When you want to publish a website or web application, you need a good web hosting service. By signing up for a service, you’re renting space on a physical server that stores all the data and files needed for your website to run correctly. Web hosts don’t only provide space, they also keep the server secure and offer other services. Why is good web hosting so important? Here are ten reasons why you should invest:
#1 Better security
Have you ever gone to a website only to see a page that reads, “Your connection to this site is not secure?” It then recommends that you don’t type in any sensitive information like credit card numbers or passwords. This page means that the website is not secure and isn’t using HTTPS. Choosing a good web hosting company and getting a secure IP address is necessary to enable HTTPS on your website. HTTPS, which stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, ensures that all information going through the website gets automatically encrypted. This hides any sensitive or personal information from the world, which includes hackers.
#2 Frequent website backups
A good web host will frequently back up your data. Why is this so important? Frequent backups let you recover files you accidentally delete, resolve update problems, and provide protection against hackers. Everything – including making changes to your website – goes more smoothly when the site is backed up often. Think of it as a document you’re writing a novel in. If it doesn’t save regularly, you could easily lose all your progress.
#3 Better support
Even if you’re very comfortable with website design and technology, there are certain things you don’t have complete control over. If something goes wrong with the server and it starts affecting your website, it’s up to the web host to resolve the issue. Good web hosting services will respond quickly and effectively, providing you with tools and answers.
#4 Hardware
Keeping a website up and running requires quite a bit of hardware. Paying for a web hosting service that has all the hardware, as well as climate control and other needed tools, makes running a website significantly less complicated. If you choose a large web hosting service, they’ll have more than one server. This means if one server goes down, they can switch the data to another server, keeping your website up and operational.
#5 Monitoring
Someone has to keep an eye on the server and all the hardware. Monitoring takes a lot of time and skills that most people probably don’t have. Even if they do, there are other things they most likely want to be doing. Luckily, monitoring the server is part of a web host’s job, not yours. You are free to focus on the design, running, and maintenance of your website.
#6 Added features
When you choose a web host, you aren’t just paying for space on a server. Web hosts also offer lots of added features and tools you can use for your website. Most web hosting services have an automated process for installing databases like forums, blogs, calendars, and more. Another feature most website owners want is an email address that links directly to the site. This email is more memorable and therefore less likely to get lost in someone’s inbox.
#7 Better website load time
There’s nothing quite as annoying as a slow website. If a page is taking too long, a user is very likely to give up and click away. How impatient are users? Data shows that about half of mobile site visits are cut short if pages take longer than 3 seconds to load. You want to aim for 1-2 seconds of load time. Load times are directly linked to your web hosting. You could be an expert web designer, but if you go with a poor web host, your website will be slow.
#8 Better search engine rankings
If your website is slow, it can have a big impact on your search engine rankings. Many factors go into rankings, but since 2010, Google has considered page speed as a factor. In 2017, it made page speed even more important. If you want to up your SEO game, you’ll need fast pages. Web hosting isn’t the other factor affecting page speed – pages with lots of images take longer – but it is a significant one. The location of your server also affects SEO, so when you’re shopping for a web host, make sure it’s in the same country as your website.
#9 Less website downtime
Websites can go down for a few reasons, including poor coding or an issue in the content management system. Unreliable web hosts are another common cause for website downtime. If your website keeps going down, you’re going to lose a user’s trust and interest. They’re going to focus more on how your website is always messed up and not about the website’s content, no matter how good it is. A reliable web hosting service equals less downtime and more user satisfaction.
#10 Business/website growth
As you expand your business and website, you want a web host that’s ready for growth. There are a few things that happen as you become more successful. An increase in website traffic is common as more and more people visit your site. Does your plan give you the necessary server capacity? When you’re choosing your web host, consider how you might grow. A good web hosting service will have plans and tools that fit with your goals.
