When tech isn’t your specialty as a business owner, it can be tough to make the best choices. Your business doesn’t just need a website, it needs good web hosting, tech support, security encryptions, and that’s just back-end stuff. Luckily, some services can help you get everything you need in one place. First, let’s go through the basics of web hosting for local businesses so you know what you’re looking for.
Why Does My Business Need Web Hosting?
In short, every website out there has to be hosted somewhere. Web hosting is when companies store, serve and maintain files for a company’s website. Think about it this way: when you create a website, that information has to be broadcast to the public. Web hosting companies take your site and publish it, store the files, and make sure it can handle a certain amount of traffic.
There are differences in web hosting companies. Some will be simple and cheap, allowing you to create your own website using an automated tool and publish it. This is great for a personal site, blog, or portfolio, but when it comes to your business, basic web hosting may not be enough. You’ll want to ensure your website can be updated as necessary, traffic doesn’t crash the site, and receive help when there’s a bug or crash.
Web Hosting Basics for the Small Business Owner
There are a few things you should look for when getting a website made, especially if you’re using an automatic tool to build your site. Most design companies and marketing companies that build websites already have these basics – and so do these building tools, like Wix. The difference is going to be in quality and functionality.
- FTP access (File Transfer Protocol) – You can access and move the information in the back end to another server if you need to. So if you use an automated website builder and want a new, upgraded site hosted elsewhere, you’ll have to start from scratch because you can’t move your site’s info.
- Storage space – Storage space on a site means having room for all the pages you need. Most site builders will offer a basic amount of storage space, you may pay to get more, but it may be inadequate for small businesses that operate online and have pages for each product they sell, etc. You’re limited in the amount of info and pages you can have with most site builders.
- Bandwidth – Refers to the maximum amount of data you can move around during a period. So if your website suddenly goes viral and you get a lot of traffic trying to shop, the bandwidth may not be able to handle it, and the site will crash. On the other hand, popular sites go with companies that can handle the bandwidth and traffic.
- Uptime – This is the amount of time the site functions as it is supposed to (as opposed to downtime). If a designer or building tool can boast that their uptime is 99.9%, that’s excellent.
- Security – Security on a site happens in a few ways. You want to make sure your pages are encrypted, especially if you have clients putting down their personal information on certain pages. There must be SSL encryptions and other protections for stores, and any business pages where clients would enter financial info. Security also can mean that your site is protected (as much as possible) from hackers and cyber attacks.
- Site Backup – If your website goes down for any reason, any good developer will have all of your site’s info backed up so that your website can go back online quickly.
If you require website hosting services, or even a consultation on how professional web hosting can help your site, call Advanté-BCS at 804-788-0048 or contact us online. Our friendly experts are here to answer all your questions and are ready to get your new, optimized, small business website up and running.
