A quality hosting company is essential to your website’s success. Choosing the wrong one can have many unfortunate side effects. You could become tied to a costly plan that leaves you with slow loading times, few security protections, and a lack of support.
Thankfully, there are some key features you can look out for to identify a high-grade host. These include offering regular backups and encryption, as well as 24/7 support.
In this article, we'll cover the advantages that come with having a quality host. Then, we delve into the main aspects of a reliable provider. Let's get started!
Why Choosing the Right Hosting Company Matters
When it comes to your website’s success, your hosting provider can be pivotal. Before you choose one, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the different types of plans it provides.
For example, you may want to consider whether dedicated, shared, or Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting is best for you. This can help guide you to the company that will fulfill your specific requirements.
Regardless of which plan you choose, your hosting company can impact the success of your website overall. A bad one may lead to frequent downtime, costing you conversions and revenue. Poor security puts your data at risk. Customer service may leave you hanging when you need solutions most.
Fortunately, a host that prides itself on being top-quality won’t have you suffering through all that. Instead, it’ll provide you with the tools you need to keep your site thriving.
4 Key Signs of a Quality Hosting Company
Of course, you don’t have to figure out what makes a quality hosting company on your own. Here are four signs to look for so you can feel confident in your choice.
1. Availability of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificates
One of the most important aspects of a credible web host is its security features. At the very least, any potential host should offer a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificate when you sign up.
SSL certificates encrypt your website data, adding to your security. This can prevent stolen user information, such as credit card details:
An SSL Certificate is best not overlooked. Importantly, it can reassure visitors that your website is secure enough to protect all of their data.
Without your certificate, online users may be skeptical about using your website. Worst of all, this lack of trust could result in you losing traffic and conversions.
Of course, there are multiple types of SSL Certificates for you to consider, including Domain Validation, Organization Validation, and Extended Validation. Which you choose will depend on the nature of your site, and the level of security you need.
2. Solid Speed and Performance
Next, any decent web host ensures top speed and performance. Above all, these two metrics can be critical to a number of core success factors, such as search rankings, engagement, and conversions:
It may come as a surprise, but even a one-second delay can adversely impact your conversion rate. Moreover, there is an expectation from consumers that the websites they visit will render quickly. In fact, 47 percent anticipate loading times of two seconds or less.
This means that even the smallest blip in loading times can potentially undermine your search results and traffic. You can therefore see why your server’s performance is an essential part of delivering solid site speeds.
It’s important, then, to look for a host that offers shared, dedicated, or VPS plans, so you can pick one suits your site's traffic level. Ultimately, a quality hosting company emphasizes performance, uptime, and speed, with the ability to scale as you desire.
3. Reliability and Guaranteed Customer Support
Customer support and reliability are crucial. You deserve a host that treats you like a valued part of the company when you encounter problems, whether they be technical, billing-related, or other issues:
A top-notch web host is able to provide you with hands-on support round-the-clock via channels such as live chat, ticket support, phone, and email. When looking at hosting plans, it’s wise to note if they maintain a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page alongside other resources, such as tutorials.
Likewise, reliable hosts often offer demonstrative experience and technical knowledge. An assured indicator of reliability will be server uptime. In particular, look for companies that provide 24/7 network monitoring and use high-quality hardware to support their servers.
4. Regular Data Backups for Your Site
Lastly, when searching for your host, it’s smart to check if they offer regular, automated data backups. Unfortunately, without them, you could lose precious site content.
This might occur for any number of reasons, whether it’s an accidental deletion, a mistake that you want to revert, or a technical issue that just can’t be resolved. Without automated backups, you could lose everything.
You may want to look for backup options that are versatile, too. Doing so could help you to feel confident that you have as much choice as possible when it comes to the method used to copy your site, as well as where those files are stored.
After all, most reputable hosts give you choices you can pick from, such as Server Rewind and Amazon S3. Additionally, try to find out if the hosting company will let you be selective when it comes to what you want to restore, whether it's a single file or an entire database.
Quality Hosting Company Conclusion
Whatever your needs when choosing a host, selecting the right one is going to lay a strong foundation for your website. As you search for a provider, consider a candidate that can support your site every step of the way.
Let's recap the four key signs to look out for in a quality hosting company:
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Availability of SSL certificates.
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Solid speed and server performance.
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Reliability and guaranteed customer support.
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Regular data backups for your site.
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