7 Handy Tips to Choose the Best Web Hosting Plan for your Blog

Internet has become the most influential connecting string between businesses and customers today. While everyone has finally recognized the need and importance of worthy content, both in terms of marketing and products, to run a business, what most fail to grasp is the dire need of a good hosting plan.

In fact, a good and reliable web hosting plan can make your website and/or blog markedly responsive, thereby increasing the value of your content. Not only it helps establish a strong foothold in the internet marketing world but also helps you define a distinctive face for your business.

I believe that at some level you are already of this often ignored reality; the fact that you are looking for tips to choose the best web hosting plan to make your website look and feel more responsive is proof enough. So, without further ado, I present you with 7 handy tips to choose the right and the best web hosting plan for your blog.

Evaluate your Needs

No matter what you do, in order to get the results right, the first step is to investigate and be clear about your needs. Put some thought to what exactly are you trying to achieve before investing in any plan. You must have a certain target in mind, right? Probe a bit further to find out which hosting plan can benefit you the most.

Here’s a quick checklist of questions that you must consider before finalizing your web hosting deal:

• What kind of blog or website are you building?
• What platform are you going to use? (WordPress/Blogger etc.)
• Are you building a DIY website or are you hiring a professional developer?
• What kind of content are you going to publish? (Text/Pictures/Videos)
• Do you need any additional services, softwares, windows applications?
• How much traffic does your website currently have and what are the probable growth prospects?
• Do you require geographically distributed hosting?
• What uptime percentage do you need?
• Do you require any support channels? (E-mail support/live chat etc.)

Calculate Your Budget

The only thing more frustrating than not being able to find the right host is to get your heart set on a particular hosting plan and then finding out that it doesn’t fit your budget. While money shouldn’t be your first concern, affordability should! So, it is only practical and advisable to calculate your budget in advance so that you can keep up with your needs without stressing too much.

In fact, it is absolutely possible to find the right kind of hosting within a small budget. For example, if your budget is low, you can start with the simplest- shared hosting and upgrade to VPS hosting and then dedicated hosting later as your business grows and budget increases.

Review and Compare

With too many options comes confusion. While going for the most popular hosting plan at the moment might seem like the best choice, it actually might not be- again, it all depends on your needs and budget. So, refrain from the prejudiced choices. This is where customer reviews come in handy- go ahead and do a little bit of research of your own. Make a list of your chosen web hosting companies and compare their functionality reliability, support quality.

Check for the Technical Specifications

A good web host not only provides your website a good amount of storage and bandwidth but also leaves enough room for potential growth. How else are you going to retain customers if you can’t deliver the required information or your website keeps crashing? So, pay attention to your host’s policy regarding storage and bandwidth for maximum customer satisfaction.

Look for the work space management and migration features

You might be working under a certain workspace at the moment but what happens if you decide to or your business needs demand you to transfer it some other website or platform? Getting stuck with an option that has no promise of growth when you know you can- can be really frustrating. So, make sure that your chosen web hosting plan offers easy work space management and migration features at any time, in case you need any.

Thoroughly go through the Terms of Services

While most people just check the agreement box without reading the terms of service, I’d advise you to set out some time and actually read those terms so you know what exactly are you getting out of the deal. This way you can be sure and aware of the features, services and company refund policies.

Assess the Customer Support

Every second counts when you are running a business and not being able to solve a minor glitch in your website can cost you a lot. So, test the customer support quality and evaluate how easy is it to contact them in case of emergencies.

Although it might seem like a lot of work, it is only beneficial to evaluate both pros and cons before investing in a web hosting plan that is ultimately going to decide the responsiveness and efficacy of your business. So, don’t hesitate to do a little bit of research, know your needs and ask the right questions.