We are a generation that runs on the internet. We not only use it as a source of information, but it has also become our very own private mall and business center. Therefore, to cater to the needs of such a generation and for your business to grow in this age, you need a website. A website will put you on the digital map and help attract more customers.
To get a website all you have to do is either avail the services of a website builder or a professional website designer. Either way, once you get your website you need to upload it on the internet. Now how will you do that? You need a web host of course and make sure not to compromise on quality if you wish to avoid future headaches. The speed, security, usability, and scalability of your website depends on your web host. For your convenience, we have compiled a list of top 10 best web hosting features that will help you make an informed decision.
What is Web Hosting?
First of all, let’s take a look at what web hosting really is. Web hosting is like a digital space for your digital office. It is the process of storing all the files that compose your website on a server and making the content of your website accessible on the internet. When you purchase a web hosting plan, you actually rent space on a private server where you keep all the data and files of your website. There are different types of web hosting the most popular ones being:
- Shared Hosting
- Dedicated hosting
- VPS hosting
- Cloud hosting
The needs and requirements of your website determine the kind of hosting you need. Shared hosting is mostly used by startups and websites that don’t receive a lot of traffic. While the other three are ideal for large, established websites, with a heavy traffic flow. No matter what type of web hosting you choose , it is important to look for top 10 best web hosting features.
Overview- Top 10 Best Web Hosting Features
Here are the top 10 best web hosting features that you need to consider when opting for a web hosting provider.
- Disk Space
- Bandwidth
- Security
- Uptime
- Website speed
- Pre-installed apps
- Domain
- Website Builder
- Backups
- Support
Summary Table- Top 10 Best Web Hosting Features
| Top 10 Best Web Hosting Features | Description |
|---|---|
| Disk Space | The amount of storage space that your website will have on the hosting provider’s servers. |
| Bandwidth | The amount of data that can be transferred to and from your website each month. |
| Security | The measures taken by the hosting provider to protect your website from malware, attacks, and other security threats. |
| Uptime | The percentage of time that your website is available to visitors. |
| Website speed | The time it takes for your website to load. |
| Pre-installed apps | The software that is already installed on the hosting provider’s servers. This can make it easier to set up and manage your website. |
| Domain | The address of your website on the internet. This is usually included in your hosting plan. |
| Website builder | A tool that allows you to create and manage your website without any coding knowledge. |
| Backups | The process of creating copies of your website data so that it can be restored in case of a disaster. |
| Support | The level of assistance that the hosting provider provides to its customers. This can include 24/7 phone support, email support, and live chat support. |
Top 10 Best Web Hosting Features
After preparing your full fledge website , you need to upload it to the internet to make it visible to the massive audience but how can you do it? Worry not , you can easily do it with the best webhosting provider.To avoid any headaches for the selection of best web host you need to check the top 10 best web hosting features in it.
1. Disk Space
Your website is comprised of countless files. These files not only make up the visuals of the website but also decide what happens when a visitor clicks a certain button. In order to run a website, you need those files on web servers backed by physical data centers. Disk space or storage space refers to the space available on the server where you can store files, emails, and databases of your website. It is one of the most essential services among the list of top 10 best web hosting features offered by a web host. Therefore, when opting for a web host take into consideration how much disk space you need and how much the host is offering.
2. Bandwidth
Bandwidth is another essential web hosting feature and refers to the amount of data that can be transferred from your website to your visitors. As loading time refers to the time it takes to transfer website files, the speed of your website critically depends on bandwidth. As we all know a speedy website translates into a successful website, be sure to opt for the kind of web hosting that meetsnthe second most essential top 10 best web hosting features, bandwidth demand in it. For example, if you wish to have high bandwidth, look for the kind of hosting that either doesn’t share its resources with other websites or provides you with allocated resources like dedicated hosting of VPS.
Now you might see some web hosts advertising unlimited bandwidth. However unlimited bandwidth is just a delusion, an impossible concept. Due to physical limitations, there is always a maximum speed limit. Bluehost offers various hosting plans with “unmetered bandwidth”. This means that you will be provided with a set amount of bandwidth, however, you will be able to effortlessly transfer as much data as you want without any hindrance.
3. Security
With cyberattacks on the rise, there are countless websites that fall prey to their diabolical schemes on a daily basis. Studies show that about 43% of small businesses are victims of cyberattacks. Therefore, you need to opt for a website host that provides you with robust security and a strong line of defense against such attacks. If you have an e-commerce website that stores sensitive customer information and financial data, you need to opt for a web host that offers the following features.
SSL Certificates
SSL certificates help encrypt data sent via your website, making sure that only the recipient can utilize the data. They keep internet connections secure and prevent cyber criminals from reading as well as modifying information shared between two systems. There are many budget-friendly web hosts like HostGator that tick marks all the top 10 best web hosting features and give away free SSL certificates.
Automated Malware Scanners
With malware scanners, web hosts can help identify as well as remove malware and threats. Hostinger offers its users a robust malware scanner that helps protect the website and keeps all malicious threats at bay. Some web hosts such as DreamHost have inculcated most of the top 10 best web hosting features including website scanner that enhances security by scouring the website and warning website owners of suspicious files.
