We all live in a very connected world. If you do not already have a website for your business, take the chance to consider the advantages of the internet and the possibilities it provides for marketing yourself. Don’t miss out on the potentially lucrative opportunities that may present itself because your name is discoverable on the internet. Although creating a website can take months, a Web hosting service is your most valuable tool in getting started with your website.
Web hosts can get increasingly expensive, but depending on the features needed for your website, you can always compare and contrast the different options you have available to you. For small business owners, you will want a dedicated server or VPS hosting. A dedicated server will be more than $100 per month. It’s costly, but the advantage is having your website living in a server by itself. You would need to handle the firewalls and maintenance yourself, unless you get a managed server, which of course costs more. However, if you want to save some money, VPS hosting is another option, and you can get one for about $20 to $30 a month. If you build your website in a VPS environment, you do not share resources with other sites that are on the same server the way you would with shared hosting. Your site actually lives in a server area that has its own storage, RAM, monthly data transfers, and operating system.
When considering the costs of a web host, it is a better idea to wait until you know what features you need before committing to an annual plan. You may want to shop for a web host that has unlimited monthly data transfer and email, the choice between solid state or traditional hard drive storage, and customer support 24/7. If you are selling a product, get a web host that offers a Secure Sockets Layer certificate, which encrypts the data between the customer’s browser and web host to protect purchasing information. Depending on the company you go with, it could be free of charge or up to $100.
Don’t forget the importance of site uptime. Once your site is down, your clients and customers will have difficulty reaching you or accessing your products and services. Although all sites can potentially suffer from ups and downs, it’s essential to choose a web host that does an excellent job at keeping sites up and running.
Take a look at these featured Web hosts and decide which is best for you.
InMotion Web Hosting $7.99
Pros: Easily import WordPress Blogs, offers free web-building tools, unlimited email, great customer service and 90-day money-back guarantee.
Cons: Basic web builder makes sites look visually dated and you need to create separate logins for all add-ons.
Dreamhost Web Hosting $10.95
Pros: Many security features, extensive domain management, unlimited data transfers per month, cloud storage plans and money-back guarantee.
Cons: No site builder, has high setup fee with monthly plans, long wait with customer service chat, and lacks Windows based dedicated servers.
HostGator Web Hosting $8.95
Pros: Offers shared and dedicated Web hosting plans, Weebly site-building software and great customer service.
Cons: No one-step WordPress import and lacking security in email.
Hostwinds Web Hosting $4.50
Pros: Linux or Windows-based server option, unlimited email and monthly data transfers, great VPS hosting plans, and Minecraft server hosting.
Cons: No managed WordPress Hosting and hard time find cancellation option.
GoDaddy Web Hosting $3.49
Pros: Windows and Linux based servers, 24/7 customer service, email is tightly integrated into Microsoft apps.
Cons: You need to pay for the website builder and complicated WordPress setup.
1&1 Web Hosting $5.99
Pros: Easy-to-use tools for website building, free domain transfers, and no set-up fee.
Cons: Competitors have longer money-back guarantee and Website Builder Plus tier is required to add code for templates.
Bluehost Web Hosting $5.99
Pros: Great range of Web hosting options, usefull add-ons, backup tools, one-step integration with CloudFlare, easy to use interface, and offers Weebly software.
Cons: No monthly shared hosting and persistent upselling.
HostMonster Web Hosting $6.95
Pros: Great customer service, Weebly software, useful add-ons, and free domain transfer
Cons: Pricey options, no monthly hosting plans, and lack managed WordPress
SiteGround Web Hosting $9.95
Pros: Integrates with CloudFlare, Automatic backups, excellent support material and great customer service.
Cons: Not a lot of storage and bandwidth, no month-to-month shared hosting and no Windows server option.
