There are 5 hosting facts every blogger should know, but which are easy to overlook if you are a newcomer to the blogosphere.
One of the first steps you need to take when building a blog is to register and host your very own domain. However, many newbies breeze through this process and overlook the importance of choosing a quality web host.
Keep in mind that web hosting plays a significant role in building a successful site. It is understandable that bloggers want to pour their attention into design and content. But without a reliable host, you could be compromising the entire experience for your audience, harming your success as a blogger.
If you are new to blogging, then you should know that the first rule to online success is every decision matters. Your domain name, keywords, and hosting solution – everything can have a significant impact in the long run. When it comes to web hosting, here are the fundamental facts that you need to know.
1) Site Speed
Site loading speed is vital to the user experience. People want information fast, and they get annoyed easily with a slow website. If you want to ensure consistent loading speeds, then you should rely on a quality web host with capable hardware that will not choke under a heavy load. You should always check and compare the hardware specifications of different web hosting solutions before making a decision.
For new blogs that don’t have much traffic, a shared hosting solution can do the job quite well. Once your site begins to gain traffic, you should consider scaling up to a VPS or a dedicated hosting plan. You also need to check if a host can live up to its promises. Use a tool like Pingdom Website Speed Test to evaluate your site’s speed from time to time.
For more ideas on how you can improve your site even more, refer to this post at MakeaWebsiteHub.com. It discusses additional tools that can help you with other factors you need to consider, such as analyzing site performance and choosing the right theme for your blog.
2) Uptime
In addition to a slow website, crashes and downtimes can also negatively impact user experience. These problems may arise due to coding issues and faults on the server’s end. However, even the best web hosting companies cannot guarantee a 100% uptime. Instead, they only offer up to 99.9% guarantees, which is the highest level of certainty you can hope to find.
Don’t worry – there’s another way to ensure you’ll always be there when your audience needs you. When choosing a web hosting provider, look for authentic customer feedback and sign up for only a single month at a time. That way you can evaluate the actual uptime dependability of a host with a tool like Host-Tracker. If the host performs below expectations, you can quickly switch to a different, more reliable web host.
3) Control Panel
Every web host comes with a control panel that enables site owners to manage their backend. However, some web hosts have control panels whose interface and functionality are dated. For blogging newbies, it is best to opt for web hosts with a modernized control panel for better ease of use and learnability.
For example, cPanel offers a simplified and organized interface that’s easy to understand. It lets you manage your databases, email accounts, files, and app integrations without worrying about accidentally breaking anything. The host also comes with server monitoring tools that cover resource utilization, configurations, and security to help you protect the integrity of your backend.
4) Customer Support
If you are new to building websites, it’s only natural for you to have some issues with setting up your site. In fact, you might have plenty of questions even if it is not your first time building a site. Therefore, you should always consider the competence of a hosting company’s customer service.
Remember that managing a website is a huge responsibility. Sometimes, problems with your backend arise at the most inconvenient times, so a customer service that always has your back is a wonderful resource. When choosing a web host, don’t hesitate to contact its customer service and make your inquiries firsthand.
5) Security
Running a blog is a huge investment. It involves countless hours writing content and promoting your posts in various channels, not to mention the time you initially spend setting the blog up. You also devote a significant amount of money to tools, SEO, and additional web design. With the rise of identity thieves, DDoS attacks, malware, and other digital threats, you need to have the proper security to protect all of your hard work.
While there are plenty of security options available for Content Management Systems, it is important to choose a web host that implements a high level of protection. When making an inquiry through a company’s customer service, don’t forget to ask about their safety protocols. You can refer to Naked Security’s white paper about web hosting security for educated questions that can help you make the best decision.
Conclusion
Successful blogging requires you to lay a solid foundation for your website, and web hosting is a essential part of that foundation. By learning these 5 hosting facts, you are one step closer to making the best decisions for the future of your blog.