5 Tips to Choose a Domain Name and Web Hosting for Startups

Guest Post by Emily Lamp

This guest post will help new writers with choosing domain names and web hosting for their new freelancing business.

The time you start choosing a web host and domain name provider is the time you realize just how many companies offer this type of service. In such instances, you soon come to realize that having too many options is not always the best thing. But the search for a hosting services provider doesn’t necessarily have to be hectic or bothersome. Below are tips that will simplify the search process, help you find the best host, and ensure that you won’t regret your decision at a later date.

On a separate note, if you ever want to get into the world of hosting, you should read this very useful article on web hosting business income.

1. Reputation

When you’re in the market for a domain name and website hosting company, you can’t afford to take any shortcuts. You have to perform due diligence which will involve checking into the reputation of all the companies that you have shortlisted, heard of, or which have been recommended to you.

Take your time to peruse web hosting review guides. This is the go-to place for website owners looking to view reviews and ratings from customers who have worked with some of the firms you could be considering. Generally, it’s best that you play it safe and opt to work with a company that has lots of expertise and prior experience. Such a company will have been well received by experts and customers.

2. Establish Your Needs

Website owners have to determine their hosting needs. If you use a WordPress website for your business, fully managed Wordpress hosting may fit your needs. If planning on hosting video content, do you intend to make it possible for your users to register on the site and start uploading their own content? Do you intend to host top-quality multimedia content such as images and infographics?  Try and estimate the kind of traffic that you will receive on a daily basis before settling on a hosting company. Failure to do so could see you paying for services that don’t meet your needs or which are unnecessary.

3. Cybersecurity Requirements

Your search for the best web hosting for startups should also involve looking into the cybersecurity measures that have been put into place by your prospective host. Do a deep dive into their track record to establish whether the host has experienced any intrusions or data leaks in the past few months or years.

Confirm that the host does indeed provide its clients with encryption, distributed denial of service (DDoS) protection, as well as a web application firewall. Many firms, both new and established have in the past lost business and money due to loss of reputation and downtime occasioned by a cyber-attack.

4. Infrastructure

The infrastructure put in place by the VPS hosting company is crucial. Your research at this point will involve looking into the number of uplink carriers that are present at each and every hosting location.

Take a closer look at the network topology to confirm whether or not the host has diverse carriers. In addition, be sure to check the number of peers that the VPS host currently has. Normally, more peers translate to reduced IP transit expenses.

The presence of many peers also means that the network is bound to be more resilient. While you may want to inquire about the physical location of the data center operated by the host, this is not usually very relevant.

5. Scalability

Often, the hosting requirements will start to change as the company changes or expand its operations. As such, it will be wise of you to consider factoring in the provider’s scalability into your decision making process. You have no option but to work with a company that is in a position to accommodate growth.

Accepting that your needs are bound to change is the best way to protect yourself from unwanted headaches later. It will be better to do this from the first day, as opposed to having to make the switch at a later date. Keep in mind that switching because a provider isn’t scalable will also come with its own issues.

Summary

It’s advisable to take your time to carefully weigh all the available options when trying to choose between different hosting companies. It’s better to spend more money at this moment and save yourself a ton of trouble in the future. Place priority on reputation, pricing, scalability, and cybersecurity measures.

Guest Author Bio

Emily Lamp is a professional writer, working closely with many aspiring thinkers and entrepreneurs from various companies. She is also interested in technology, business growth and self-improvement.