What to consider when choosing a web hosting service

Investing in a website for your eCommerce business is no longer an option but a necessity in today’s environment. The online availability of your site is solely dependent on the web-hosting provider, so choosing the right hosting service has become a critical decision for many business owners. To help lighten the burden, here are three crucial factors to look out for when selecting a hosting service.

1. Reliability and performance

Does the host have a good uptime score to guarantee site availability at all times? You cannot afford even a minute of downtime on an eCommerce site. The site’s loading speed and performance also have to be within acceptable levels for smooth accessibility and usability of all its resources and features. This means the provision of adequate bandwidth, memory and processing power. Downtime and poor performance does not only affect the user experience and site’s availability, but it also takes a heavy toll on your SEO ranking.

Look for hosts with an uptime score of 99% and above and with multiple backup locations.

2. Account limitations and scalability

Entrust your site to a host that can provide the necessary infrastructure that your online enterprise requires. Pay close attention to the fine details dictating the hosting agreement and gauge if it is the right fit. Some hosts may cap CPU, bandwidth, memory, and network usage under a system of discriminatory hosting packages. Also, look at the scalability and flexibility that the host allows for your site – things such as extra add-ons, scripts, additional domains, email services and so on. You may need to consult an IT expert to make sure you get a practical and scalable hosting package for your site.

3. Cost

The cost of hosting is an important consideration, especially for a sizeable resource-intensive website. There is little room to make compromises on hosting requirements, so the only way to get a good deal on a hosting plan is to work out exactly what you need, and then shop around for best value for your money. Be on the lookout for hidden or extra charges and discounts. You could also explore shared hosting, which is a cost-effective hosting plan for small websites.

At Excalibur Digital, we provide affordable and reliable hosting services for eCommerce websites. We also offer a variety of web analytic tools and bespoke web development. Get in touch with us for more information.