Imagine setting up a website only to find that your site always goes down or isn’t secure. If you want to avoid a nightmare like that, you should consider a few ways to use small business web hosting.
Then, you’ll be able to compare plans and find a host that works for you. Soon enough, your site can run smoothly and help you grow your company.
Read on to learn more.
1. Combine Domain and Hosting
One of the best ways to use small business web hosting is to combine hosting with domain registration. You can use a separate web host and domain registrar.
However, doing that requires you to connect the two, which can take a while and can keep you from getting your site up. If you buy a domain and hosting package from the same company, both will be ready to go.
Then, you’ll be able to set up your site and even get it up within a day or two. Combining your domain and hosting can also help you remember to renew both subscriptions.
You won’t have to risk forgetting to pay for your domain and have your site go down. Avoiding that also means no one can buy the domain and try to sell it back to you for a lot of money.
2. Select the Right Platform
Small business web hosting can also help you compare and select the best website platform for you. A good host may have its own website builder that you can use to get your site up.
However, some hosts also make it easy to install WordPress on your website. WordPress offers a lot of features, but not all hosts make it easy to set up the software.
If you don’t want to use WordPress, you may still want to compare hosts. Some companies offer ASP.NET or other multi-tech web hosting options so that you can develop the site you want.
No matter which platform you choose, you need a host that supports it. Then, you won’t have to keep shopping around to find a company that suits your needs.
3. Set Up an Email Address
Another fantastic way to use your small business web hosting is to obtain a professional email address. Using a Gmail address is great for your personal emails, but it doesn’t look the best to customers and clients.
Good small business web hosting companies will offer an email address with the web hosting service. That way, you can set up an email address such as example@example.com.au.
Clients will be able to email you at that address, which can help you separate work and family messages. However, you won’t have to set up the account with a third party.
Keeping your email with your host means you don’t have to create yet another account with a unique password that you have to remember. Plus, you can set up email addresses for any employees that you have, so everyone can have a professional address.
4. Get Technical Support
Even if you’re a developer or have a lot of technical knowledge, you may still need support. The best web host will offer tech support to your small business whenever something goes wrong with your site.
That way, you can protect your data from potential hackers, but you can still access your site. A good host will offer a simple type of support, such as a knowledge base, where you can find solutions to popular problems.
You should also consider if your host makes the network status public. Then, you can make sure if your site is down, it’s because of your site and not the entire network.
If necessary, you should be able to submit a support request for more specific help. If something serious is up with your website, email, or another service, the company should be able to help.
5. Manage Your Site’s Performance
Site performance is another vital part of small business web hosting. When deciding how to use a web host, you should consider if the company has anything in place to help speed up your site.
A good web host will offer some sort of group server so that you don’t need to pay a lot for hosting. However, it also helps to choose a host with a virtual private server (VPS) option so that you can have more server space.
Having both options gives your small business the chance to grow without having to switch hosts. You can start on a basic plan and upgrade to a private server when you have the need and money for it.
If you need help with your site speed, you can consult the knowledge base or network status. Then, you’ll be able to decide how to get your site to perform better.
6. Secure Your Site
An essential part of site performance is having a secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate. The certificate can encrypt the data on your website, which can make it harder for hackers to get ahold of your information.
Having a certificate is crucial if you plan to take payments on your website. You’ll be able to protect the credit card numbers, addresses, and other pieces of information that your customers provide.
Google and other search engines may also view your site as more trustworthy when it has an SSL. That can help you rank higher in search results, which can help you get more traffic and sales.
A good web host will make it free and easy to install and SSL on your site. You won’t have to worry about leaving your site and visitors vulnerable to a hacker or another type of cyberattack.
7. Maintain Site Uptime
If your small business website goes down, it can be devastating. At best, you’ll lose a few visitors who would have come to your site when it wasn’t running.
But at worst, you could lose out on sales, and you could lose visitors who may have returned to your site in the future. One of the best benefits of a web host is having a high percentage of uptime, ideally 100 per cent.
If you’re still looking for a good host, consider what the company does to maintain uptime. Maybe they work with a service that has an uptime guarantee, so you can take advantage of that.
Then, you’ll be able to keep your site running even when a site on another host may experience problems. The more uptime you have, the better the chance you’ll have of booking clients or making sales.
8. Serve Your Customers
Good customer service can make a massive difference for any business. The right small business web hosting company can help you provide this service with a secure site that rarely goes down.
Another thing that can help you serve your customers is using a local host with servers in the area. Many popular hosts have servers in the United States, which is great if your customers live there.
However, if your customers live in Australia, you should choose a host with servers in Sydney. When the servers are close by, the site can load faster because the signal to make the page load is shorter.
Of course, you can do other things, such as compressing images, to increase your site speed. But using a local host can help more than using any international host, which can make things easier on you and your customers.
9. Grow Your Online Presence
As you get more traffic to your website, you may find that your current plan can’t support the growth. In some cases, you may need to switch hosts completely to get more storage and bandwidth.
However, a good web hosting service will have advanced plans that can meet your needs. That way, all you have to do is upgrade to a new hosting plan, and you can continue to use the same service.
You won’t have to worry about exporting your site data and importing it elsewhere. Having downtime during that transfer also won’t be a concern, so you can keep your business running.
10. Keep Costs Predictable
Another great way to use a small business website host is to help keep your business costs predictable. Every business owner should have a budget to help plan for income and expenses.
Look for a web host that lets you lock in your current hosting fee for as long as you use the plan. That way, you won’t have to worry about paying more money every year or so when prices increase.
You also won’t have to worry about paying more because you need features your current host doesn’t offer. All of this can help you plan your business budget for not only the year but also the next few years.
Of course, you may need to pay more if you decide to upgrade your hosting. However, you can decide when the time is right to upgrade and start paying more.
How Will You Use Small Business Web Hosting?
Small business web hosting can make a huge difference in how you run your business. As you consider plans, think about how you can use a specific plan.
While many companies may work fine for your needs, one will be the best. That way, you can focus on other areas of your business.
Are you ready to use the best web host for your small business? View our plans and select the right option for you.
