The process of creating each website is always accompanied by questions about choosing a quality and reliable hosting company. Not only the stability of the website depends on this, but also its speed. In addition to the above, a reliable VPS is a serious part of the cost of the project, so it is important to choose the best offer in terms of price-quality ratio. Next, we will consider the key criteria by which it is worth evaluating a hosting provider and choosing tariffs.
To begin with, let’s figure out what such a service is. Definitely, hosting is an integral part of the functioning of any website on the Internet. It involves the placement of a certain amount of information (files) of the website on a leased disk space within the provider’s server. When ordering this service, the client concludes a lease agreement for a certain part or the entire server, depending on the selected tariff. It can host both a small blog and a large project – the main thing is to choose the right configuration so that there are exactly enough resources. Experienced webmasters recommend considering rates even with a small margin. However, you can switch to another plan at any time, even if you initially chose a perfectly suitable one for you, but then it turned out that there are not enough resources or your project is scaling.
Also, some beginners are wondering – why not host the site on your own computer, instead of paying extra for quality hosting? Of course, you can put all this on your own computer and give access to it to your friends – but this is really inconvenient. In addition, information can only be exchanged between a limited number of users in this way, which is not so easy from a technical point of view. There must be the necessary software, stable network access, a separate dedicated device and the need to constantly turn on this dedicated device. That is why the owners of such resources always apply for the possibility of obtaining services for their placement. Of course, here it is already worth paying enough attention to choosing a reliable, proven service provider.
How to choose a hosting provider
Now that we have clearly defined the importance of using hosting services from a reliable provider, it is necessary to approach the issue of choosing it very carefully. Today on the Internet you can find hundreds of offers from different companies, but not all provide quality service. There are a large number of different parameters that you should focus on when choosing a hosting, and below we will consider 7 of the main ones. Having studied in detail the proposals of each and comparing them with each other, you can get objective information and make the right decision. It is also recommended to evaluate information from various sources, and not just from the official hosting site.
Here are 7 main criteria for evaluating a hosting provider:
- reviews of real customers of this hosting provider, which can be found on specialized rating sites or forums, as well as by asking colleagues. Based on several reviews, you can get the necessary information;
- the efficiency of the support service, as well as the willingness to solve non-standard tasks and help the client, including in obvious things;
- be sure to check if a trial period is provided, during which you can get the first experience of interacting with the hosting provider without paying;
- the ability to contact not only the support employee, but also the financial department, as well as the administration to resolve issues at a higher level;
- you should ask the support and real customers of this hosting provider about the average uptime – the higher it is, the better and more stable your site will work;
- and finally, one of the key criteria is the equipment used by the hosting company and its ability to quickly process information. The better the Internet line, RAM and processors on the servers, the faster your project will work.
What is uptime and how important is it for choosing a reliable hosting? First of all, this is the period of uninterrupted server operation. That is, the higher the uptime numbers, the longer the sites work without stopping. Keep in mind that this number will never reach 100%. It is necessary to provide for small technical stops to improve service, eliminate deficiencies and other issues. Not surprisingly, even the best hosting providers have this figure close to 99%.
Choosing the optimal tariff
In addition to the actual resource for hosting your own website or online store, you should choose the best tariff. It should correspond to the expected volume and quality of services, not be too burdensome, especially at the beginning of work, and have prospects for project growth. There is a certain list of criteria that must be considered:
- the maximum number of visitors who can visit the site at the same time;
- quality and modernity of the platform and its components – scripts, plug-ins, etc.;
- homepage loading speed.
Most control panels in the personal account on the hosting have a special section in which the client has the opportunity to track which resources and how much they are being used. During the trial period, be sure to review this information from time to time to determine the suitable tariff plan on which you will stay. This will help you avoid unnecessary expenses or make it clear to you that the selected tariff is insufficient for your site.
