By Jen Sebold

Jen Sebold is the “Jill of all Trades”. She currently runs her own buisness, Designs by Zal and is the Chief Operating Officer at Reset Business Consulting.

There are so many options on the Internet that it is really hard to choose. Choosing a hosting provider with the best options to suit your needs can get confusing. So what do you need to consider when choosing?

Loading Speed

Users expect a website to load within 2 seconds. Nobody likes a slow website, especially Google. In an impulsive world, speed matters.

Google uses page speed as a ranking factor. A slow website can hurt your search rankings along with driving customers away. Google will always prioritize faster loading websites.

Monthly Traffic

Did you know some hosting providers have a monthly traffic limit? What does this mean? After a specific amount of access, your provider will charge you an “additional fee” for “extra visitors” or will stop displaying your website on the web. This will result in a major drop in organic traffic.

Data Security

Keeping your website secure should be a top priority. Your provider’s hosting servers should be equipped with powerful firewalls that are monitored for unusual activity or suspicious logins/intrusions (brute force attacks). Make sure your provider supports SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificates – an extra layer of security that encrypts the information that travels between your servers and the viewer’s browser.

Backups

Does your provider offer backups? If something goes wrong, can they fix your issues quickly and efficiently? Choosing a provider that provides backups and security protocols protects you in the event of unforeseen problems.

Customer Support

Tired of talking to GoDaddy? Want to speak to a competent human? A good hosting provider should be efficient in assisting you. A provider’s availability to help you can be the difference between a quick fix or a website going down for several hours…or days.

Pricing

Do you understand what you are paying for? Make sure you don’t end up with a “great deal” that doesn’t fit your needs. You get what you pay for.

A cheap deal means you will have limited access to resources, which could lead to performance issues. Many lower pricing options will not pay for additional services that may need your attention or services in the event your website goes down. Understand exactly what you are paying for, what you need, and look for a plan that works with your budget.