Firewall Management
Web hosts like GoDaddy have a website application firewall or WAF that creates a set of rules that are designed to protect your website from common malicious attacks.
4. Uptime
The most essential web hosting feature that is overlooked most of the time by new website owners or small businesses is uptime. Uptime refers to the percentage of time your website is live and available to the visitors, the closer the uptime is to 100% the better. There are countless web hosts in the market that provide one of the most important and top 10 best web hosting features, high uptimes by offering:
Backup Servers
Web hosts like SiteGround offer most of the features listed in top 10 best web hosting features along with back servers. The backup servers that ensure that in case the server hosting your website goes down, there is a backup available that will have your website up and running in no time.
Backup Servers in Multiple Locations
In case a natural disaster occurs, a duplicate server in the same data center will be rendered useless and won’t be able to keep your website live. However, if your web hosting service provider offers duplicate servers in multiple data centers that are located on different sides of the country or different continents, then your website has a better chance of staying live.
5. Website Speed
We are an impatient species, gravitating towards all things speedy and brisk. So, it comes as no surprise that website speed is inculcated in the top 10 best web hosting features. Studies show that visitors will only wait 3 seconds for a website to load. If it takes more than that they will get frustrated and leave. Apart from user experience speed also has a profound impact on SEO, as search engines tend to rank only the fast websites high. There are countless excellent web hosts out there that facilitate fast page speeds by:
Using Servers with Solid State Drivers
Solid State Drivers or SSDs access data much quicker than traditional hard drives. SSDs have the ability to read data four times faster than HDDs. Therefore, if you wish to retain your visitors it is better to opt for SSDs.
Offering a Content Delivery Network Service
Content Delivery Network or CDN refers to servers that are geographically distributed and cache static content such as JavaScript files, webpages, images, CSS, and videos. CDN helps speed up the delivery of web content by bringing it closer to the visitor’s location.
Limiting Sites on Shared Server
In order to run efficiently websites, require server resources. However, the more websites hosted on a server, more will be the competition, resulting in a decline in performance. Most web hosting companies limit the number of sites on shared servers, ensuring that there are enough resources for all the hosted sites to run efficiently. This is another crucial attribute for the top 10 best web hosting features,
6. Pre-installed apps
Web hosts offer several robust features that are inculcated in the top 10 best web hosting features, in the form of apps like:
cPanel
cPanel provides users with an intuitive and reliable site and server management platform. Even though almost every other web hosting service provider includes a cPanel, its interface varies from web host to web host. Some web hosts provide a cPanel that is easy to use, while some harbor a more difficult version of it. Although its not the must have feature among the top 10 best web hosting features but if web host have it , its a plus point.
One-Click Installer
One-click installer is an innovative tool that allows users to install content management systems like, Drupal, Joomla, and WordPress in a matter of minutes. With one-click installer you can simply your work and save time as well as money.
File Transfer Protocol
File transfer protocol can be defined as a standard communication protocol that is used to transfer files from a server to a client securely on a computer network.
E-Commerce Features
Web hosts offer users with robust e-commerce features and tools that allow them to create and run an online store efficiently. Some web hosts also offer dedicated e-commerce hosting plans that comprise advance e-commerce features such as abandoned cart recovery, mobile-optimized checkout, advanced search, and filtering options, video or 3D product demos, etc.
7. Domain Name
Domain name refers to the digital address of a website. with this important feature listed in the top 10 best web hosting features, users can access the website easily via domain names without having to rely on gruesomely long IP addresses. Several web hosts like InMotion Hosting offer its users with free domain name registration.
8. Website Builder
Building a website is not a tedious task anymore. Website builders have made the process fun and speedy. There are countless web hosts in the market like GoDaddy and HostGator that include website builders as part of their hosting package. These website builders comes with top 10 best web hosting features along with additional features like built-in templates, e-commerce, and SEO tools, drag-and-drop editor and so much more.
9. Backups
Website backups are of pivotal importance. Doesn’t matter how robust your security features are, sometimes a website can get hit by a vulnerability that takes it down. Therefore, a good backup policy is essential. In short, always go for a web hosting provider that not only restores your website with minimal downtime but also frequently backups your website to prevent data loss.
10. Support
Customer support might seem like a trivial feature that has zero to no impact on your website. However, it can prove invaluable when you run into a problem. Therefore for all those non-techy client , this feature among the list of top 10 best web hosting features is of vital importance. Therefore, opting for a web host that offers reliable customer support is pivotal. You will come across countless great web hosts that offer 24/7 customer support via:
- Live chat
- Chatbot
- Phone support
- Forums
- Knowledge bases
Final Thoughts – Top 10 Best Web Hosting Features
It is important to choose the right web host that tick marks all the top 10 best web hosting features that can make or break your website success. Before you opt for one of the viable hosting solution, give considerable attention to your web hosting needs and features to find a provider that offers all to save time and energy
Bluehost- Great pick with Top 10 Best Web Hosting Features
Bluehost is available hosting option with great uptime and hosting plans. The hosting service provider is jam-packed with features to facilitate a large user base. No matter if you are looking for diskless space or SSL certificates, this hosting solution has all to fulfill the needs of the buyer. In brief, as a reliable hosting provider with the top 10 best web hosting features it cares about you and your business.