Not All Hosting is Created Equal

Hosting, basically, is how your site is connected to the net. Regardless of the type of hosting solution that you choose, a website cannot be visible on the internet without hosting.

Consequently, it makes this piece of the online puzzle very important, if not crucial to the ultimate success of your own business online presence.

Incredibly, everywhere you look there are outstanding offers for monthly hosting plans, dedicated servers, virtual private servers (VPS) and now Cloud.

While at the outset server pricing may seem extremely varied, the old adage that “You get what you pay for” often holds true when it comes to hosting.

Because selling web space is a hugely competitive marketplace, the actual companies and the resellers are selling packages for next to nothing. However, beware, those bargain basement prices can be detrimental to your business, which is something we have heard time and time again, from clients who move to us. Unfortunate tales of server crashes, massive downtime, no mail, security hacked, etc. – the list is endless …

A brief look into a few of the many pitfalls, when purchasing from poorly run hosting providers:

Speed – Google has clearly and specifically stated for some time now that loading times are key issues when ranking a website. Shared hosting often causes issues for busy sites, since customers are vying for space and bandwidth. Your site is flagged as being too slow or inactive when the bots come around, and your potential customers leave because they are not interested in waiting for your pages to load. Either way, you are losing precious leads and sales, not to mention credibility.

Security – Another very important factor when choosing hosting. For example, do you know how many staff members have access to your files? Are the staff on-site where they are monitored or are they working out of closets in their homes? Whether you are buying a small amount of space or are a major corporate client, the server on which your website resides needs to be both secure and current in upgrades, constantly.

Performance – Often, when you review the features that the hosting providers offer, it looks like you are getting quite a lot, but sometimes, there are functions that you need but that particular server is not able to complete the function. Likewise, the software may be old and the company does not spend the money to upgrade. You are left with hosting that is running out-dated software, causing potential security issues and ill-equipped to handle your business.

Support – You also have to think very seriously about the level of professional support that you receive/need. For example, can your business survive a day, or more, of downtime until a 3rd. level moderator tries to help you fix the problem, before passing on to someone who is actually able to help you? Or does even just the thought of this give you chills down your spine thinking in terms of lost revenue, new leads, etc. for your business with each minute that passes?

Your Business Is, After All, The Key to Your Livelihood. Would You Simply Trust It to Anyone?

It is important to understand that your hosting service is at least as important as your actual frontend website. Hosting is the backbone that connects your entire online venture. Without proper security, maintenance and adequate resources, your hosting can – and will – cost you money in lost sales and lost customers due to downtime, non-functioning features, hardware failures, poor database connectivity, database timeouts, blackout periods, and many other negative performance issues.

Because we administrate our own servers, we are very aware of the need for top level security, optimal performance and updated systems and licenses. Our livelihood depends on our servers, and as a client of ours, you are naturally afforded the same rights and privileges.

We Treat and Protect Your Websites as Cautiously and Securely as We Treat Our Own. Always.

In addition, we do not lock you into lengthy contracts, nor do we charge extra for common services that are a part of our own business. In other words, we buy new licenses whether our clients need them or not. We need the updated systems, so they are part and parcel of our hosting services and regular maintenance. Our clients benefit from the security procedures and protocols that we put into place for our own websites. And our hosting clients can take full advantage of all the features and functions of our servers and website security, at no extra charge.

Further, should you ever decide to move away from our server, we will pack up your files and database and provide you with everything in a nicely zipped up file which you can subsequently use to install your website elsewhere. Although we highly recommend it, you are not obligated to use our hosting services simply because we created your site and/or maintain it for you. In most instances, we will gladly set it up for you in the new location of your choice.

What is particularly important to know when you employ our services and/or hosting is that nothing we build is dependent on third-party scripts and code. Your website’s functionality and performance does not depend on our specific equipment or software. Your site is server independent and not tied into anything else. So, the option remains for you to move your site files to any system or hosting company that you choose, at any time. (i.e. – we will never hold you “hostage”, as many of our less ethical competitors do!)

Please note: Due to extended security, we offer private managed hosting exclusively to existing clients. If, however, you are interested in hosting on its own, please contact us. We are more than happy to work with you to find the best hosting solution for your particular circumstances.

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