Did you know that there are over 1.5 billion hostnames are already registered on the internet?
With over 300,000 hosting providers, website owners are truly spoilt for choice. However, there is more to web hosting than choosing a hosting provider and calling it a day.
The web hosting service industry is so huge that it’s projected to hit $154 billion. With a little research and patience, you’re bound to find the right hosting service.
Selecting the wrong web hosting service can be detrimental to the success of your online website, regardless of whether you have a blog, eCommerce site, or company website. Your host needs to be efficient, reliable, and available at all times. The thing is, not all hosting packages are created equal, and there are tons of traps that you could fall into if you’re not careful enough.
This post will share some of the most common web hosting mistakes and how you can avoid them. Some are more straightforward than others, but this may help you make an informed decision when it comes to choosing the best provider.
1. Choosing Free Web Hosting
Going for a free web hosting service is by far one of the gravest mistakes you could make, especially if you’re running a business website. Initially, it may seem like the package offers such good value and may seem genuine. However, if there’s one thing you can be sure of, it’s that it’s going to cause you all kinds of problems in the long run.
For starters, your website will be painfully slow, and the minute you exceed your bandwidth, it may shut down completely. This will undoubtedly cause your business to suffer because you will be at the mercy of your hosting provider. Even worse, you can expect tons of third party advertisements all over your website without your permission.
The host will have every right to place them there because this is technically how they make money. If you think about it, nothing comes for free, and this will cost you a lot more than you would have to pay for a legitimate hosting service. Beyond that, they will limit your web pages, make scaling up impossible, and prevent you from running the scripts you want.
2. Failing to Read the Terms and Conditions
When was the last time you read the terms and conditions of anything? It’s understandable that the texts can be extremely long and complex to understand, but this is one of those times you actually need to read it.
This is a legally binding contract, and you’ll find legally binding statements. The minute you click the ‘accept’ button, you will commit to adhering to those terms and conditions as long as you’re using their services.
3. Believing in Unlimited Features
If you’ve come across the word unlimited when comparing web hosting services, then you know how tempting it can be. However, have you considered how true that concept is? The truth of the matter is, unlimited is another selling point for most of these companies.
A lot of them use shared servers anyway, and as long as you’re sharing, the concept of unlimited is technically an illusion. What you must do is get the details pertaining to the specifications and limitations of the web hosting company.
4. Overlooking the Company’s Customer Services?
If you’ve ever dealt with an unresponsive company that was lacking customer services when you need help the most, then you know how frustrating it can be. If you want to know a professional and competent web hosting company, test their customer services. If they claim to have 24/7 customer services, test it out before signing up and committing to their services.
The best way to test customer services is by writing down some hosting questions you’d like answered. Check their website FAQ page, then contact them through all the modes provided, from email to live chat and phone calls. See how responsive they are and how friendly, effective, efficient, and accommodating they are when answering your questions.
5. Basing Your Choice on Price
Even though the price is an important factor when choosing a web hosting company, it should not be a determining factor. Price, whether too low or too high, is not usually a guarantee for efficiency or reliability. When choosing the right hosting company, you need to look for optimum performance services.
Sometimes, a low price doesn’t necessarily mean low-quality or poor services, and you can be sure that going with the top brands that charge high prices doesn’t guarantee top quality services either. Dig deep into the details of the package and other indicators based on your needs.
6. Overlooking Security Issues
Cybercrime is projected to hit a staggering $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Let that sink in. This is no longer a story but a reality that every website owner must face because no one is safe on the internet.
Inquire how the web hosting company manages passwords and access authorisation, their operating systems for their servers, and whether they back up their servers in case of a crash.
7. Not Reading Customer Reviews
Customer reviews and testimonials are incredibly important in the digital era we’re living in. You must know what other past and current customers of the web hosting company have to say about their services. This will help you rule out all the wrong choices and leave you with a few potential providers to compare and interview.
Check what customers have to say about the company’s customer services, and if you find too many complaints, then it’s definitely a red flag. Check what they have to say about frequent website crashes, slow loading websites, and security issues. However, be wary of amazing reviews because chances are they are planted and not genuine at all.
If the website reviews are not to be trusted, check other review websites such as Yelp and Google My Business as well as other Tech websites that offer honest and blunt reviews about various companies.
8. Operating Various Websites on the Same Host
If you happen to have several websites, it may make sense to use one website hosting provider because it’ll make billing a lot easier. Besides, you’re likely to get a much better and more affordable deal when you have several websites.
However, consider the fact that if the server was to crash, all your websites would be down at the very same time. This downtime could cause your business major problems, especially when you have no idea how long it’s going to last.
Talk to your host about spreading your websites across multiple servers.
9. Overlooking the Restrictions
Restrictions and limitations may not seem like a big deal initially, especially when the company’s lure you in with the limitless options and incredible extras. However, this may be a problem later on when you scale your business. The first most important thing is bandwidth, and most companies are very deceptive when it comes to this.
When they tell you that the bandwidth is unlimited, speed and efficiency suffer, ultimately affecting your user experience. You may also find that the web hosting company does not allow the installation of certain software or having multiple POP accounts. Ensure you read the fine print to understand exactly what you’re getting once you choose a company.
10. Going With a Company That Doesn’t Offer Refund Guarantee
Even after you conduct thorough research on your potential web hosting companies, there’s still no way for you to be sure they’ll be the right fit for you. For this reason, it’s advisable to choose a hosting service with a refund policy. If you change your mind after a while, you’ll get your money back and go for another company.
This will provide you with a sense of security because you can test out several companies without losing your money. Still, it’s important for you to go through the refund policy to understand the terms and conditions. There’s a possibility that they only offer a refund after a given period of time, while some other companies may offer you a pro-rated refund.
Other web hosts will offer you a free trial. Check which plan the free trial is based on. You may be trialling their most expensive plan and when you come to pay you may have to downgrade or pay more than you were expecting.
11. Choosing the Wrong Hosting Package
Once you have the right host in mind, the next most important thing you have to do is choose a package. Like most people, you may feel the need to go for the cheapest shared hosting plan, especially if you have a small website that’s starting out. However, this is not recommended because your traffic will grow, and the cheap package will no longer work for you.
There are several things you have to consider apart from the size of your website. You need to consider all the features that come with the hosting package. For instance, the hosting company may not offer you email support, domain privacy, an SSL certificate, and other incredible features with the cheapest package.
On the other end, you may not need to have a dedicated hosting package with all the extra add-ons if you’re running a small personal blog. The trick here is to be conscious of all the features you need now and in the near future before you choose the right package. Still, you’ll find that most web hosting services make it easy to upgrade packages.
12. Choosing the Wrong Server Location
Depending upon your target audience you should consider where your web hosting server is physically located. If your website is for Australians, then hosting on an Australian based data center is essential.
Choosing the wrong location can make your website appear to be very slow. Local is much, much faster.
Some hosts will advertise Australian hosting where in fact they don’t actually have any servers located in Australia at all. If it’s not clear, ask them where your website will be located before you sign up.
If your website is globally targetted then you may want to look at using a content delivery network such as Cloudflare. Check if the web host has an easy way for you to set this up as part of their service.
Choosing the Best Web Hosting Service: Avoid These Mistakes
When choosing the best web hosting service, it’s important to avoid these common mistakes. You can always move to a new provider if you’re not satisfied with your current provider, though. Most web hosts will do this for free.
If you’re still not sure talk to us. Our support team are friendly and will answer all; your questions. If you’d like to try our services for yourself all of our plans include a 30 day money back guarantee.