Now that you have decided what type of web hosting you would like to run, the next step is to find a provider that covers all your needs. But what should you actually look for when choosing a suitable web hosting package? Below we have broken down the most important criteria for web hosting:
Domains
Your name is Leo and you run a sole proprietorship? Then you might want to register the domain leo.com. The domain is considered the basis for your homepage and is already included in the web hosting – depending on the booked package. Otherwise, you can add one or more domains for a usually low annual fee. So make sure that the domain extension you need is also available at your desired web hoster. Not unimportant is also the number of subdomains you are allowed to create.
Storage space or web space
The maximum disk space for web hosting determines the amount of files you have available for your homepage and e-mail content. Since storage space is very cheap, web hosting packages are usually more than sufficient for most founders and self-employed people. It can only become problematic if you use storage-intensive files such as videos in larger quantities with your web hosting.
Fortunately, almost all web hosts now offer to set up your own e-mail addresses in conjunction with the corresponding domain. For your web hosting, you should now check the number of available e-mail addresses, whether both POP3 and IMAP transfer protocols are available and to what extent additional features such as spam filters, autoresponders or mailing lists are offered.
Available data transfer or traffic
One point that is neglected by many in web hosting comparisons is the amount of data transfer allowed. If you have only a few visitors a day who access your website, you do not need to worry about this. However, if the daily traffic keeps increasing and you may also offer larger files, such as videos, for download or streaming, the data transfer will quickly skyrocket. If you are expecting high traffic for your website, it is best to talk to the potential web hosts about this and ask them for an estimate.
Server availability and server speed
If you run an online business, high server availability is important. After all, every minute your website is down, you can’t make money. As soon as you move into professional online business, you should therefore make sure that your web hosting provider guarantees an availability of at least 99.9%. This corresponds to a weekly non-availability of your website of about 10 minutes. In addition to server availability, server speed also plays an important role, because slow-loading websites alienate customers. An often free test account at the web hoster lets you easily check the server speed.
Developer tools
Now it gets technical: depending on the software and programming language used, web hosting may have different requirements for developer tools provided by the server. Standard is a current PHP version in combination with a certain number of MySQL databases. Other popular features include .htaccess access, setting CronJobs and using a secured SSL connection.
Software packages
Some web hosts offer one-click installation of content management systems like WordPress and Typo3 or store systems like Magento. A nice feature that can be helpful for founders without technical know-how or expert assistance for their own web hosting.
Service
Especially for start-ups or entrepreneurs with online business, a good and especially fast service is the be-all and end-all of web hosting. If the server is not available or there is another technical problem, a fast and competent feedback from the customer service is very important.
