There is a lot of freedom that comes with hosting your own website. Rather than having to agree to lengthy terms of services before you’re allowed to post your content using other business platforms, hosting your own website can be an attractive alternative for those who prefer a little more control. However, choosing the right provider can be challenging as there’s almost too much choice, and some hosts are far better than others.

How do you go about finding a great plan?

1. What may work for one person, may not work for another

The first thing you need to do when you start your search for the best web hosting plan is make a list of the features you need that will help you achieve your goal. If you are planning to host an e-commerce site, then you may want to check that the hosting plan comes with merchant features that will help you conduct your sales. If you want to start a blog, then maybe a plan that has WordPress integration might be more your thing. Without knowing what features you need, your hosting plan search will fall flat before it has even begun.

2. Sometimes you get what you pay for

We are always on the lookout for a great deal, and searching for a web hosting plan is no different. However, you have to be careful. Sometimes, finding the lowest priced plan means that you have to forgo a lot of features, and in the long run that can mean the difference between success and failure. Each web host will have a list of features that are included in their pricing plans, so all you need to do is be diligent with selecting the best quality plan to fit your needs.

3. Read the reviews

Before you buy anything online, you read the reviews, right? The same principle applies to finding a great web hosting plan. Reviews will give you the best idea of how well a web host will treat you. Make sure you pay special note to anything negative that people have to say, as this will show you the worst case scenarios that are possible. Some sites, such as MangoMatter, have done the hard work for you and review a number of the larger web hosts and their plans. With a little time and effort, you’ll find the right web host for you.

4. Great tech support will have a huge impact

Let’s face it – sooner or later you are going to run into some problems with your web hosting. Whether or not you have a decent tech support team available to you will determine how much downtime you potentially have to face. Some web hosts will have 24/7 tech support, but others might have email only tech support with a three day turnaround. Make sure you read client reviews in order to determine whether a web host has the resources to solve your issues before they cause you problems.

5. Security is key

The last thing you need is a security breach, or to lose all your data. These sorts of issues can happen to even the biggest corporation – no one is immune! Your best protection against issues like this is to make sure your host has a good reputation with security, and that your hosting plan includes security essentials such as daily backups, SSL certificates and anti-malware add-ons. Without these things, you never know what’s going to happen.

Finding the perfect web hosting plan for you doesn’t have to be difficult. Taking the time to really think about what you need to make your business work will help prepare you for your online journey, and will ensure you find the right hosting plan for you. Don’t be scared to contact each hosting provider on your shortlist in order to get an idea of how supported you’ll be as a user, and you’ll be sure to have a successful website in no time.