Know these essentials before choosing a web host

[caption id=”attachment_543” align=”alignright” width=”425”] [forsythco.com][/caption]

When launching a website for your small business, there are a lot of decisions to make. First off is picking the right web designer. Another biggie? Deciding who will host your awesome new website once it's created.

There are the big-name, advertising-during-the-Super Bowl-commercial web hosts, and then there are the less-flashy ones that the experts prefer. It's kind of like going to the movies and deciding between the big, action-packed blockbuster and the more fulfilling, independent movie. (If this was 1994, and there were still independent movies.)

Let's take a look at the essentials you need to know before choosing a web host.

Web hosting: a brief definition

First of all, what the heck is web hosting? Well, all of the information that makes up your supercool website has to exist somewhere, right? A web host provides space on a server so you have a place to store all of this information, and so customers searching the web can find it.

Why is web hosting important?

Web hosting is not just about space. I mean, you can live anywhere, but you wouldn't choose to live in a place that doesn't have electricity or doors, right? (You would? Weirdo.)

There are four things to consider when choosing a web host. I know what you're thinking: Whatevs. I'll just go with the cheapest one. Right? Here's why that's a dummy move: If something happens, and your website crashes, or is hacked, the cost to your business will be much more considerable than the extra $4 a month you're spending on a reliable web host.

So, like I said, when choosing a host, consider these four things:

1. Speed

We humans are an impatient bunch, and getting even, uh, impatient-er. We want things fast, and that includes website loading time. Especially website loading time. According to KissMetrics, web users expect a site to load in two seconds — and will ditch a site if it doesn’t load in three.

Loading too slowly will hurt your site considerably, so you need to go with a web host that guarantees speedy loading.

2. High Uptime Guarantee

You’ve heard of downtime, yeah? In terms of web hosting, uptime is the amount of time your site is up and functioning, and it is crucial. If your site crashes, that means people can’t use it. And if people can’t use your site, you’re pretty much dunzo, pal.

If a web host doesn’t have a policy in place to compensate you for downtime, do not go with that host.

3. Security

People want to know that if they provide your site with certain information — say, their credit card info — that information won’t fall into the hands of Bad People. People who will steal their identities and RUIN THEIR LIVES.

Therefore, you want to go with a site that offers sufficient security. How can you guarantee that there will never, ever be a security breach on your site? Well, you can’t. But you can do some research to see if a host you’re considering has had breaches in the past, how often it has happened, and how those problems were handled.

4. Customer Support

Your host should have customer service support available 24/7, holidays too. Non-negotiable.

[caption id=”attachment_542” align=”alignright” width=”451”] A good host host offers you a glass for your warm Gatorade … or 24/7 customer support. [wikihow.com][/caption]

Fine. Who do I go with then?

As with anything, you’ll have to do a bit of research to decide which host, and which plan, works for you. Remember that, as your business grows, so will your website, so make sure you go with a scalable plan.

I suggest starting with this list of the 10 Best Web Hosting Companies of 2013. Or this list. Or this one. Or this one.

You’ll start to see that certain names make the list every time — and certain names don’t make the list at all.

As a very old man once said to a certain rough-hewn, hat-wearing archaeologist: You must choose … but choose wisely. If you follow these guidelines, you’ll make the right choice.