When choosing a physical brick-and-mortar location for your business to operate out of, there are many factors to consider before you start occupying that space. For example, does the site provide the necessary amenities, utilities, security and access requirements your business needs to function optimally? Does it have sufficient capacity for growth and upgrades, and does the rental or purchase price meet your budget?
Choosing the right website hosting service for your business is no different.
A website hosting services provider is the digital equivalent of a real estate rental agent. When you pay for website hosting, you’re paying for space on a server in which to store your website and all of its files – such as HTML code, pictures and videos. You’re also paying for that information to be accessible to the World Wide Web at all times.
Is Your Chosen Hosting Service Appropriate?
You wouldn’t rent out a shop space in a chic mall if your business were to manufacture engine parts for mining machines. You would need a workshop and warehouse space for that. Nor would you rent out a massive hanger made for aeroplanes if your business was to sell homemade cookies.
There are many kinds of website hosting services available, and it is important to know what you want your website to be capable of before you choose. For example, is your website for blogging, news media and social interactions, or is it a fully functional e-commerce website wherein customers can order and pay for specified goods and services, or is it a portfolio website for showcasing your work?
Different types of websites require different levels of bandwidth to operate optimally and different levels of back-end support from the website hosting service provider.
Does The Website Hosting Service Provider Offer Value Added Services?
Security is critical when taking your business online. Does your chosen website hosting services provider offer you the right kinds of security solutions and support, such as SSL certificates? To make SSL/TLS encryption possible, you need an SSL certificate to move your website from HTTP to HTTPS – which is far more secure.
Moreover, you need to ensure that your website and all of its contents are regularly backed up in case your website is ever hacked or the primary servers on which your website is stored go down.
Sandbox offers these services and more. Contact us now for advice on your website hosting service needs!