The internet has come a long way over the last few decades, but some things have remained unchanged. One of those is the purchasing of web hosting. The average consumer still signs up with their chosen web host checks off options that they feel are applicable to them and then pay for hosting, sometimes for multiple years.
On the surface, this looks harmless especially when the consumer thinks they are getting a bargain on their hosting plan. However, many web hosting companies are fond of sneaking in clauses and marketing gimmicks that end up forcing users into paying more than necessary for a hosting package. Here are some tips to guide you against this.
Know Exactly What You Need
Brian from css.digital suggests “If you are looking to host a simple personal website with a few pages, you don’t need any fancy hosting packages. In fact, you will best get full value if you sign up for the entry level hosting package offered by the average web host. If you are creating a multi-user platform that you expect to grow over the next few months or years, a robust package that can keep up with the demands of your website and allows for scalability will better serve you. If you know what you need, you are already immune to tricky cross-selling tactics from web hosting companies.
Understand the Different Types of Hosting
Shared Hosting, Virtual Private Server Hosting and Cloud Hosting are the three top hosting options provided by most companies today. In shared hosting, you will share a particular server with other websites, and you cannot use more than the allotted resources like space, bandwidth, add-on domains and more. This is usually the cheapest option, but it is not without some risk. Your website is prone to underperformance if another site on the server is under attack for example. This is why many business websites do not start with shared hosting. Even bloggers that start with shared hosting scale up as soon as they can.
With Virtual Private Server hosting, you get what it says on the tin: your virtual server. You are still on a shared server but the resources are far higher than is available on a shared hosting plan and your website is safe against externally-induced underperformance. You also have more level of control on the hosting processes. Many small and medium-sized businesses can run efficiently on this hosting option.
Cloud Hosting, also referred to in some quarters as a bare metal server, is a hosting plan where you don’t share anything with other users. You have access to the server and can control resources like CPU, RAM and more. You can also use the server as you deem fit such as hosting resource-intensive application, and running networks and file servers. Cloud hosting is only valuable for big corporations or big websites that deal with tens of millions of users monthly.
Ask Questions Where Confused
It is easy to lay all the blames at the feet of the companies for over-charging their clients, but concerning web hosting, the companies aren’t always at fault. If you are paying for features you don’t need, it is usually for lack of understanding what you are paying for. Some of the terminologies used are, admittedly, confusing for the average user. Fortunately, customer service is a priority for many of the best hosting companies. Top names like Umbrellar, Free Parking and Heart Internet, will go out of their way to explain any confusing terms so you can be sure you are paying exactly for what you need. They understand that happy customers stay for the long haul and are therefore more than ready to lose a few $$ to keep you.
