Choosing the Right Web Host for Your Small Business

In our increasingly digital world, and the modern business landscape that has developed, any new or small business which is hoping to seriously compete will need to spend the necessary time and money to ensure that they have a decent online offering. A small business today can live or die by their webpage, it has become the standard expectation for any business that a customer might encounter to have a website. Simply having an online presence is not enough though, the website needs to be functional and useful for new visitors. Having an online presence is not enough in itself.

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One of the most common mistakes that small businesses make when putting their website together is in blowing their entire budget on the design phase, leaving little room to explore the potential options for hosting and other technical aspects. A website will only ever be as good as the server that hosts it, even the best and most thoughtfully designed website in the world will struggle if it is being hosted on an outdated server which is slow to serve it up to customers.

Choosing the right website host will ensure that the website you have for your business can be deployed to its maximum effectiveness. Here is a quick guide to the most important things to consider when deciding on a web host for your small business’s website.

Where Will It Live?

There are three types of hosting which are most commonly used, these are dedicated servers, virtual private servers (VPS), and shared hosting. Shared hosting is the lowest priced option but also offers the least. This option isn’t the best for a business who will want the capacity to handle spikes in traffic as the business grows. Virtual private servers (VPS) give users dedicated space and more control over their website and how it is served to visitors. Finally, we have the dedicated server. This is the most expensive option but is also the most powerful in terms of customization.

How Many Visitors do you get?

Here’s a catch-22 for you, you need to buy the right type of hosting according to the amount of traffic that you are expecting, but without a website online how are you to ascertain this? The number of regular repeat customers you have will give you an indication of how many people are dedicated to your business. You might find it helpful to opt for cheap (or even free) web hosting so that you can establish how much traffic to expect.

Is Your Website a Revenue Stream?

For some businesses, their website is simply a means of providing information to customers. For some businesses their website is simply a digital storefront designed to entice and inform customers. In other cases, the website is a crucial revenue stream. How important your website is to your business financially will be an important factor in your final decision. If your website is an integral source of revenue then you need to find the best web host that you can.

Choosing the right website host is an important, yet not always obvious, decision for any small business looking to launch a website. If you are still unsure on the best option for you then check out this handy guide.