11 Steps To Choose A Web Host (Hosting Type, Key Features, By Use Case)

Every successful website starts with choosing the right web host. Many individuals and businesses underestimate the importance of picking wisely, whilst others get overwhelmed at the sheer number of hosts on the market.

This article identifies 11 key steps to guide you through this tricky selection process. We first explain how to determine your website needs and your hosting budget. We then explain how to choose the right hosting type, check pricing, and check hosting features and performance technologies. We then cover data center locations, checking software support and developer tools, testing customer support, and checking security measures. We then explain why choosing a web host is such a critical step, and provide tips on how to choose a host for particular website types, goals, budgets and priorities. Finally, we share a great resource on where to directly compare web hosts before making your final selection.

1. Determine your website needs

The first step to choosing a web host is to determine your website needs. There are 3 key things to determine here: your website’s purpose, website platform, and expected traffic.

First, identify the purpose of your website. For example, a blog’s purpose is to share information and engage readers, while an eCommerce platform’s purpose is to sell products. Knowing your site’s purpose lets you identify its core features, which ensures you select a web host capable of supporting them. Second, identify the platform and technologies your site needs. For example, identify whether you need a content management system (CMS) like WordPress or Joomla, eCommerce solutions like Shopify, or custom development frameworks. Each platform comes with different hosting needs. For instance, WordPress sites benefit from hosts providing WordPress-optimized environments, Shopify benefits from PCI compliant hosting and custom frameworks require the host to be compatible with the relevant programming language. Last, identify the estimated traffic of your site. This determines your site’s hosting performance and resource needs. For instance, high-traffic eCommerce stores need more powerful hosting. Low-traffic sites like personal portfolios are better served with basic hosting plans.

2. Determine your hosting budget

The second step is to determine your hosting budget, which affects the type and scope of hosting you’re able to afford. There are 3 components that factor into your total hosting budget: upfront costs, maintenance costs and whether or not you require managed hosting.

First, budget for upfront costs. Upfront costs are the initial cost of website setup and include costs of purchasing a hosting plan, domain registration, and any necessary software and tools from your host. Second, budget for maintenance costs. Maintenance costs refer to ongoing renewals for monthly or annual hosting fees, domains, and any hosting features you’ve subscribed to.

Finally, evaluate whether you need managed hosting. Managed hosting offloads ongoing server maintenance tasks to the web host’s support team. This is typically more expensive than unmanaged hosting but many businesses find that investing in managed hosting helps cut costs in the long-run because it saves time and also removes the need of hiring an in-house developer.

3. Choose the right hosting type

The third step is to choose the right hosting type. There are 2 parts to this: choosing an appropriate hosting type for your website, and reviewing the diversity of hosting types offered by the web host.

First, choose the appropriate hosting type that best suits your website needs. There are 6 hosting types to choose from and these are shared hosting, VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting, Cloud Hosting, Dedicated Hosting, Reseller hosting and WordPress hosting. Choose shared hosting for affordability if you’re hosting a small website such as a personal blog, portfolio or small business site. Choose VPS hosting for more power if you’re a growing business site. Choose VPS or Cloud hosting for greater reliability if you’re an eCommerce site. Choose VPS or dedicated hosting if you’re a developer deploying specific frameworks or languages. Choose reseller hosting if you’re looking to repackage and sell hosting. Choose WordPress hosting for maximum compatibility if you’re a WordPress site. Most of these 6 types come in both Unmanaged and Managed forms. Choose managed forms of hosting if you do not have the technical expertise or time to take care of ongoing server maintenance.

Second, review the diversity of hosting types that the web host offers. It is easier to upgrade to a more powerful hosting type by the same web host than it is to migrate to a brand new web host. Selecting a full-fledged web host is thus preferable for websites that are anticipating fast growth, such as eCommerce sites.

4. Check the pricing fits your budget

The fourth step is to check pricing of the web host to ensure it aligns with your hosting budget. There are 3 things to check regarding your host’s pricing: the host’s upfront costs, the host’s maintenance costs, and whether monthly payments are possible.

First check the upfront costs of choosing that host to ensure it fits in your budget. This includes checking 4 things: the introductory rates for your hosting plan, whether domain registration is included, any applicable setup fees like site migration, and any required features that cost extra. Rates for your hosting plan are largely determined by hosting type, with shared hosting plans being the cheapest and dedicated hosting plans being the most expensive. Opting for managed hosting generally also increases the overall overhead. Domains, security add-ons, and email hosting are 3 features that many hosts charge extra for.

Secondly, check the maintenance costs of choosing that host to ensure it fits in your budget. Most web hosts offer a discounted rate for the first term but then increase their prices significantly upon renewal. Many hosts also offer a free domain for the first year but then charge renewal fees thereafter. Being aware of both introductory and renewal rates therefore helps avoid unexpected costs.

Finally, check whether the web host offers the option of monthly payments if you prefer smaller payments. Just be aware that most hosts structure their pricing so that signing up for a longer term yields bigger cost savings.

