It’s no secret that choosing the right web hosting provider is essential when it comes to building a successful website. However, it’s not quite as simple as many people tend to believe.
To help you make the best decision, we’ve compiled a list of the most notable factors you need to consider when it comes to North Carolina website hosting. Let’s dive in.
Determine What Kind of Hosting You Need
For those who are unaware, there are two primary types of web hosting that you will need to choose from:
- Private hosting
- Shared hosting
As the name suggests, these terms refer to how your server is affected by the actions of other users. For example, using a shared hosting provider will result in your website being contained within the same server as other websites.
This means that each site competes for processing power, RAM, and disk space within the server. As a trade-off, though, shared hosting is often notably affordable.
It’s also a viable choice for websites that don’t experience a large influx of traffic on a regular basis.
Private hosting, on the other hand, functions a bit differently. Although your website is still contained within the same server as other websites, it is isolated from them in its own virtual private server.
This means that you will always have access to a dedicated amount of disk space, processing power, and RAM. No matter how many other websites utilize the same main server, they will never be able to use your resources.
As you might guess, this hosting option is typically more expensive. In practice, though, it’s ideal for websites that consistently receive a large amount of traffic.
More often than not, the deciding factor between choosing shared hosting or private hosting will be the size of your business.
What Resources Do They Offer?
Working with a provider who is not able to accommodate the resource needs of your business can easily cause a large number of complications. To elaborate, you might find that your website consistently crashes when you receive a large spike in traffic.
Or, you might not have enough disk space available for all of the media elements you wish to include on your website. Site owners that upload a large amount of video content, for example, will need to have a large amount of available space.
There is no definitive answer in terms of resource allocation when it comes to choosing a provider. As long as they are able to fully handle your needs, you can focus on other criteria when making your decision.
How Is Their Ongoing Support?
Let’s face it: there will most likely be a time where an issue suddenly arises that requires support for you to manage. If you are unable to get in touch with your provider, a minor situation can easily become exacerbated into something more serious.
Although it isn’t practical to expect your service provider to offer 24/7 customer support, there are many providers that do. This typically exists in the form of live web chat, but you may be able to get in touch with somebody on the phone if you need to.
Security Is Essential
As time goes on, cybercriminals continually develop more effective tools and methods they can use to procure sensitive information. As such, it’s more important than ever before to prioritize website security.
This is particularly true given the fact that the cybercrime industry is estimated to be worth over $10 trillion within the next five years.
Be sure to inquire about what security measures your prospective North Carolina website hosting provider takes to safeguard information. A reputable firm will have a comprehensive security plan that they will be proud to share with you.
Read Their Past Reviews
No matter what type of claims your provider makes, it can still be difficult to make the decision that is best for you.
Reading online reviews is often a sufficient deal breaker that can help you make your choice. Keep in mind that reviews that are overly positive or overly negative may not be an accurate portrayal of the company.
To elaborate, it’s not impossible for a single individual to have had a negative experience that was also an isolated incident. They may then go online and attempt to tarnish the provider’s reputation.
Similarly, reviews that seem overwhelmingly positive and incorporate relevant buzzwords may have been planted there by the firm itself. Instead, look for reviews that offer insight into the experience the customer had from a neutral standpoint.
Performance and Reliability
You can’t expect to make the most out of your online presence if your website experiences issues with its uptime or performance. In many cases, this could cost your business thousands of dollars if customers aren’t able to make online purchases.
Although it’s not always possible to prevent complications (such as those that result from a cyberattack), your website should never crash unless there is a sufficient reason. Combined with top-tier security measures, a provider that is able to establish a significant amount of reliability for your website is sure to offer outstanding service.
Finding the Right North Carolina Website Hosting May Seem Difficult
It’s not as complicated as you might anticipate, however. The above guide about finding the best North Carolina website hosting for you will help ensure that you make the right decision during your search.
Want to learn more about what we have to offer? Feel free to reach out to us today and see how we can help.
