Important Considerations for Small Business Web Hosting

Deciding on web hosting and a provider can be a daunting task, especially if you are a small business owner or a start-up and hosting your very first website. Even if you have been in business for years, and are looking to move away from a traditional server and replace your current host, venturing out and looking for web hosting can seem overwhelming. There are a lot of providers to choose from but, rest assured, knowing how to sort through the number of hosting providers is half the battle. In this blog we will review the different types of hosting options and what to consider when selecting small business web hosting.

The first step in determining the best small business web hosting solution is to become familiar with the different types of hosting out there, as well as become aware of how each will complement the needs of your small business. Let’s start by examining each of the different hosting options – shared hosting, dedicated hosting and virtual private server (VPS) – and the differences between each.

Which Small Business Web Hosting Solution Is Best for You?

As a small business, you should consider shared, dedicated and a virtual private server (VPS) for your hosting needs.

Shared Hosting

Shared Hosting is where many websites reside on one web server connected to the Internet. This is the most economical option for hosting, as the overall cost of server maintenance is amortized over many customers.

Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated Hosting is where the client leases an entire server and it is not shared with anyone else. This is more flexible than shared hosting, as an organization will have full control over the server(s), including choice of operating system, hardware, etc.

Virtual Private Server

Virtual Private Server, or VPS, is a type of dedicated hosting in which a virtual private server runs its own copy of an operating system, and customers have user-level access to that operating system, allowing them to install almost any software that runs on that operating system. The functionality is similar to dedicated hosting but the software component makes it easier for it to be configured by the user.

There are pros and cons to each of the above scenarios, but which one is best for you will be determined by the needs of your business. For a small business, shared hosting can be economical, but can negatively impact the performance of your website. If you are sharing server resources with other businesses, you are unfortunately at the mercy of these other websites. You won’t have this problem with dedicated hosting; however, leasing an entire server can be quite costly, especially for a small business.

How Do You Determine the Best Solution for Your Small Business?

If you don’t have the luxury of internal IT resources, nor the expertise to help determine your hosting strategy, you may be unaware of what type of hosting will work best for your business. Will a shared, dedicated or VPS solution work best for your small business web hosting? If you are unsure, it’s time to search for a hosting provider that can help you with this important decision.

Tips to Consider When Selecting a Host

A hosting provider should be more than just a vendor, but a partner who can help you to decide what solution will be best for your business. Your hosting provider should be an extension of your IT department and that’s why it’s important that you do the due diligence when selecting one. Especially for a small business, if you don’t have the IT expertise, you will want a partner who can provide this insight for you. What should you look for when selecting a small business web hosting provider?

• Scalable: Make sure your hosting provider has the capacity to grow with your needs.
• Customer Service: Check their customer service levels – will they answer your calls in the middle of the night? Make sure they provide 24/7 service.
• Uptime: Ensure that they provide 100% uptime – if they don’t, find another provider that will.
• Security: Check the provider’s reputation for security. How have their other customers faired? Check out their online reviews.
• Cost: How do they compare in relation to other providers? Remember, you get what you pay for.
• Location: How close is your VPS to your target audience?

Regardless of which option you choose, clarity with your provider is always important. Make sure you clearly specify with the potential hosting provider what responsibilities each party will take. For example, who will install the software and who will monitor security. Especially for small businesses with limited resources, you want to make sure that your provider can assist you in areas where you don’t have the resources to do so.

Small Business Web Hosting With StudioCoast

Since 2002, StudioCoast has been providing exceptional customer service and technical know-how to clients. StudioCoast is dedicated to innovation and providing small businesses with managed VPS hosting services to deliver industry leading performance at an affordable price. If you would like more information on how StudioCoast can get your small business started with a Hyper Windows VPS solution, contact us today.