Key factors when considering a web host
When you have a new website in mind, its easy to overlook the importance of using a good web host to actually load your website onto. There are many hosts available to choose from, some offer hosting only, while offers offer much more, including domain name registration. Here are some key factors to consider when looking at which host to choose:
- Is there a bandwidth limit?
- Is there a limit to the number of email accounts?
- If you are in the UK, will your server be UK based?
- Do they offer 24/7 support?
- Do they provide regular automated backup?
- Do they offer a one-click install for CMS & other systems?
Site speed and its effect on organic SEO
Many SEOs have the opinion that site speed influences organic listings in some way. Not too long ago, over on the webmaster central blog there was a post about site loading speed as a flag within search ranking given by Matt Cutts which goes into detail. Although the impact is small, you want to do everything you can to ensure you are being listed optimally within Google listings.
If you want to make your website load as fast as possible, you should make sure that your host is based in the UK and that it has fast servers. Look into reviews and do some research before choosing the host for your website. We recommend https://www.vidahost.com as they offer great, fast hosting at affordable prices; however you could also consider comapnies like www.heartinternet.co.uk
You can also help with site loading times by installing plugins within your CMS that may help with a small speed increase.
What are one-click install CGI scripts?
Some hosts offer one click installs for the popular CMS systems, e-commerce systems and blogging platforms. If you are going to be installing your CMS yourself, it will save you a lot of time to use the one click install option rather than having to use FTP software and manually transfer the files over from your PC to the web server. The scripts are user friendly ways to install some of the most popular software onto web servers.
Which hosting account is best?
If you are going to be hosting more than one website eventually, it may be worth considering using a reseller package that can host multiple websites and even host other peoples websites if friends or business partners will be eventually looking for website hosting. Some of the more expensive hosts offer useful additional features such as the ability to lock the FTP after a specified amount of time, limit FTP access to certain IP addresses and much more which increases website security.
If you are an individual that is looking for very cheap hosting for a small project on a tight budget, you could consider a host such as www.one.com to get you more familiar with FTP and hosting in general if you are new to it. Although you may not get speeds or the perks that come with other hosts, it will give you some experience with hosting your website and experimenting with plugins to improve site performance.
If you have any other questions relating to hosting, drop us a message below:
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