Which Web Host best suits your website/brand?
In this article, we are going to discuss on the features that you will need to consider before deciding on which Web Host best suits your website or brand. If you are new to this topic and completely have no idea on what we are talking about, I would suggest that you start off by reading our article on “What is web hosting?”
It is common sense that for someone to purchase a good or service, it is because they have a certain need and they want to satisfy it. A commodity can be produced in different versions yet they all serve the same purpose but in different magnitudes or different tastes. In our case, different Web hosts, serve the same needs but in different ways depending to their specific features. While seeking a hosting company, you ought to check out for these features in order for you to make sure that you choose the perfect bundle for your website.
These features include:
Bandwidth: Bandwidth is the amount of data received by a client’s browser sent from the sever hosting your website. Before choosing a hosting plan, it is wise to calculate the amount of bandwidth your website will require to secure your website in case of high traffic.
The formula is as follows:
Number of visitors/month x size of one page x pages/visit = Bandwidth
Let’s look at the example below;
Jane has a website X which receives roughly 20,000 visitors /month. Website X has pages whose average size is 1MB and most of her visitors view 2 pages per visit. What is the bandwidth of website X?
20,000 visits x 1MB/page x 2 pages/visit = 40GB Bandwidth
While selecting a Hosting plan, choose one with a bandwidth that slightly exceeds the minimum bandwidth to secure high traffic in the future.
Type of Web hosting: We already discussed the three different types of web hosting here. However if you missed that article, the table below will sum it all up for you.
| Shared Hosting | Dedicated Hosting | VPS Hosting |
| 30k+ visitors/month | 300k+ visitors/month | Unlimited no of visitors |
| 1$ per month (economical) | 75$/month (can be expensive) | Start from 15$/month |
| – | Dedicated IP | Dedicated IP |
| Easy to set up | Easy to set up | Might need a programmer to set up |
| Unlimited bandwidth | Unlimited bandwidth | Unlimited bandwidth |
| Small storage size | Larger storage size than Shared hosting | You get exactly the size that you need in terms of RAM and Hard drive |
While choosing a web host it is very important to note on the type of web hosting that they have perfected in. Some hosts are known for being best in Shared hosting while others cannot be matched when it comes to cloud hosting. An in-depth review based on the type of hosting has been done for you in our “Hosting type review page”.
Storage space and speed: Storage is measured in GB. It represents the data that you store on your server. In most cases, websites will only require 20GB of space unless you have videos and images. Videos and images will always tend to occupy a larger space and so you would consider choosing a plan that will address your large storage space needs.
The type of storage for your server will contribute to the speed attribute of your website. This will depend on whether you choose a Standard Hard drive or an SSD (“Solid State Drive”). SSD drives are usually faster than Standard Hard drives and are usually listed as “40GB SSD”. Standard Hard Drives are usually listed as “40GB Storage”.
Their CPU processing power: Just like your personal computer, the processing power of the server you choose will affect the speed of your website. Depending on the type of website you intend to host, always go for the cores that are most powerful and affordable depending on your budget.
Uptime: Uptime simply means the duration the server will display your website on the internet. Most hosting companies will display the uptime inform of percentage. You won’t want to go for anything less than 99.9% uptime unless your website is of no significance. None the less, if your website is very important, you will want to go for a host that guarantees you 100% uptime.
Reputation: You might want to go through customer reviews on how they find different host companies tending to their needs. They always say the customer is always right. After reading this article, take a look at this link to find out customers experience on different hosting platforms:
Cost: When it comes to cost, your pocket will always be the judge. Choose a hosting plan that fits in your budget. Different companies will offer different prices for the same service and so you need to take you time and review their prices closely. Take a look at our pricing reviews from different companies and choose the one that best suits you and is affordable. (Follow this link to check the review)
Customer support: I remember sometime
back in 2016, I bought a Shiatsu Massage Chair for my house. It was nice and it
really helped in massaging my back and soothing my body. The chair however
broke down and started malfunctioning a month after the purchase. I contacted
their customer care and they replaced it for me within a day. I was glad and up
to date I really have faith in the company that sold me that chair. Why? Simply
because of how fast they reply to their customers.
Hosting companies should not be any different. They should always come to your
rescue whenever you get stuck. The response should be timely and directly
addressing your need. Customer support is always by phone or by email. Phone
support can either be 24/7 or only during working hours while most email are
usually replied within 24hrs.
Always go for hosts that will have your interest at heart and will always work with you through your tough journey.
Bearing all these points in mind, I suggest you go check out our review on “Different web hosting companies.”
