There are a lot of web host providers to choose from, literally thousands, and you need to tread carefully.
Most of the leading players like Network Solutions, Go Daddy, Dream Host, and Host Gator offer similar high-quality services, but they might not provide what your particular website needs. That’s where smaller, less-known web hosts come into play, offering bespoke solutions.
But just as not all are equal, not all can be trusted to provide you with the service you require. It`s always wise to research reviews from unbiased sources, such as Hostinger reviews, and make sure your web host is up to date with the latest changes and security software so that you can rest easy.
Here are 5 possible hosting problems that could potentially hurt your income.
1. Downtime Can Be Costly
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Ask yourself this question, could your e-commerce business afford to lose 10% or even 5% of its annual income?
Your website’s uptime has a direct effect upon your site’s traffic, and therefore your conversion rates. For your e-commerce business to maximize its ROI, it has to be online all the time, and this is achievable by using a web host that provides a 100% uptime service.
Regardless of what a web hosting company promises you about their average uptime, it is prudent to seek out unbiased customer reviews and try to use one with an uptime of no less than 99%.
2. Slow Loading Times Effects Bounce Rates
Keeping your viewers waiting while your website slowly loads will lead to them reaching for the back button and lose you a potential sale. Statistics clearly show that people are only willing to wait for two seconds for a website to load and are likely never to revisit if it doesn’t.
If your site is slow to load, this is a direct result of the web host your using. Slow website speeds are due to bandwidth, or a lack of it. So, if your website is taking longer than 2 seconds to load, it’s time to change your web host or upgrade the service they are providing.
Most small to medium websites use a shared web host; this is one that shares bandwidth amongst multiple sites, the next level is a VPS (virtual private server), this will provide your website with the required bandwidth and increase its loading speed.
3. A Lack of Features Can Stunt Future Growth
As your e-commerce business expands, so to can the demands on your website. It is at this time that you will need your web host to provide those extra features you require.
Generally, the features your web host company offer you reflect in the price. It is essential for future growth that your host can implement the most up to date technologies, PHP scripts like WordPress, b2revolution, or media Wiki.
Most good web hosting companies provide these features as standard; if yours doesn’t, it’s best to go elsewhere before it harms your e-commerce growth.
4. Insufficient Security Can Be Costly
Your website’s security has to be impenetrable, with no exceptions. Features such as anti-malware, antivirus software, and firewall are an absolute must, and if your web host doesn’t offer these features, look elsewhere.
The potential risk of your website by not having this level of security is the total loss of your information. If you’re an e-commerce store, your customer’s data could also be at risk, making it all the more serious. The implications to your income could, of course, be catastrophic and result in loss of uptime, traffic, revenue, and reputation.
5. Back-ups are essential
It’s impossible to foresee all eventualities, bad things do happen to good people, and their websites. When choosing your website provider, ensure their system has website backup options. The time lost online due to mistakenly erased content or uploading corrupted files can be a frustrating and costly affair and one that’s completely avoidable if using the right host.