When you are running a small business, it is all the more important to have a strong online presence. Unlike major chains, you do not have the extravagant budget for large advertising and marketing campaigns. In fact, money is a limited resource so you should be using it wisely.
Hence, it becomes even more important to find an extremely reliable service provider amongst the range of web hosting services. It is important to strike a balance between the services that are easy on the pocket while delivering the whole package. It is imperative that you should check out all the specifications offered by each web hosting service provider before you make your pick. However, with the number of options available all around, it can be rather confusing to reach a decision.
If you are a newbie with a very basic understanding of web hosting, then you have come to the right place! Here are some of the top web hosting options suited for small businesses like yours!
HostGator
HostGator offers a holistic package on cloud-based web hosting services that are a bang for their buck. Cloud hosting allows the website host to create mirror copies and store it over multiple devices for data protection, increased redundancy, and high reponsiveness. In the event of a hardware failure, the website is instantly transferred to a different server, thereby ensuring no downtime.
It has various customized plans, which are primarily aimed at small and medium businesses and enterprises. Hence, needless to say, it is a perfect match for your needs. The business-centric plans available on HostGator deliver unlimited storage and bandwidth, private Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate, and even a toll-free number! Additionally, your website gets access to a fixed level of resources required to optimally run the system.
Along with the nominal pricing, you can opt for additional features and extras that will act as value addition to your website. For example, CodeGuard offers daily backup to ensure data security and to prevent data loss. On the other hand, SiteLock is responsible for periodically scanning your website and detecting any malware. These add-ons are reasonably priced when compared to the functionality that it offers.
HostGator has a simple user interface to allow even beginners to find their footing. Finally, what really gives HostGator an edge is the impressive uptime of 99.99%. Ultimately, it is all about the reliability and HostGator understands that. The web hosting service provider promises a refund of one month’s bill if your website is to face any downtime. Thus, it does not come as a surprise that over the years, HostGator has consistently been the best hosting service provider amongst all of its competitors.
Amazon AWS
Even though Amazon has been around for decades, its web hosting services are a fairly new offering. Nevertheless, a number of startups and nascent businesses are making use of Amazon’s AWS to establish an online presence. Along with the hosting services, it offers an armory of tools for building and designing your website.
The key highlight of Amazon AWS is the high degree of flexibility to customize websites. In addition to its built-in tools, AWS offers third-party applications and widgets that will allow you to have a truly unique setup. The complete Amazon infrastructure is capable of handling high demands without compromising on the reliability. Amazon delivers high uptime, which is the cornerstone of running a thriving website.
In terms of pricing, Amazon AWS provides variable pricing to suit your needs. You could opt to pay per hour or per month or per year! It may not be the cheapest option available but it sure does pay for itself. The bundled features and services that come with the account are truly a plus.
Most importantly, Amazon AWS has a highly responsive and expansive customer support network to help you at each step of the way. Whether you seek tutorials or templates – everything is readily available at your fingertips for your assistance. Thus, it completely eliminates the need to have the requisite technical know-how to publish your own website!
DreamHost
Since small businesses cannot afford dedicated hosting, it is essential to find a suitable shared hosting. DreamHost offers precisely that without upsetting your budget. The unlimited bandwidth, MySQL databases, and emails make it truly ideal for professional website hosting. Whether you are making use of WordPress or Virtual Private Server (VPS), DreamHost is compatible across the various flavors.
What really sets DreamHost apart from its competitors is the strong safety and security features offered. A DreamHost account comes with a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certification, which will ensure the security of your website and add a layer of protection for the visitors. Apart from the monthly plans, each DreamHost hosting plan offers a free domain name along with client privacy protection. Without such a handy feature, you are bound to be hounded by scammers and website designers who would request for administrative access to your website!
The pricing structure is quite flexible and the price drops as the duration of the service subscription increases. Interestingly, to encourage the users to switch to longer terms, DreamHost offers a money guarantee for a whopping 97 days! This gives you enough time to test our their products and also speaks volumes about the exceptional customer services.
Not ideal for newbies, DreamHost is best suited for those who know what they are doing. Nonetheless, novices can make use of the simple DreamHost Remixer to build websites. DreamHost also extends Cloud Hosting services in case your website has greater server requirements.
These three shortlisted hosters offer top-notch web hosting services, especially for small businesses. This list will give you some idea and clarity on what you can expect from web hosting platforms. You can then base your decision depending on the specific requirements of your business.