Knowing What You Need: The Best Web Hosting For Small Business
By PRFEBRUARY 16, 2016 16:20
Web hosting is a key component of a successful website. Getting the best web hosting could result to an improved SEO and increase in web traffic for small businesses.
You created your small business after painstaking planning, organizing, searching for funds, and everything else needed to make sure that it will be running smoothly and be in a position to compete. Then you noticed that business was in a slow crawl; it was in a steep uphill climb. What did you miss in your business plans?
A website. Online presence is now a necessity for any business, big or small. We now live in a connected world where people search for products and services on the Internet. A business without a website is missing a lot in terms of exposure and the potential to sell its products or services to the target market. Your small business will remain just an afterthought in the market unless you create a web presence. Of course, creating a website will entail a lot of work, time, and, money. But all the efforts will be a small price to pay if we consider the windfall that online presence will bring to your business.
Creating the Website
Creating a website for your small business is not easy. However, putting up a website does not need to be as painful as putting up your business as long as you have the proper tools.
The small business owner can try to create his own website even with very little knowledge as there are plenty of tutorials and guides available online. The other option is to get the services of a professional website designer but this will cost more money; something hard to come by when the business is still on its struggling stage. Creating a decent website for a small business may not be painless but with the proper planning and guidance from experts, such as online tutorials, it need not be that painful.
After creating the website, the next important need is finding the right Web hosting provider.
The Basics of Web Hosting for Small Business
For the uninitiated, a Web host is a business entity that owns servers that store and share computer files:⦿ Documents⦿ Audio⦿ Video⦿ Other files - of websitesServers are classified as:⦿ Shared⦿ Virtual⦿ Dedicated⦿ Virtual⦿ Cloud-basedA website owner chooses the type of server it needs depending on its size, traffic, and purpose. Website owner can do a little research on the differences of server types before deciding on which server to get. There is no point spending more money for extra services that the website does not necessarily need.
Large businesses spend thousands of dollars each year for Web hosting without creating a dent on their budget. This is not the case for small businesses that are still struggling for their share of the market. These small businesses always keep a close look at their expenses that is why they should be making the best choice when they decide on the type of Web hosting they will be getting for their website.
There is a wide range of Web hosting providers that offer services to business owners, large and small, including the popular ones such as Bluehost, Web Hosting Hub, Hostgator, and SiteGround. Each one of those providers offers features that may suit different website needs so it is just proper to check each one of them to find out which one suits your particular needs.
Most small businesses want to start small when it comes to their web presence, since they are particularly concerned about keeping prices low. Most Web hosts offer different tiers of features, from their starter packages to their higher-priced offers. Doing a comparison-shopping will be the best bet before signing up for a web host provider. Decide first on the features that fit your goals for creating a web site for your small business.
Types of Web Hosting
Web hosting varies in terms of the size of storage space, technical knowledge requirements, speed, reliability, and security. They are classified as follows:
⦿Shared server hosting – This is the entry-level option for web hosting because it requires minimum technical knowledge. In this type of hosting, the server is partitioned to a number of websites, from hundred to thousands. The cost of the server is shared by the different websites sharing it. This is the least expensive web hosting and is recommended for startup websites with low traffic. The downside of this type of web hosting is the inability to handle any spike in traffic. The performance of the other websites sharing the same server impacts your website. A site crash or a traffic spike in another website will affect also the performance of your website.
⦿ Virtual private server (VPS) hosting– In this type of web hosting, the server is divided into a number of virtual servers where each website appears to have its own dedicated server. In reality, the server hosts a small number of websites. The advantage of this type of web hosting is that the website enjoys better hosting environment and security. The website owner exercises greater control of the site at the server level and has root access to its own space. Virtual private server hosting is a step better than the shared server hosting but still lacks the ability to handle a spike in traffic as it is also sharing the server with other websites.
⦿ Dedicated server hosting– The website owner exclusively rents an entire server. He does not share the server with any other website hence the website is not impacted by other websites. This type of server hosting is recommended to websites that need high level of performance and maximum control.
⦿ Cloud server hosting– This type of web hosting is ideal for websites with high volume of traffic. A group of servers work together in hosting a number of websites, allowing multiple servers to handle any traffic spike in any website belonging to the group. Cloud server hosting, while expensive, does not provide root access to the website owner.
What is Best for Your Small Business?
Small businesses that are establishing their web presence for the first time must start small since they are watching their budget. They can sign up with a web host provider that gives them option to upgrade once traffic starts to build up. The upgrade and the cost will be gradual; hence they can be absorbed by the corresponding increase in business revenue as the business’ presence is felt in the market.
