Tips On Choosing The Right Hosting Company
There are many things to consider when choosing a web hosting company, here are a couple of tips-
- Is the company easily contactable?
These days we are up against automation, and long hold times. You need to be sure that the hosting company you chose will be there to support you should you need them. At XReflow for example we do not believe in automated answering. You will always be able to talk to one of the team during office hours. We also provide email support 24/7 should you require support outside of working hours. We take our customer service very seriously.
- Where will your website data be stored?
It’s surprising just how many companies have their website hosted with companies outside of the UK, many businesses would struggle to be able to say exactly where their website data is being stored. At XReflow all our web hosting servers are located within the UK and are fully GDPR compliant.
- Security
Make sure you look into how secure your website and data will be with the hosting company. With transactions, and personal data going through websites, you need to be sure that all the information is being looked after securely. Are the web hosting company GDPR compliant for example, what security measures do they have in place?
- What about backups?
Check with the hosting company to ensure that regular backups are being made. Should the worst happen, you need to be in the safe knowledge that you have a recent back up in order to get back online asap.
- The right package for you
Cheap web hosting for any business or individual is a draw, however, make sure that there is plenty of room for your website to grow with your business. Check with the hosting company to see how easy it is to upgrade if you outgrow the package, and how much extra the next package level will cost.
What is hosting?
Web hosting is a service provided by web hosting companies such as XReflow, this means the hosting company provide the technologies in order for your website, webpage or blog to be seen on the internet. The host company will have various different hosting packages for you to choose from such as:
VPS Hosting
VPS stands for Virtual Private Server, this hosting package allows you your own space on the hosting server. It runs its own operating system, giving you a portion of that server ruing totally independent of the other VPS’s on that one main server. The VPS specifications will vary depending on your individual requirement. For example how many CPU’s, how much storage space, how much RAM. The client using a VPS can upload all the software they require for their specific business/industry should they have some. The great thing about VPS is it can be deployed in a matter of minutes, you pay for what you need, meaning this can be a very cost-effective option for businesses wishing to have their website hosted. A VPS is also secured with the same standards as say a dedicated server, as each VPS is isolated in its own server portion. An added bonus is that it is simple and easy to upgrade your hosting package, so once your business begins to grow you can upgrade your VPS to your new requirement.
Cloud VPS Hosting
Cloud VPS is similar to VPS however this is distributed to many machines which are connected on a network but act as one, its a good hosting option for unpredictable traffic and resource usage, however, being spread out so far does give concerns to security and data protection. If security is more of a concern then you are able to get private cloud servers that offer greater control and better security. In order to gain the full advantages of a cloud network, it may require more technical expertise from the user.
Shared Hosting
The clue is in the title here, it’s when multiple customers share one server, this includes sharing the CPU, the RAM and the storage space. Its a cheap hosting option for those on a budget. For example ideal for cheap WordPress hosting and blog hosting. Ideal for new business websites, as these, tend to have fewer files and data in their infancy.
Dedicated Server
This is the most powerful solution for any company wishing to have its website hosted. It is totally dedicated to you, and with the software you require, you can have it as powerful as you want without any compromises. This provides absolute certainty over security, you are the only business using the server, no sharing with other clients. Of course, having your own dedicated hosting server comes at a price, and for the mainstream not necessary for a majority of business or individuals websites.
Hosting Control Panel
Many hosting companies offer various different hosting control panels in order for you to be able to access, manage your websites and emails with little or no technical knowledge. Let’s take a look at a couple that are available.
cPanel
cPanel is Linux-based and can be accessed by adding/Cpanel to your website URL or port 2083 using HTTPS takes you to a login screen. This hosting control panel provides a user-friendly screen from which the customer can control their portion of the Unix Server. This enables the customer to be able to log in and amend their website along with being able to set user levels.
Plesk
This is a commercial web hosting platform much the same as CPanel, which is giving the user access to their websites and emails in a friendly graphic way through a web-based interface. It was developed for Linux and Windows-based hosting service providers.
Email Hosting Services
Depending on which hosting company you choose and which hosting package you opt for will depend on how many emails are provided for free.
note, not all hosting companies provide free emails with their hosting packages.
With these emails comes the more professional look of your email matching your domain. For example your.business.name@yahoo.com versus the professional look of sales@your.business.name.com. So these emails are being hosted within whichever hosting package you choose.
With webmail, you can access your emails via browser-based clients, or you can have the emails linked to your local mail account.
With any of the hosting mentioned above with the new GDPR rules which were implemented last year, you should really understand where and how your web data is being stored.
If you are looking to change your hosting company get in touch with us, we are happy to answer any questions you may have, and help you to make the right choice for your individual requirements.
One of the main concerns our customers have that we come across as a hosting company is a potential disruption whilst changing to a new web host.
At XReflow we organise the hosting change for you, with little, and in the majority of cases, no disruption to your business, get in touch with us today and let us help you link to XRF Digital contact page