3 Website Hosting Mistakes You Need to Avoid

Web hosting neon sign on brick wall background.

3 Website Hosting Mistakes You Need to Avoid

Are you looking into getting a website hosting provider? Read this article to find out the most common mistakes when choosing and how you can avoid them!

According to a study by Grand View Research, the web hosting industry is one of the quickest growing industries. With no signs of stopping, the forecasted growth of this sector is expected to be over $170 billion by 2027.

Although the shift towards an online presence has been gaining traction year on year, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this. For a business to thrive, it must shift its operations and processes and have a solid online presence.

If your business is looking into getting a website hosting provider, then you need to read this article. Find out the most common website hosting mistakes and how you can avoid them.

Why Is a Website Host Important?

The role of your web host is to maintain a stable and secure storage space for your online assets. Without a host, you simply wouldn’t be able to have an online presence.

Hosts work by storing your website data on hardware called web servers. This then provides the middle ground between your developer or website designer at the back end and your online users.

Choosing a good quality website host is important to ensure your business works efficiently, securely and quickly.

3 Website Hosting Mistakes to Avoid

Here are the three most common mistakes that people make when choosing their website host. When you’re looking for a provider, take care not to overlook these things.

Your Domain Name and Your Web Host Are With the Same Company

We often hear the phrase, don’t put all your eggs in one basket, this is the case for choosing a web host. You want to diversify the providers you use. This is important for spreading the risk across many companies.

Using the same company for host and domain names can cause a problem. This could be if they were to face hacking or bankruptcy. Your entire site would go down, leaving you very few options.

You’ll often see this written in every list of website hosting tips. They will all say, you want to have your host with one company, and your domain registrar with another. This spreads the risk factor. If there is a problem with your host, then you will be able to switch the DNS server of your domain instantly and avoid the risk of downtime.

Not Checking the Quality of the Host’s Customer Service

A great way to find out the performance of a hosting package is to read reviews. They might have fast servers, but if their customer service is lax, it’s just going to be frustrating if you have an issue with your site.

Some hosts only provide a ticketing system where you have to submit a problem and then they will email you back. This can be tedious and incredibly frustrating if you have an urgent issue. The same goes for web hosting companies serviced by chatbot portals.

Look for a company that offers excellent customer service included in the price. Before you sign up for a company, explore the different ways you can access help if you need it. It’s also worth looking at review sites like Trustpilot to see what existing customers think of their service.

Key Things to Look For on Review Sites

  • Poor levels of customer service and people often complaining about it
  • Slow loading speeds for sites hosted with the company
  • Recurrent and frequent downtime and site crashes
  • Security issues that people have with the host

Another thing to look for in a good customer experience is the support times. It might be 24/7 manned support, or limited to office hours. It’s also worth finding out the ways you can access the help team, there might be various methods like over the phone, via a chat service or by email. Some sites will also have plenty of help pages, and even customer answer forums for common problems.

Before you invest in the host, put their customer support to the test. Think of a question about hosting, and see how efficiently and effectively they respond.

Not Reading the T’s & C’s

Hosting companies will draw you in with irresistible offers, options and free or discounted bolt-on services. Don’t be tempted until you’ve delved into their terms and conditions. The hosting provider won’t make it obvious. They won’t tell you what the limitations and restrictions are, it will be down to you to go through their site and read what they are. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

Things to Check In Your Hosting Terms and Conditions

  • The amount of bandwidth you’re entitled to use: This is one of the main deceptive factors that draw new customers in. Often the phrase ‘unlimited bandwidth’ is used, yet, it is not usually unlimited and there are restrictions in place. What seemed like a good deal at first often comes back to sting you as your site reaches the bandwidth limit. Your site speed and efficiency are often comprised unless you buy a higher bolt-on package.
  • You Can Install Your Software. The host may have in their terms that you can not instal certain pieces of software or have no options for many POP accounts
  • Site Security. Your site will need an SSL certificate. This is a bit of code located on your web server and ensures that your site is secure by forming an encrypted connection. Some hosts provide an SSL certificate as part of their package. Sometimes you might get it with your domain registrar and other times you have to purchase it as a stand-alone item. You need one, so it’s useful to know if it will be provided as part of a hosting package or not
  • Server Location. Hosts don’t usually make it obvious where their servers are based. This is important, particularly if you have a main audience based in the USA for example and have a server based in India. This will slow down the speed of your site. It’s important to check where the server your host uses is based

How’s Your Hosting?

JW Host is a lightning-fast UK-based website hosting provider. Perks of using JW Host include live chat and ticket support. No more speaking to bots and trying to get a logical straightforward answer to your problems. Our knowledgable support teams are UK and in-house based.

Our service is perfectly aimed at busy professionals and entrepreneurs. We cater for everyone who needs a speedy site loading speed and guaranteed uptime. Our web hosting control panel is clean, simple and user-friendly. We offer a multitude of great value plans to suit every sized business.

Speak to a member of our team today to learn more.