If you’ve been a visitor to our site for a while, you might remember our guide to the basics of blogging. It goes through all the things you need to think about if you want a successful blog, and there are some great tips in there, too. But, there’s also a lot to do before you even start your blog. In today’s guide, we’re going to go through one of the most important parts of arranging the nuts and bolts of your blog – choosing the right web host.
Why does it matter?
There are several reasons why choosing the right website is vital to your blog. First of all, the better quality of host you use, the less downtime you will experience. Low-quality hosts tend to have servers that go down a lot. This means fewer people were visiting your blog, and, less potential for making money. It’s also a turn-off for your audience. People expect fast page load times these days, and poor quality hosts can impact the speed of your website. They are also less secure, and your visitors will be far more likely to leave if they suspect an insecure site.
Work out your needs
So, the first step in choosing a web host is to work out what you need. Do you expect a lot of visits in your first year, for example? Probably not – but you may need some flexibility to scale your server space up if things go well. In this case, you should think about a host that offers a dedicated server space, rather than a shared server. While sharing server space with other companies is cheaper, it can often limit your visitors at busy times of the day.
Read reviews
The next step is to take a look at reviews of web hosts to see if you can find a suitable option. Once you start looking, it will become obvious who the good companies are, and you should be able to avoid the poor quality hosts. Once you get a shortlist together, look into each company in greater depth. You might find some relevant information that will save you a lot of hassle. For example, this review highlights a problem with Arvixe hosting – which you might not have seen otherwise. Robust research – done with a fine toothcomb – will bring you the best results.
Check for services
All web hosts offer different types of service, so think carefully about what is on your ‘needs list’. There are a few important things to consider. First of all, what is the company’s customer support like? If it’s anything less than 24/7, it might be worth looking elsewhere. You should also look at uptime and downtime figures as both will have an impact on your visitor numbers. All web hosts will experience problems days, of course. But, it’s vital you know how well they deal with those problems – and how quickly.
OK, so there you have it – some of the basics you need to know about choosing a web host. Don’t underestimate this important part of starting a blog. Choose a bad service and you could be tied into a contract for two years. That’s a long time in business – especially if they don’t give you what you need.
