Finding the best small business web hosting services can be easy. That is, it can be easy if you’re a developer and you understand how a website host works and what to look for in a website.
Website hosts can have a big impact on your business. One of the determining factors of a successful website is speed. If you choose a slow website host, you could hurt your company’s revenue. People will leave your site if it takes long to load.
Read on as we demystify the world of website hosting and you can learn what hosting is, how it works, and how you can find the best website hosts for your small business.
Why Web Hosting Matters
A good place to start is to understand what website hosting is and what it can do for your business. When you start building your website, whether it’s a restaurant or a travel blog, you’re likely to stumble upon two terms: hosted vs. self-hosted.
Your website is comprised of many large and small file. There are instructions telling the website how to function, what colors and fonts to use. There are also images on your website.
All of these files need a place to live. When you use a hosted service, you’re talking about WordPress.com, BigCommerce, Squarespace, or Shopify. They cost more, but they do most of the development work for you. They have plug and play themes and templates that make it easy to get started. With that ease comes less flexibility if you want to customize those themes and templates.
With a self-hosted account, you’re basically leasing space on a server for your files to reside. You have full control over the files, themes, and customizations of your website. Website hosting plans tend to be more affordable than hosted services.
Different Small Business Website Hosting Plans
As you’re looking at hosting companies, you’ll come across different types of hosting plans. The most common ones are shared hosting plans, dedicated hosting, reseller hosting, and cloud hosting.
Shared hosting is the most common form of hosting. It’s fine if you don’t get a lot of traffic every month. It means that you’re leasing space on the same server as a lot of other accounts. That’s why it’s the most affordable option.
Dedicated hosting is typically for larger websites. With dedicated hosting, you have a server all to yourself.
Cloud hosting means that your website is kept in a number of different servers in the host’s network.
Reseller hosting is for other website developers who want to offer hosting as part of their services. They sell hosting services and get a commission on the sales.
Best Small Business Website Hosting Services
There are thousands of website hosts that can help you with your website. That being said, some hosts are better than others. Some offer inexpensive plans, some are known for better service and others have a reputation for blazing speed and reliability.
You do need to be careful when choosing your web host. While some hosts give the appearance of a small business like yours, they’re actually owned by a huge conglomerate. That can translate into less than stellar service. You’ll need to do your research before settling on a hosting company.
A2Hosting: A2 Hosting is always in the conversation of the best website hosting companies. That’s due to their very responsive customer service, and reliability.
SiteGround: SiteGround is another top choice for small business hosting. Like A2 Hosting, they’re highly regarded for their speed and outstanding customer service.
Hosty: Hosty is a great option if you’re doing business in Latin America. They’re based out of Chile, which can give your site quicker speeds for your South American customers. Check it out for more information.
InMotion: InMotion Hosting is a top choice for web hosting companies, though it’s not at the same level of A2 Hosting or SiteGround.
NameCheap: NameCheap has primarily known for its domain name registration services. It’s since expanded services, providing hosting and VPN services at affordable rates.
Out of the hosting companies listed here, you should be able to find the right website host for your small business.
How to Choose the Best Small Business Web Hosting Company
Out of all of these fantastic options, how can you even begin to evaluate which website hosts for small business will work for you?
Analyze Your Business Needs
Take a look at your business and estimate what your needs will be. Will you only have one website with a little traffic? Then a small shared hosting plan will be right for you.
If you plan on having several websites with thousands of visitors each month, you may need to consider a dedicated plan or a high-level shared plan for your small business website.
Reviews
Reviews matter in small business. They should be taken into account when you’re looking at small business website hosting plans, too. All you have to do is Google (hosting company name) reviews and you will find hundreds of reviews about these hosting companies.
Site Uptime
Reliability is a huge factor in building a successful website. Downtime can cost small businesses anywhere from $137 – $17,000 per minute. You can’t afford to have an unreliable host.
This is one area where website hosts will look pretty even. Most website hosts guarantee 99.9% uptime. It’s the ones that guarantee 100% uptime that you should stay away from. This is a claim that no web host can possibly keep.
Customer Service
The one area that truly separates hosting companies is customer service. You can test the speed and responsiveness of each hosting company by contacting customer service with questions. Notice how quickly they respond and whether or not they solve your problem or not.
Set Up Your Website Now
One of the most overlooked steps in building a business website is finding the right host. It’s like finding the right business partner – a decision that deserves a lot of consideration.
The sooner you have your website up and running with the best small business web hosting service, the sooner your business will become a raging success.
Then you’ll be able to travel and take that vacation you’ve always dreamed of. Need a little more inspiration? Check out this article on traveling like a local.