infrastructure will lead to slow load times, making it a little harder for people to access your site. Good infrastructure will lead to faster load times, ensuring that people can access your site with ease.

For those who aren’t entirely sure what there exact hardware needs are, it may be worth it to go with one of the more popular web hosts; Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, or Azure. Each one of these web hosts provides excellent performance, no matter what your needs are, due to the fantastic infrastructure that they rely on.

You may, of course, not want to go with any of those web hosts. If you decide to go with a smaller web host, pay special attention to the storage medium they use, the bandwidth that they offer, and RAM that they can run.

For a storage medium, SSDs are always reliable, due to their fast load times. Some smaller web hosts do use HDDs, but if you want the fastest load times, HDDs may be too slow. The bandwidth and RAM that you need will depend on the exact type of website that you run. If your website is meant to grow and expand - or processes payment information, for example - then the more RAM and bandwidth you have access to, the smoother your operation.

Security

A good web host will offer a plethora of security features. Each one of the security features that a web host offers will keep your site completely secure. But, without certain security features, your site is more vulnerable.

No matter the web host that you choose to go with, there are three main security features your web host must offer. Every web host, in 2021, should offer these security features, but not all of them do. Make sure to pay close attention to any potential web host, to make sure these security features are offered.

The first is a reliable back-up system, because this system ensures that, no matter what happens, your website data is safe and secure. A back-up system that is automated and included with your web hosting package is ideal.

The second main security feature your web host must offer is firewall protection. Make sure to ask any potential web host about there firewall and the different functions that this firewall offers. A good firewall will prevent any unnecessary traffic, while also ensuring that malware is unable to penetrate your website.

The third, and final, main security feature your web host must offer is secure server capabilities. Secure server capabilities ensure your communication with the server your website is hosted on is completely secure. Security capabilities of this sort are especially important if you run a website that processes payment information, because without a secure server that information is vulnerable.

Customer Support

Proper customer support is, no matter the website you are hosting, absolutely essential. There are, generally speaking, a couple of key support features you should look for, when searching for the right web host.

The most significant feature to look for is 24/7 support. But, make sure that this support is, in fact, 24-hours per day and 7-days per-week. There are plenty of web hosts that claim to offer this level of support but, in all actuality, do not provide that level of support and only allow you to log issues 24/7.

A good web host will offer a multitude of useful contact methods. Each one of these contact methods will serve as an easy way of contacting your web host and getting your problem solved as quickly and painlessly as possible. Generally speaking, the best support systems consist of support tickets, phone calls, and emails.

The last support feature to consider is response time. Some web hosts do not offer this as much, due to the response time fluctuating. For those web hosts, the best thing to do is to read reviews that talk about customer support and mention response times. The best response time is one-minute or less, since you may encounter situations where time is of the essence.

Conclusion

No matter what website you intend to host, finding the right web host is essential. By considering the four factors outlined above, as well as the needs of your website, finding the right web host will be easy! But, if you have any problems or issues, you can ping me directly via email.