What is Web Hosting & how is it important for your jewellery business? Read this blog to know more.
What is Web Hosting?
Think of it this way – your jewellery website is like a book that needs to be put in a place where it can be accessed by people in general. A server acts like a library that holds your website like a book, making it available for use by the public in the library [in this case, people on the internet]. This act of storing a website to make it open for use by others is referred to as ‘web hosting’.
Your ‘web host’ or ‘hosting provider’ is the company that owns and maintains the server that hosts your site. In addition, these companies often provide helpful resources, support, and services like domain registration and custom email addresses.
There are over 260 web hosting platforms all over the world, and it can be quite a daunting task to choose the pricing plans, support and features that each of them offers. Each online jewellery website needs web hosting to go online, so finding the most suitable one is crucial to optimize performance and allow your eCommerce brand to reach more people. Choosing the wrong web host may lead you to lose repeat website visitors or affect your site’s ability to expand.
Ideally, you might just save yourself the trouble of learning more about web hosting and choose one of the more expensive plans available but trust us, you don’t really need one of them unless your website attracts huge amounts of traffic.
To help narrow down your choices, we will explain five simple steps for finding the right hosting provider for your site. This blog shall also share some best practices and elements to consider when looking for a suitable web host.
- Understand your website needs: Determine the website type and purpose. What is the scope of the project that you need the website for? For example, a blog needs different features than an online store. You can then estimate the traffic, decide on the features and ensure the security of your website according to your available budget.
- Research and compare hosting providers. When comparing different hosting providers, make sure to check their legitimacy. In-depth research is essential to avoid getting scammed, as not all hosting providers offer reliable service. To check the reliability of one, try:
- Checking the reviews of each provider
- Looking for a money-back guarantee or try a free-trial option if there is one
- Contacting customer support to see how truly responsive they are
You can also try using Sitechecker. Simply copy and paste the domain of a website you like, and Sitechecker will reveal its hosting provider.
- Check the key features. Research the features that the web hosting company offers, especially for security and performance. You may try looking up the following:
- Data centres: Choose a web host with multiple server locations worldwide
- Domain name: Your website domain name is essential, and you might want to check if your web host offers domain name registration with their hosting plans to simplify the website-building process.
- Email: Having a custom email goes a long way in boosting credibility for your eCommerce jewellery store.
- Look for dedicated support. Choose a web host that offers support 24/7 to ensure that you can get help right away in case of any issues. Before selecting a web host, ensure the company offers multiple support options. Even though there are various types of support services, here are the main ones to look for in a web host:
- Check if they offer a live chat option. Live chats are great for getting in touch with your web host swiftly
- Emails are also a great option that lets you solve non-urgent queries and issues
- You can even go a step further and look for a web host that allows you to get in touch via phone calls.
- Some web hosts also have a Frequently Asked Questions section that can help you get clarity and maybe save you the time of getting in touch with the web host.
- Another characteristic of a reliable web host is providing industry-related tutorials and blog posts. This is great for people who like to learn and solve issues independently.
Every web host offers various plans for different services, so make sure to do your research before choosing the right hosting plan for your website. Consider the price, storage, bandwidth, and features. Additionally, check whether they offer unmanaged or managed hosting. There are also different types of hosting services available, and each one has its own benefits and downsides. We hope this helps out as you choose the web hosting service perfect for your jewellery business!
