Choosing the best web host for your small business is no mean feat. Whether you’re starting your first small business or already have an established business, it can be tricky finding the right company for your hosting needs.
There are many factors to consider, including uptime to ensure your business website is online and available to your customers, and security which is imperative for protecting your customer’s personal data.
While there are plenty of web hosting companies around the world ready to take money from your already limited budget, there are some which can really help get your small business off to a great start.
Security
Security should be one of your main priorities when choosing a web host for your small business. If you are selling products or services on your website, you need to make sure the process is secure in order to protect your customers.
This is imperative for all companies, but especially those holding sensitive information. The leading medical malpractice attorneys, for example, will have the best security in place, and a web host is just one part of this.
Many web hosts offer a free SSL certificate that puts HTTPS in front of your URL. This indicates that your website is secure so any payments taken via your site will be protected. Even if you’re not selling anything, a secure website is imperative in order for your customers to trust you and your brand.
Aside from SSL certificates, you should consider whether your web host offers additional security measures, like DDoS protection, malware checks, vulnerability protection, etc. If you are using WordPress, there are web hosts that will manage your WordPress hosting in full which will include checking for updates, including plugins and core WordPress files.
Speed and performance
When it comes to the speed of your website, every second count. If your website doesn’t load quickly due to server issues and poor server performance, then you’re in trouble! Website users don’t have much patience, so if they can’t access your website content in a matter of seconds, they will abandon your website and go elsewhere.
Speed and performance are largely determined by the server infrastructure the web host is using. You can request this information from your web host, or in many cases, this is already detailed on the server information or pricing pages.
Resources
You will need to consider the resources you need for your website. This includes storage, bandwidth, email accounts, MySQL accounts, etc. For small businesses, email accounts are likely going to be a priority as you’ll want to provide multiple services for your clients such as contact, sales, marketing, and so on.
In general, most small business websites won’t exceed 5GB storage, however, it’s recommended to find a web host that either offers double this, to be safe, or unlimited storage so you won’t have any concerns. Bandwidth refers to the amount of data that can be passed between your website and server; if you expect to receive a lot of traffic to your website, unlimited bandwidth is a must-have so you don’t exceed your resources.