The majority of small business owners are paying too much for their Web Hosting; $10, $15, and even more than $20 a month. The main reason for this is lack of knowledge, which allows for shameless web agencies to make overpriced recommendations for unreliable Web Hosts. So, as a small business owner, you need to take it upon yourself to learn some of the basics about Web Hosting, otherwise you’ll end up paying too much. After all, you do this for anything else you would buy. Would you buy a car without knowing what features it had, and then come to find out it doesn’t have AC and it only gets 7 miles to the gallon…no! Same thing with Web Hosting, don’t buy what you don’t know. Here are some starting points to think about when choosing a Web Hosting plan:
Disk Space. How much disk space do you need? This is where most website owners make the first mistake. Many providers offer three plans tailored for a certain size website. If you don’t know how much disk space you need, you’ll need to find out. The last thing you want to do is spend $30 a month on a hosting plan meant for a site that is ten times the size of your own. Most small businesses start under 10 GB’s of disk space, which should only cost you around $5.
Customer Support. From the service you receive when you talk with a representative on the phone, to the actual up time of the website, customer support is one of the most important aspects to examine when choosing a Web Host. The up time, meaning the actual time that your website is working properly, should be no less than 99.9%. Technology these days is too good for it to be otherwise. Another thing that small business owners overlook is the customer service. You should be able to get a hold of a service representative over the phone with little difficulty. If a Web Host only offers customer service through e-mail, then you can forget about them as an option to host your site.
Add-ons. Almost every Web Host you consider will have the option to add-on services that create a stronger site for your business. These add-ons are a great tool to use, especially for customer service efficiency and e-commerce; just don’t end up with a shopping cart if you don’t sell anything on your site! Many common add-ons include blogs, podcasts, shopping carts, SEO options, SSL certificates, etc.
Price. $5 for a basic small business website is the most you should spend on Hosting. The add-ons will be more, but any Web Host trying to get you to pay $10 for 10 GB’s of disk space understands they are ripping people off. Of course the larger your site becomes you may need to upgrade, but you can do more with 10 GB’s of disk space than you think. You don’t overcharge your customers, and your Web Host shouldn’t overcharge you.
These are just the basics when looking for a Web Host. To start finding a hosting plan I recommend looking on WebHostingGeeks.com. You can match up a host to the needs of your small business. One Web Host that I recommend for small businesses is TheBlueKingdom.com. You can get a plan for $3.99 a month and pick and choose from affordable add-ons to meet your business needs. That is what a Web Host should do for you. Do a little research, know what you are looking for, and receive what you deserve from your Web Host.
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