Web Hosting Talk on the Most Common Web Hosting Problems

There are so many web hosting companies to choose from that many people find it confusing to choose one. Even once you’ve signed up with one, how do you know you’ve made the right choice? One of the interesting things about web hosting is that the better it is, the less you think of it. Ideally, your website is running so smoothly that you seldom give much thought to your web hosting company. It’s sort of like the electricity or plumbing in your house. You only notice it when something’s wrong. With this in mind, let’s have a little web hosting talk about some of the typical problems that individuals and businesses have with their hosts. These are all signs that it’s time to rethink your web hosting choice.

Slow or Unreliable Service

You depend on your web host to keep your website online. You also want to work with a company with fast and reliable servers so that your visitors and customers can load pages quickly. Nowadays, people have very little patience for slow-loading pages. Delays of even a few seconds mean losing visitors. That’s why you need web hosting that’s fast and reliable, with high uptime. Before you blame your web host for slow-loading pages, however, remember many factors affect page loading speed. For example, if you have images that aren’t optimized or lots of videos on your site, this can cause slowdowns. If you use WordPress, too many plugins could be the culprit. However, if you find that you’ve done everything possible to optimize your site and it’s still slow, your host may be the problem. If you’re shopping for a web host, try to identify some of their customers and test their websites for speed.

Unreliable Support

No matter what kind of website you have, it’s likely that you’re going to need support at some point. Whether it’s to ask a question about a certain feature or report a problem, it’s important that you can reach someone promptly and get your issue resolved. If you have a business, it’s even more crucial. Website problems can quickly translate into losing sales and customers. Unfortunately, not all web hosting provides reliable support. One feature to look for is that you can reach someone 24/7, not only during normal business hours. You don’t want to get stuck if a serious issue occurs on a weekend or late at night. Of course, support is more than someone answering the phone. You want to reach a knowledgeable and helpful person, not get stuck on hold or talking to someone who can’t solve your problem. Reading customer reviews of web hosts is a good way to gauge how strong a company is in this department.

Insufficient Security

With issues such as hacking and identity theft in the news, security is another essential element you want in a web host. If your site has already been hacked, this is a sign that your web host isn’t providing the level of security you want. Of course, you should also realize that security is also about the type of plan you choose. No matter who your web host is, a shared hosting plan is always your least secure option. If you have a growing business, you should seriously consider upgrading to VPS or dedicated hosting. However, even with shared hosting, there are different levels of security. Look for a web host with a secure data center (or multiple ones). Another important security feature is For example, your web host should offer security services such as two-factor authentication, which makes it harder for unauthorized parties to log in and access your site. Web hosts should also offer backup services to ensure you don’t lose your data.

Lack of Flexibility and Scalability

A website is not something static; you want it to grow and evolve along with your needs. As your business grows, your needs expand. A good web host makes it easy to scale your business. As mentioned, you may want to upgrade from shared hosting to VPS or dedicated. Beyond this, however, you want a web host that offers a great deal of flexibility. For example, if you do have VPS (Virtual Private Server) or dedicated hosting, does your host allow for unlimited data transfers? You also don’t want to overpay for hosting. A flexible host offers many plans so you’re only paying for the data you actually use. That way you can upgrade (or downgrade) your service based on your needs. Make sure that your web host is flexible enough to let your website grow.

You Don’t Have All the Features You Need

You shouldn’t have to compromise on the features or level of service you offer customers because your web host limits your capabilities. Does your web hosting company let you install PHP scripts, b2evolution, Joomla, WordPress, e-commerce platforms, or other features you need? Does it offer Windows as well as Linux hosting? While Linux hosting is the most common, some businesses use software that requires Windows hosting. The features you need depend on your own particular needs. When comparing web hosts, it’s wise to look ahead and consider the services you’re likely to want in the future.

Poor Value

When it comes to web hosting talk, you can’t ignore cost. At the same time, don’t be tempted to sign up with a web host simply because it’s cheap. Low price doesn’t always translate into good value. On the other hand, you don’t want to pay more than you have to for reliable hosting. When looking at plans and prices, make sure you read the fine print. Many web hosts offer cheap introductory prices but keep in mind you’ll have to pay the full price when you renew. Some reasonable plans force you to sign up for long periods such as two or three years. Carefully consider the cost along with all of the features and services the company offers to figure out whether you’re getting solid value.

These are some of the major factors to consider when assessing your web hosting or when shopping for a web host. Web hosting talk covers many issues, so it’s important to make sure that you carefully consider your own needs. If you’re looking for reliable, secure and affordable web hosting, contact us.