Website hosting is not as simple as it used to be a few decades ago. A large plethora of factors should be considered before committing to a host. It is extremely essential to accurately test the water before taking a plunge. It may be a tricky task to be able to cover all the important factors or pertinent questions that should be answered before choosing a website host so here we are, to help you soar through comfortably. Our wholesome checklist of questions is all you need to ask yourself and potential companies to go ahead with choosing your website host.

Question 1: How fast is the host’s server?

Speed plays a major role in today’s day. The fast pace of life has made the average man an impatient soul and ideally, a website should load within two seconds to be able to hold the user’s interest. Keeping this in mind it is essential to know about the server speed, processing speed, and memory before finalizing a host.

Question 2: How secure is the host?

Internet Security is the buzzword today and rightly so. With digitization, the number of cybercrimes has also increased multifold. Hence it is important to check that the website uses firewalls and security certificates. Extended Validation Certificateis one of the authenticate certificate that offers the highest validation and company name against domain name in the browser. However, many hosting and other vendors provide SSL certificate so to Buy SSL certificate, you have many options there at affordable cost.The host must monitor all activity on the website and sent alerts in case any suspicious activity is detected. It must also be regular with backing up data on your website to help recover from a mishap if any may ever occur. Lower security of websites also results in lower ranks by google and lower visibility.

Question 3: What is the customer support that is provided?

Confirm the level of technical expertise that the hosting company can provide. A hosting company with 24*7 customer service is a must as technical glitches can seriously affect the performance of your website and must be handled and solved by the hosting company. In case customer service is provided as an in-house service it tends to be preferable over a company who outsources customer support. Also, ensure the hosting company has an uptime rate of 99% or above.

Question 4: How scalable are the resources provided by the host?

If you are an enterprising company your website is likely to grow over time and it is very inconvenient if you grow out of your host’s resources and then have to change your host service provider, so before you choose a host to ensure that they have enough resources to support and accommodate your website needs as it grows. Ask how the system of upgrading works according to increasing traffic. The host must have the feature of adding new domains and subdomains to your website over time.

Question 5: How much will it cost you?

Hosting solutions available on the internet vary from those which are free to those that cost a lot. Depending on the kind of benefits and facilities you are looking for, be sure to research and finalize the pack which is a good balance between features and cost. There are some hosting services where signing up is cheap but renewal and annual maintenance charges are very high. So be sure to clarify pricing in all details and depths before taking any sort of plunge. Also, confirm the renewal period.

Question 6: Which kind of hosting are you looking for?

There are different kinds of hosting environments which come with their own pros and cons making it necessary to weigh both before making the final decision. Some of them are shared hosting, virtual private server hosting, dedicated server hosting, managed dedicated hosting and cloud hosting. These differ in terms of the number of resources provided, for example in a shared hosting the resources are shared between websites so the high traffic on one website may affect the performance of the other website and vice versa. Also, check for email hosting for a primary website email id.

Question 7: What are the terms and conditions? What are the hosting restrictions?

Be sure to understand all terms and conditions before signing up with any host service provider. Ensure full knowledge about what all can be done and what all can’t be done in the package you are opting for. Clarify if you are bound into a contract or not. If locked into a contract you are stuck with the host for a stipulated amount of time whether your experience is good or bad. It is preferable if there is no contract so that you can end services as per needed.

While looking for a website host, it is easy to get swayed by the various packages and offers and options available. Some may seem more luring than the others but be sure to keep your head on your shoulders and carefully go through each of the above points before jumping to any conclusion. Patiently analyze all available choices and determine the company and then the hosting package most suitable for your requirements.