ALRIGHT! You have decided to use WordPress for your business and now you are all excited to build your website or blog! So now you have a vision for what your website will look like. GREAT! What next? What about where are you going to host your WordPress site? This is the area where most business owners are not certain which way to go when it comes to website hosting.
Okay, so what is Website Hosting?
Website hosting is where you host your website. It is where your website is going to live and how people access it on the Internet. Website hosting is one of the key features in running a website. There are several thousand website hosting providers to choose from and these are located all over the world. You will find numerous free web hosts in web forums offering you their services for banner ads, or you might find really cheap web hosting, which requires a long-term commitment. Each website hosting company will have their own plans and subscription charges.
You already know that you need website hosting to run WordPress, but what does WordPress require? What specifications do you need? This is where I would like you to pay attention. There are a lot of things to consider, like:
* What is your monthly budget?
* Are you expecting good traffic due to heavy marketing?
* What type of support will you need for my website?
* Email – How, why and where do I get email with my domain?
* How much space you do need on the web?
* What about hackers? Security?
* What is the web host reputation?
If you are building a website/blog that is going to be an integral part of your business, then you need to consider quality hosting, reliable email and great customer support. Why? Because in today’s business world, people love to research on the web, use email to communicate and learn more all via the web. Your website must provide information, communication and more information to upgrade existing clients. You have to get into the mindset thinking that using your website to build good relationships with your customers is, by far, the most cost-effective, time-saving & resourceful thing you can do.
Website Hosting Recommendation: MomWebs
This hosting company is outstanding. They have EXCELLENT customer support service and it’s very easy to navigate through their cPanel. They never get tired of you asking questions. We highly recommend MomWebs.
Web Hosting Checklist: This Decision Can Make or Break your Business
If you’re a work at home mom like me, you may also have struggled with finding reliable web hosting. Well, over the years (and many headaches later), I’ve come up with a checklist of essentials that your website hosting company must have before you even consider working with them.
1. Excellent Reliability
There is nothing more frustrating than finding out your website is down, and has been for hours. Although no time is a good time to have your site down, the timing can be just terrible. That sinking feeling when you’ve purchased advertising and you know the ad is about to be sent out and you go to your website for last minute touches and… it’s down.
That is not cool. That is not acceptable. You must make sure that the web host you select not only has good reliability, but superior reliability. This is your business on the line, not some hobby site. Treat it as such and get hosting that works for you when you need it. But, you can’t just trust a website that says they are reliable. Make sure they can prove it.
2. Superior Customer Support
When you do need help, make sure that your hosting will provide it. One thing I recommend is to contact support to ask a simple question about the hosting, before buying. That will give you an idea of what the customer service is like before you make a commitment. Yes, customer service has a difficult job – making sure they do not confuse less-experienced customers, yet, at the same time, also making sure not to talk down to the geek types. However, you should never feel like you are a “bother” or that your question is not as important as anyone else’s… or worse, dumb. You should find a web host with superior customer support.
3. The Stats You Need
Several of the most popular hosts do not offer the web stats that every online business needs. You may not think that you need stats, but, how else are you going to know what is working – and what is not? You need stats that tell you where your visitors are coming from, how long they are staying, and which pages they are coming in and going from. Does your web host offer that? If they have a cPanel as their control panel, they do. Find a web host that uses a standard cPanel.
4. Affordable
Why spend more if you don’t have to? When looking for a web host, price is always a factor. So, shop around and make sure that the web host you decide upon offers a great price.
5. Room to Grow
The web host you choose should offer unlimited hosting. This means, that, if you add more websites to your package down the road, the price does not increase drastically for each one. Many online businesses start with one site and grow over time. Can your host grow with you?
6. Bandwidth and Disk Space
Also, make sure that the host you choose is in the ballpark for bandwidth and disk space. Most programs offer approximately the same amount, but, especially if you plan to add a lot of audio or video, be sure to look into this, as well.
7. A History of Happy Customers
New hosting companies are popping up daily. Some are being run by a couple of teenagers in their garage. Obviously, that’s not who I want to entrust my business to. Do you? I want to know that the company I’m choosing has been around a few years, and has a history of happy customers to show for it. I don’t think that’s too much to ask, and you shouldn’t either.
Those are the key features that any web host should offer before you consider doing business with them. Choosing a web host can be more important than any other decision you make in your online business – if you choose wrong. So, take the time and find a web host that will work with you, and help you to succeed.
MomWebs is where you will find the website hosting company that offers everything a woman entrepreneur, new start-up business and work at home mom needs – reliability, unlimited hosting, and customer service that never makes you feel intimidated — all at a price you can afford.
The website hosting company that we mention in this post are a top-notch service. If you decide to go with a service other than the one that we suggested in this post, make sure you do an extensive research on their reputation, uptime history, and support reviews.
