A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that hosts websites for clients, i.e. it offers the facilities required for them to create and maintain a site and makes it accessible on the World Wide Web. Companies providing web hosting services are sometimes called web hosts.
The nature and purpose of your website, whether it is a content, e-commerce or lead generation site, will determine what you need from a web hosting provider.
Below are additional factors to keep in mind when choosing your web hosting company.
Consider the following
Fast and Reliable Web Hosting
The size of your website’s files and database will determine how much space you need on a hosting server and the hosting plan that can provide enough space to host these files.
Your hosting plan will also determine the size of your bandwidth (measured in gigs) which is “the amount of data your website can transfer to your users in a given amount of time”.
Your web page size, number of visitors to your website and the number of pages they visit will determine how much bandwidth you need.
Not having enough bandwidth can result in your website going offline or slower page speeds, causing your users to have a poor experience on your website. Should Google not be able to reach your website, you will slip down the rankings and eventually be removed.
Security
If your website falls victim to malware or hackers it could mean the loss of time and reputation, especially if you sell products or collect customer data. It’s important that you host with a reputable company and select a hosting plan with built-in security measures.
One of the security measures your website requires is an SSL Certificate which has been a Google requirement since 2018. An SSL certificate is the only way to ensure that your website carries the favoured green padlock and provides a way for visitors to verify that the website they are on belongs to the associated domain name.
Technical Support
As a business you want to minimise website downtime. When your website is down it means your potential customers can’t reach you or if you are an e-commerce website, can’t make purchases. You therefore want to go with a company that prioritises customer services and is available to assist in bringing your systems back up 24/7.
Domain name registration
Most web hosting companies offer the option to register your domain name with them. However, this is not the case for all web hosting companies. In such cases you will have to register your domain name independently with another company. It’s more convenient to choose a web hosting provider that can also register your domain name, but it’s vital that you retain ownership of your domain name.
Web hosting Benefits
The real magic of web hosting and a domain is that together they make a website possible. Some of the major benefits of a having a business website are:
Trustworthiness – lends credibility to your business.
Expanded reach – market directly to your potential customer.
Marketing – promotion of products and services.
E-commerce capability – alternative channel to sell products and services online.
Insights – measure and track what is working in real time.
How much does web hosting cost in South Africa?
Website design prices in South Africa can range anywhere between R500 to R50 000. Ultimately, the price of a website largely depends on two factors – what you need and who you’re getting it from.
How do I host a website in South Africa?
Register a domain name. This is the name that you have chosen for your website. .
Choose an MWEB hosting package. If you want a website for your small business or personal blog, you will need a domain and a web hosting package.
Then build your website. It’s really easy.
Can I use Hostinger in South Africa?
Hostinger: Cheapest Web Hosting in South Africa
Can South Africans use Bluehost in South Africa?
Bluehost offers probably the best and fastest website hosting servers in the world. They offer exclusive deals to WordPress hosted websites in South Africa. They offer the best prices and hosting packages starting from as low as R49 per month.