Best Web Hosting Service Providers

Web hosting is a service that deals with publishing a website or web application on the Internet, enabling viewers to visit your site. These services are offered by professional web hosting companies. The businesses rent space on a server to host the website, where all the files and necessary data is stored for the site to work efficiently. Most web hosting providers necessitate that the organization owns its individual domain to host the website.

Websites are hosted, stored, and distributed over the servers. To view a website, Internet users simply need to enter the website address or domain into their browser. The computer subsequently connects to the server and displays the requested web pages through the browser.

Before hosting a site, businesses need to decide upon the amount of space they need allotting on a server. This is primarily determined based on the type of hosting.

The different types of hosting are:

• Shared Hosting
• VPS Hosting
• Cloud Hosting
• Dedicated Server Hosting
• WordPress Hosting

1. Shared Hosting:

Shared hosting is one of the most prevalent types of web hosting solutions. Shared hosting enables sharing the server amongst the other clients of the web hosting agency. With shared hosting, a single server maintains all the files for multiple sites at once and is accountable for hosting the information about them. This system further shares all the resources amongst the various customers, such as memory space, disk space, computing power, etc. It is a low-cost, beginner-friendly option. Moreover, the maintenance and the administration of the server is the service provider's responsibility. However, the clients have negligible control over the configuration of the server. Another con is that traffic surges on sites of other users can slow down your website.

2. VPS Hosting:

VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting allows clients to share a server with other users. However, the web hosting companies allocate a separate segment on the server. This implies that the customer gets a dedicated server space along with a fixed amount of computing capability and memory. VPS hosting, thus, facilitates easy scalability and customizability. It is an ideal system for medium-sized businesses with quickly expanding websites. However, to get the best of these systems, basic to advanced technical and server knowledge is essential. Besides, it is more expensive than shared hosting.

3. Cloud Hosting:

Cloud hosting is one of the most reliable hosting solutions. This service employs multiple servers to balance the load between the different users to effectively reduce system downtime. Cloud hosting hosts provide their customers with a "cluster" of servers. The files and resources are duplicated on each of these servers. Whenever one of the cloud servers is occupied or encounters any problems, the sites' traffic is automatically routed to a different server in the cluster. One of the chief benefits of cloud hosting solutions is that it offers a "pay as you use" pricing module.

4. Dedicated Server Hosting:

Dedicated hosting signifies that clients have a private physical server that's dedicated solely to their site. Dedicated hosting grants complete control over the server, enabling incredible optimization and flexibility. The customers can configure the server as required and opt for the operating system and software needed, and establish the whole hosting environment. Dedicated hosting is highly reliable and secure, as well as allows rooting access to the server. However, the number of resources used, such as storage space, bandwidth, RAM, etc. impacts the overall pricing model of the system.

5. WordPress Hosting:

WordPress hosting is a form of shared hosting, designed for WordPress site owners. The server is configured explicitly for WordPress and offers pre-installed plugins for essential things, such as caching and security. WordPress hosting solutions generally incorporate additional WordPress-related features like pre-designed WordPress themes, specific developer tools, drag-and-drop page builders, etc. It is incredibly cost-efficient and enables one-click WordPress installation. However, WordPress hosting is highly recommended exclusively for WordPress sites.

Investing in web hosting agencies has several advantages for businesses hosting their site, such as:

1. Cost-Effective:

The best web hosting companies have a team of experts who comprehend the services that the business requires and deliver the precise solution. Moreover, they are dedicated to provide the quality expected and ensure that the services are cost-effective and above par. This enables the clients to concentrate on the core operations of the business.

2. Reliability:

Having web hosting companies manage all your hosting requirements enable clients to attain the best solutions available. A trustworthy hosting solution can help the site to work efficiently and reach the targeted audience. They also offer the company a domain name that resonates with the brand name along with the ability to choose their email accounts.

3. Technical Support:

One of the most significant advantages of hiring an expert web hosting provider is receiving professional technical support. They focus on providing customized hosting services to their clients. Any technical glitch can hinder the operations of the site, and a lack of appropriate customer support can result in a monetary and reputational loss for the company. Moreover, businesses can receive 24/7 service to maximize the uptime of the site.

4. Data & Space Management:

Investing in professional web hosting services offers businesses complete control over content management. The staff can publish articles as per business requirements while deciding the look and feel of the post. Moreover, there are no limitations concerning the number of ads. Web hosting solutions also offer access to a vast amount of bandwidth as well as data. This further facilitates the addition of multiple numbers of pages to the website.

5. Additional Security:

The best web hosting companies offer added security to the site by frequently scanning for viruses, performing security audits, and updating OS. These solutions help fix any security issues while preventing external attacks. Moreover, in the case of a data breach, the professional service providers offer robust data recovery solutions. The data is regularly updated and backed-up online, thereby avoiding loss of data.

Various parameters affect the aggregate cost of web hosting, such as:

Apart from the features employed, the cost of hosting a site also varies depending on the type of hosting solution.

• Shared hosting - It is one of the most cost-efficient web hosting options available. Shared hosting is ideal for sites that have limited use of bandwidth and storage facilities. However, you may encounter occasional outages and slow speed. The price of incorporating shared hosting ranges between $5 to $10 per month.
• Cloud hosting -  Cloud hosting provides services across a cluster of shared servers, ensuring that even during the failure of a single segment, the other divisions run flawlessly. It also offers clients more flexibility and scalability. Cloud hosting prices vary vastly on the needs, ranging between $5 to $50 per month. 
• VPS hosting - VPS Hosting is the best solution for companies hosting multi-page sites with an extensive amount of traffic. Even though the website is hosted on shared server space, VPS is costlier than Shared and Cloud hosting as it offers an independent section. The services cost between $20 to $90 per month.
• WordPress Hosting -  This is specifically tuned to deliver assistance for WordPress sites. It offers automated backups, 24/7 customer support, among other services. Managed WordPress hosting agencies charge approximately $50 to $150 per month.

