Top 10 Tested by our Experts

How Do I Select a Web Host?

Before selecting a web host for your website, several key factors must be considered to determine whether the provider is good. These factors can help you choose the right web hosting service that meets your performance and hosting needs.

We will discuss the factors so you can better understand what you should look out for.

Pricing

Budget is a crucial factor when users select a web hosting plan. You might prefer the high performance of a dedicated server, but your budget may only allow for shared or VPS hosting.

Before choosing any plan, it’s essential to decide whether price or performance is more important. If performance is a priority, as it is for many website owners, you’ll need to assess the server resources required to support your site and the quality of features available.

If price is a major factor, you need to weigh it against the resources you will get or the quality of performance the plan offers.

Also, the overall value of the hosting plan can guide you in selecting a top web hosting service. For instance, many providers offer their best features, such as discounts, free domains, website builders, and optimization tools, in their premium plans with long-term commitments.

If you choose a shared web hosting plan, you can expect initial monthly costs ranging from $3 to $30, depending on your chosen plan. These low prices are often available only with long-term commitments, ranging from one to four years. In contrast, month-to-month plans with most hosting providers typically cost between $10 and $50 per month.

Some providers offer their WordPress hosting plans at the same price as their shared web hosting plans, although in some cases, the cost for WordPress hosting may be slightly higher.

Finally, VPS and dedicated servers provide superior performance and are more expensive. They are recommended for resource-intensive projects such as large eCommerce stores, web apps, or online gaming servers. If your site is small or medium-sized, you can start with shared web hosting and upgrade as your traffic grows and your needs increase.

Speed and Optimization

A slow website can drive away visitors and reduce conversion rates. Therefore, choosing a top-notch hosting provider that can guarantee fast website speeds is important. Ideally, your website should load within 1-2 seconds, achievable only with a reliable web hosting service.

The first step in optimizing your site is choosing a web host with a fast web server. The LiteSpeed web server is faster than Apache and Nginx combined.

Apache is the oldest and most used web server, while Nginx is a newer and faster server software than Apache. Apache is widely used because it is free.

However, the LiteSpeed web server is not free but a drop-in replacement for Apache. It is lightweight and can serve static content better, resulting in better performance and security.

Furthermore, most web hosting providers have data centers located in strategic locations worldwide. Hosting your website in a data center near your audience reduces latency, leading to faster page loads, better user experience, and SEO results.

Another optimization feature web hosts use is the content delivery network (CDN). A version of your site data is distributed on multiple servers, delivering content to users based on their request location. This reduces web page loading latency and creates faster response times.

When selecting a web host, it’s important to choose one that uses the best optimization technology tailored to your site’s specific needs.

Uptime Guarantee

Uptime is the time your website is available and functioning properly online. Most web hosting providers will promise a 99.9% uptime guarantee, allowing 8.76 hours of downtime annually to carry out updates and infrastructure maintenance.

Hence, a top web hosting provider must be able to maintain their uptime guarantee, as downtime can be bad for most business websites.

• Before choosing the web host, use third-party services to check the uptime of the host’s own website or other websites hosted by the provider.
• You can also seek advice from web hosting professionals who have tested the web host’s uptime reliability to get the performance results.
• Another way is to read reviews and testimonials about such web host or use their trial period to test their uptime, if available.

These steps can help you make an informed decision when selecting a web hosting service for your website.

Security Features

Security is non-negotiable when selecting the best web hosting service. Most websites collect sensitive information from their customers through contact forms or online sales. This is where SSL certificates come in.

SSL certificates create an encrypted connection between the web server and the browser to prevent third parties from gaining access. They improve security by preventing malicious attacks and establishing trust with your customers. You’ll know SSL is in place when you see a padlock icon in the address bar, and the URL starts with HTTPS.

Other key security features include malware scanning to find and remove malware and web application firewall filters and monitor HTTP traffic to and from your website. What’s more, Anti DDoS protection protects a targeted server or network from DDoS attacks, which might affect the availability of a website or application.

Backup is another security feature you should look for when choosing a web host. Depending on your chosen plan, some web hosts offer daily or weekly backups. This automatically saves a copy of your website files, allowing you to restore it if any issue occurs.

Customer Support

Customer support is an extension of a web hosting service. The best web hosting providers must have knowledgeable and experienced staff who can quickly provide guidance about any issue. You should be able to contact your web host’s customer support via live chat, phone, email, or ticket system and get a response in at least 2 minutes.

Also, choose a web host that offers easy setup, allowing you to create an account and set up your website by following an onboarding process. Lastly, ensure the host has a knowledgebase where you can quickly search for helpful articles and guides about a hosting topic.

The Best Web Hosting Services: Final Thoughts

We’ve made choosing your next web host simple. Our top 10 web hosting services will eliminate the hassle of finding the best host for your website.

We selected them only after testing their services and checking for relevant factors like performance, security, customer support, speed, and uptime.

Having reviewed some of the best web hosting services available, you must now select one that aligns with your specific needs. First, clarify what kind of website you want to create, understand the resources required, and consider the features each host offers for optimum performance.

Finally, factor in the cost to ensure it fits within your budget. By carefully evaluating each provider that deserves to be among the top picks, you can choose which web hosting service best suits your project.

Visit Hostinger

Frequently Asked Questions

If you still have questions after reading our guide on the best web hosting for a website, we recommend reading the following.

Which Web Hosting Provider is the best and why?

Hostinger is the #1 rated hosting provider and is often preferred for its affordability, rich features, and faster loading speeds.

How do I choose a web hosting plan?

Go to your web hosting provider’s website, choose the type of web hosting, and plan that aligns with your website’s size, traffic expectations, and specific features like security and performance.

Which is better, GoDaddy or Hostinger?

Hostinger is better than GoDaddy because it offers more affordable plans that focus on performance and ease of use.

What are the 4 types of web hosting?

There are four types of web hosting: shared, cloud, VPS (Virtual Private Server), and dedicated hosting.

How much does it cost to host a website?

The cost depends on your chosen host, the hosting package, and the commitment period. On average, you can expect to pay less than $5 per month for basic shared hosting to start a new website.