Choosing a Hosting Povider?

People are always saying to me how they will never understand websites and all the technical coding that is involved. I always wonder if they live in some kind of bubble or are they not aware how much simpler life has become today in the world of hosting? I mean, sure people still code but nowadays you do not even have to be an IT Guru to get started. The only thing permanent in this world is change. So here is a quick guide to untangle the cobwebs on how to choose a hosting provider. Before getting into it please always know at the back of your mind that: 

• When looking for web hosting services, choose a hosting provider that facilitates growth for you within their hosting environment. Many businesses and individuals have suffered because they have not catered for growth while making this decision. 

So lets discuss the challenges you are likely to encounter.

Let me introduce my friend John Silver who owned a bicycle store in London. The store was his pride as he had inherited it from his father. He did not sell just ordinary bicycles. His had come from history through generations of the Silver family. John had been thinking a while to take the business online. His traditional customers had remained loyal but it was time to take it to the next level. When he came to me he explained he was not tech savvy and needed advise. I highlighted a few factors for him to consider.

Scope to grow and expand

While exploring his options John wanted to understand on growth and expansion. From experience, he knew that he will need more space and resources as his online shop started getting more traffic. Actually expansion made good business sense. He wanted to go with a hosting provider who could meet his growing demand. ‘It is like a normal bicycle shop’, he claimed. His traditional business had grown from fifty square yard to five hundred in ten years. His website would probably grow faster.

John realized that he could begin with a simple shared hosting plan and go for a dedicated hosting plan later if required. He should be able to adopt cloud hosting if he found it suitable. John was also told that migrating from one host to another can be a problematic issue. Therefore any hosting provider must be able to cater for this expansion.

Managed Services

John knew the bicycle business inside out but lacked technical expertise. He was a shrewd person and knew that the trick to a successful business was to keep operational costs as low as possible. Employing a technical person would have dented his profits. Focusing on his business was his top priority. Managed services therefore made sense to him. He was told that his hosting provider can take over the entire management of his website.

Cost

Choosing a business hosting provider must be done carefully. Cost of hosting must not be the only consideration. If you are planning for managed hosting, specific attention must be paid to each and every additional service provided by the hosting service. Hidden costs may bite you at a later date. Ideally, all maintenance and upgrade work should be completely handed over. Piecemeal approach should be avoided. Some hosting providers may charge a premium which may well be worth the cost. It is always advisable to compare costs with three or more providers.

Going the eCommerce way

John was offered an alternative solution. He could directly go for an E-Commerce solutions. Here he would have to pay for the eCommerce software. The hosting provider once again showed the way. John could choose from a range of eCommerce solutions depending on scope and cost factor.

John could grasp the advantages offered by an eCommerce platform. He could visualize the ease with which his customers could navigate through his shop and buy bicycles. Moreover, book keeping and inventory control was automated. He could stock items depending on demand and could save money on inventory. Inbuilt analytics gave click by click report of visitor behavior. He was also excited by the forecasting tool which came with eCommerce solutions. An eCommerce platform made good sense except that the initial cost was higher than WordPress. Additionally, he was told that WordPress too had eCommerce plug-ins which were as powerful as any eCommerce solution. John was happy that his hosting provider would be able to support him whether he chose WordPress or eCommerce solution. 

Choosing WordPress

Finally after considering various options, John decided to try out his online enterprise with a shared hosting plan. It was cost effective and provided him with all the facilities which he required to run his bicycle shop. There was one more piece of advice which he was considering. He was told that his small business could easily run on WordPress platform. Other options required that he employ a full time technical hand which he could not afford. Fortunately for him the  hosting service provider had Managed WordPress Hosting. In fact, his site could be WordPress enabled with one single click. He simply had to purchase a professional theme and his bicycles shop would be up and running. John was astounded by the simplicity and power of WordPress. He had never imagined that a website could be launched with such ease. WordPress was not only an elegant solution but could also become an enterprise solution with all the bells and whistles in place.

Support & Security

One of the major issues with any ecommerce platform is security. Customers don’t want to transact online unless they are absolutely sure about the security of their credit cards. SSL certificates can ally fears and provide confidence to customers.

John learnt through experience that service providers are tested only when things go wrong. Timely troubleshooting and support from hosting provider can save money and reputation. Support in the form of a helpdesk is essential.

Conclusion

John was a businessman not a technical expert. He knew very well that his online business would work well if he leaves hosting to people who know their job. He was ready to pay a bit more for the services. Customer loyalty and support can only come when they have a flawless online experience. Slow and sluggish websites, downtime because of maintenance and such issues can be disastrous for an online business. John chose a hosting provider based on these essential factors.

"Originally published here