• Dedicated hosting - It is the costliest web hosting solution since it provides a private server reserved for their clients' requirements. It offers a vast amount of storage space and delivers exceptional speed, scalability, security, etc. The cost of hosting a site on a dedicated server generally falls between $120 to $190 per month.

It is significant to thoroughly research each and every web hosting firm to find out the perfect partner. Therefore, in order to shortlist and hire the best web hosting companies, consider the below-mentioned points. 

1. Portfolio: 

The portfolio of a website hosting provider offers you insight within the working pattern and their past project experiences. It is an ideal opportunity to distinguish their expertise as well as pinpoint their vulnerabilities. A portfolio also highlights the capabilities of the web hosting agency in accomplishing clients' requirements. It is advisable to assess their specialties, area of focus, and other tidbits to better weigh their candidature. 

2. Client Reviews: 

In this era, most businesses share their feedback and experiences of working with a specific company online. This allows prospective service seekers to examine the relevancy and ability for their projects. Go through the testimonials and reviews awarded to the hosting companies to scrutinize their notoriety amongst clients, along with the firm's work ethics and service quality. You must explore third-party review and rating platforms, such as GoodFirms, and gain genuine customer evaluation.

3. Budget:

Focus on the budget assigned for web hosting services and opt for a service provider capable of delivering solutions within your price range. The expense of web hosting projects borders on the features and functionality required for the site's performance. However, factors such as OS, file space, security services, and customer and technical support play a vital role in determining the final cost of the project. It is advisable to request quotations from multiple vendors before signing the deal.

4. Scalability:

Whether you currently have plans for business expansion or not, you must always opt for a provider who offers services with room to expand. The best web hosting companies have access to high-end tools and technologies for handling the entire system hosting procedure in a better manner. This encourages their clients to accommodate to changing market trends and consumer preferences more efficiently. Before hiring, inquire how easily the service provider can upgrade your account.

5. Security:

While outsourcing to the best web hosting provider, inquire about the security strategies that they have established. Moreover, review the protocols concerning network monitoring, malware scanning, etc. Solutions like SSL/TLS certificates, DDoS attack prevention, firewalls, etc. are extremely vital for any hosting type. It is advisable to warrant that web hosting companies offer secure shell and monitors access privileges.

Before hiring web hosting providers, businesses must ask specific questions to comprehend whether they are the best match for your enterprise.

1. What Is Your Uptime Score?

To find the best web hosting companies, assess their average uptime score. The best web hosting uptime score is above 99.5%, whereas a score below 99% is unacceptable. It is advisable to ask your prospective partner questions concerning the reliability of the server and uptime scores. Request to know about the tools used and the process employed to monitor uptime. Finally, confirm whether or not they are willing to sign Service Level Agreement (SLA), guaranteeing the ideal network and power uptime.

2. How Many Customers Share A Single Server?

This question is significant while selecting hosting solutions shared amongst multiple users. Sharing a server between several websites can ultimately influence the performance and speed of your site. Ask about the bandwidth, memory, computing power, etc. assigned to you.

3. Do You Offer Multiple Add-on Domains?

Businesses often require two or more domain names. Most believe that separate hosting accounts are requisite in order to manage individual domains. However, some professional web hosting companies provide access to as many as 25 add-on domains. However, before finalizing, check out the number of domains offered by the web hosting agencies.

4. Are Your Services Easily Scalable?

Your current hosting requirements may vastly differ from the provisions in the future. This makes it imperative to partner with a web hosting firm capable of meeting your changing needs. Make sure to question the shortlisted web hosting agencies on any policies in the event you wish to scale up or scale down the services. Moreover, keep a tab of any added investment requisite while implementing any modifications.

5. What Are Your Security Policies?

Figure out the security measures installed by the web hosting agencies to secure data. Irrespective of the hosting solution, it is vital to analyze their security measures, as well as procedures to manage site updates. Moreover, inquire about the frequency at which they conduct malware and virus scans. The selected web hosting provider must have proper certifications such as SSL certificates, etc. in order to protect any sensitive information.

6. How Responsive Is Your Customer Support?

An efficient customer service solution is considered as a testament to an excellent service provider. Opt for the best web hosting companies, offering technical support 24×7, including holidays. Inquire about the methods to connect with appropriate customer service associates. Also, request for their average response and resolution time.

7. Does the Web Hosting Provider Offer Any Additional Services?

In addition to  providing server space for your site, opt for a web hosting company that also offer supplementary services associated with website management, such as:

• Email hosting
• Page builders
• Web Designing and Development tools 
• Customer support service
• One-click software installations, etc.

GoodFirms estimated the best web hosting companies based on three principal evaluation standards, viz. Quality, Reliability, and Ability. This list allows service seekers to inspect and ascertain the ideal partner for their organization. The expert researchers at GoodFirms have examined the solutions provided by the web hosting agencies and curated the top companies mentioned-above. The list is compiled only after a thorough investigation of each participating firm's portfolios, market penetration, domain expertise, as well as scalability of the services delivered. The solutions offered are additionally evaluated based on the reviews provided by their prior clients.

GoodFirms always welcome well-established as well as upcoming web hosting companies to expand our list. Hence, we would like to invite the best web hosting services provider to participate and get listed in our Research division by providing documentation of their proficiency.