Hosting is the backbone of a website and keeps it up and running. There are many hosting companies in Singapore that seem to range so widely in options and prices that it can be overwhelming trying to figure out the best one to go with. That’s why I’ve written up the six most important things to look out for when selecting hosting for your websites. Here they are:
- Location
The location of your hosting company actually has an impact on SEO for a couple of reasons. Firstly, search engine crawlers sometimes determine where to categorise your site based on where it’s hosted. Secondly, the location will determine the speed of your site which is an important element that Google looks out for when ranking your web pages. For example, if your host is located in the USA, it will load slower for those in the UK. Therefore, it’s a good idea to choose a web host that’s located in the same country that your business is in.
- Speed
In general, the less you pay for hosting, the more websites the web host probably squeezes onto one server and the slower your website will run. Speed is one of the most important factors to consider and a few seconds difference in loading time can be like night and day when it comes to how responsive your visitors are. It impacts repeat visitors, sales, SEO, and your conversion rate. It’s even worth considering running your site on a dedicated server to help maintain lightning fast loading times (you can always choose to upgrade to this option later if you’re just starting out).
- Price
Cheaper is not always better. Cheap hosting may equal a slower website, less options for contacting technical support, and a mediocre backup strategy on your host’s behalf. It is possible to get good, cheap hosting, but make sure you do thorough research on the business to be certain they provide what your website requires.
- Service
Some hosting services make it near impossible to contact them if you run into technical issues. Others are notoriously difficult to communicate and resolve issues with. Some only offer email or online chat support. Will you be content with this or do you prefer to contact them via phone? If you are running a website that sells around the clock, it’s also imperative that they provide 24 hour support in case something goes wrong at an odd, out-of-business-hours time.
- Server Uptime
The last thing you want is a hosting server that frequently crashes and temporarily brings your website down. Don’t go for a server uptime record below 99%.
- Backup Strategies
Sometimes things just go wrong. Hackers, faults, human errors. To what extent is your hosting provider prepared for these situations? If your web host provides poor or limited backup, this may be ok if you are diligent with backing up files yourself.
Your web host is responsible for your website’s on-going upkeep so be sure to choose one that is reliable!