Running a website for your business in Fort Collins isn’t just about having cool features and stunning visuals. You also need to consider web hosting, which is the backbone of your site. This is what ensures that it’s accessible to your visitors 24/7.
Without reliable website hosting, your site might experience slow loading times, frequent downtimes, and security breaches, which can significantly harm your business’ bottom line.
With this in mind, you need to learn how to tackle the task of choosing proper web hosting. In this post, we’ll define what web hosting is and the different types available. We’ll then discuss the key factors you should consider when choosing a provider in Colorado.
What is Web Hosting Exactly?
Web hosting is a service that makes your website accessible on the internet. You are renting space on a server to store your site’s files, including HTML, CSS, images, and videos.
The web hosting provider’s job is to keep the server running so that your site and all the elements that come with it are always available whenever someone visits your site.
Web hosting providers are also responsible for technical aspects like security and backup. They protect your website from cyber threats by installing security measures like firewalls, malware scanning, and secure data transmission protocols. This keeps your site safe from hackers, viruses, and other malicious attempts that could compromise your data or affect its functionality.
In addition to that, they also save copies of your site’s data in case something goes wrong, like a server crash, data corruption, or accidental deletion. These backups are safety nets that let you restore your website and quickly recover from unexpected issues.
The Different Types of Hosting
There are different web hosting types, each suited for differing levels of resources, performance, and control. Depending on your type of business, there is a hosting option suited to you.
Shared Hosting
This is the most common and affordable type of web hosting. It’s when your website shares a server and its resources with other websites. This cuts the server’s cost, making it a good option for small businesses and startups with tight budgets. However, since resources are shared, other sites on the same server may affect your website’s performance.
VPS Hosting (Virtual Private Server)
This is a step up from shared hosting, where you still share the same physical server but have your own dedicated virtual space. VPS hosting lets you control your server environment and resources, improving performance and scalability. This is a good option if you have a growing business or your site experiences moderately heavy traffic.
Dedicated Hosting
The most powerful type of hosting is dedicated hosting. With this type of hosting, you have complete control over the server’s resources and can customize the environment to suit your needs. It is commonly used by bigger enterprises, high-traffic websites, and businesses that require strict security.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting is a newer type of hosting that distributes your website across multiple servers in the cloud. If one server goes down or has issues, your website can keep running on other servers. This more flexible hosting solution is perfect for businesses dealing with fluctuating traffic.
At Thrive Engine, we look at your current traffic and resource needs to help you determine the right hosting for your budget.
Factors to Consider
Here are the key things you should consider when choosing a web hosting provider.
Reliability and Uptime
This refers to the percentage of time your site is accessible to visitors. Even a small downtime can result in lost traffic, sales, and customer trust. You want a provider who has a high uptime guarantee (preferably 99.9% or above)
Server Speed and Performance
Your site speed is important not just for user experience but also for search engines. Big search engines like Google can penalize you in search results if your site loads slowly. So, choose a provider with fast, modern hardware and a content delivery network (CDN). This allows your site to load quickly for your visitors worldwide.
Security
The provider you choose should have advanced security measures. The minimum security features you should expect include SSL certificates, regular backups, DDoS protection, and malware scanning. As discussed above, this is important for protecting your data from security risks.
Customer Support
Being with the best web hosting provider doesn’t mean you won’t be experiencing issues occasionally. When you do, you want to be able to reach your hosting provider with any questions or issues you may have. Unlike a large hosting provider such as GoDaddy or WPEngine, we pride ourselves on customer support and offer a white-glove service at Thrive Engine.
Pricing and Value for Money
Price shouldn’t be the only factor to consider. Instead, think about the value for money each provider offers. Look for plans that include features your website needs, such as ample storage, bandwidth, and security features. Be careful of providers that offer too low prices as they may cut corners on essential aspects like performance and support.
Closing Thoughts On Web Hosting
Now that you understand how to choose the best hosting provider for your Fort Collins business, it’s time to take action. Schedule a consultation with us to learn more about how we handle website hosting and how we can support you with website maintenance or web development needs.
