Choosing a hosting provider without proper research is a huge mistake. A poor quality web host can contribute to the overall negative online user experience. Issues like frequent downtime or slow page load speed can increase bounce rate and impact your business bottom-line.
Here are four common mistakes that you should avoid at all cost when selecting a hosting provider.
Mistake# 1. Not Reading Online Reviews
You can avoid a lot of hassles later down the road by simply reading online reviews about a web host provider. It’s easy to fall prey to the flowery words used by host providers to describe their own services. The reality may be different than what’s written on the home page.
By reading online reviews, you will know for sure whether the host provider really delivers what it claims on the site. You should look for customer reviews about page speed, security, and downtime. If the majority of a hosting company’s customers are not happy with its services, you should start looking elsewhere.
Mistake# 2. Choosing the Cheapest Web Host
Never assume that the cheapest offer means the best possible value. The price should be the last consideration when it comes to selecting a web host provider. If you select a cheap host provider, you may likely experience the following issues.• Unsolicited ads by third-party companies• No support for animation or video scripts• Slow page speed• Unexpected server downtime• No or slow response from customer support for resolving issues• Inability to scale up or down as per need
All of the above can create a negative online user experience. You need to look for value for money instead of concentrating on price alone when it comes to choosing a hosting provider.
Mistake# 3. Not Knowing the Difference between Shared and Dedicated Hosting
You need to consider whether shared and dedicated hosting is right for you. Not considering this fact can be a huge mistake.
In shared hosting, space is shared by other site owners. This reduces the cost but at the expense of compromising the security. If a virus or a malicious code infects one of the sites that share the server on which your site is stored, you will also have to face the consequences. In addition, due to the sharing of the cloud resources, the website speed will suffer. This will lead to a negative online user experience, not to mention a decrease in the search engine ranking of the site.
Dedicated hosting, on the other hand, is expensive but it’s more secure and fast as compared to shared hosting. You can also easily scale up and down as required. So, if the online user experience is critical for your business, you should select dedicated hosting services.
Mistake# 4. Not Enquiring About Customer Service
Most website owners ignore customer service when choosing a web host provider. But this is a grave mistake that could come to haunt you later on. The need for customer service will be felt when a technical issue arises due to which the site goes offline. Without prompt customer support, the problem will linger on and cause great frustrations both to you and your customers.
You should gauge the quality of customer support team before selecting a hosting provider. Ask them specific questions and see how long they respond to your queries. If they respond in days or don’t respond at all to your queries, you should look elsewhere.
Avoiding the mistakes listed here will help you select the best web host provider. You should thoroughly examine the services offered by host providers, compare services and costs, and make an informed decision. This will help you avoid making mistakes when it comes to selecting the best web host provider.