5. Check hosting features

The fifth step is to check hosting features that are provided in the host’s plan. There are 5 things to check: storage capacity, bandwidth, number of websites, free domain name and email hosting.

First, check if the host provides adequate storage capacity (disk storage space) for storing your website’s files, images, and databases. Look for generous or unlimited storage if you intend to host content-rich pages, large media files or multiple websites. Second, check if the host provides adequate bandwidth to accommodate your website’s traffic needs. Look for generous or unmetered bandwidth if you intend to host high-traffic sites like popular blogs or eCommerce stores. Thirdly, check the number of websites supported by the plan. Fourthly, check if it provides a free domain name. Fifthly, check if email hosting is provided and the number of email accounts included, if so. Remember that the most important features to prioritize are the ones that directly support your website’s needs (purpose, platform and traffic), as identified in step 1.

6. Check performance technologies

The sixth step is to check performance technologies. There are 3 things to check: the uptime guarantee, the type of storage used, and if any additional performance features are provided.

First, check the host provides an uptime guarantee of at least 99.9%. Also read the fine print of the guarantee to understand what compensation is provided if they fail to deliver. Second, ensure the host utilizes SSD (Solid State Drive) or SSD NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) servers. These are faster than traditional HDD drives and contribute towards fast server speeds. Fast server speeds ensure your website loads quickly and provide a great user experience for your visitors.

Finally, check for any additional performance features. Speed is an essential need for all websites but especially crucial for eCommerce and media streaming sites. Pay special attention to speed-enhancing software and hardware if your site needs to prioritize performance. CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) and caching are 2 example additional performance features that help accelerate page loads.

7. Check data center locations

The seventh step is to check the data center locations of your host. A data center is the secure facility that houses the host’s servers. Many web hosts offer multiple data center locations across different cities, countries or continents. The wider the host’s global coverage, the more options customers typically have regarding where to host their website from.

There are 2 things to check: the locations of their data centers, and whether you have the option to choose your website’s data center location. First, consult the host’s website or support team for a list of locations of the data centers. Second, confirm with the host whether you have the option to choose which data center location to host from. The ideal scenario is that your web host allows you to host your website from a data center that is geographically near to your main target audience.

8. Check software support

The eight step is to check software support. There are 3 things to check: control panel support, CMS support, and operating system support.

First, check the control panels that are provided by the host. The control panel lets you manage key aspects of your hosting account like file managers, database management, email account setup, and domain management. Ensure the control panel is reputable and provides the exact tools your site needs. Advanced users typically need their control panels to provide access to more advanced features like cron jobs or SSH access.

Secondly, check that the host is fully compatible with the CMS (Content Management System) or platform needed by your website. 1-click installers simplify the installation of popular platforms like WordPress, Joomla and Magento. Finally, check the operating system (OS) supported by the host. Most hosts offer servers that run the Linux operating system and a smaller number support Windows hosting.

9. Check developer tools

The ninth step is to check which developer tools are supported. This step is less important for simple websites, but is crucial for developers managing complex websites or apps and who have advanced functionality needs.

There are 3 things to check: staging tools; SSH access; and support for language and frameworks. First, check whether the host provides staging tools. Staging tools allow developers to safely test website changes without affecting the live site. Second, check for SSH (Secure Shell) access. SSH access provides secure file transfers and command-line control, which is critical for developers working on complex projects. Finally, check that the host supports the exact programming language and developer frameworks required for your project. PHP, Python, Java, Perl and Ruby are 5 popular programming languages commonly supported by web hosting. Django (Python), Ruby on Rails (Ruby framework) ASP.NET and, Laravel (PHP) are 4 popular frameworks commonly supported.

10. Test the customer support

The tenth step is to test the customer support of the host. There are 3 things to check: support methods, support hours, and if a money-back guarantee is provided.

Firstly, check what support methods they offer. Most hosts offer assistance in the forms of Live Chat and ticketing or email systems. Check if the host also offers phone support if it’s important to you to be able to speak directly to a representative. Secondly, check support hours to ensure some form of assistance is available 24/7. This ensures you are able to resolve urgent issues regardless of the time and time zone. Reach out on their live chat to test how quickly and effectively they respond. Lastly, review the web host’s money-back guarantee terms to understand refund eligibility and any conditions that apply.

11. Check security measures

The final step is to check security measures. There are 4 critical security measures to check for: free SSL certificates, automated backups, DDoS protection and firewalls. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates protect data transmission. Automated backups (on a weekly or daily basis) make it effortless to take backups of your website and keep it safe. Firewalls protect your server by blocking unauthorized access and filtering harmful traffic.

Certain websites, like eCommerce sites handling customer data and transactions, have more critical security needs and benefit from additional security measures. 3 examples of additional security measures are proactive monitoring, malware scanning, and secure protocols like SSH and SFTP for secure file transfers.

Is choosing a web host essential for making a successful website?

Yes, choosing a web host is essential for making a successful website. Your web host forms the backbone of your website or web application. Choosing the right web hosting for your website needs thus sets you up for long-term success by ensuring your site performs optimally and stays protected. Conversely, a poor hosting choice results in slow loading times, downtime, security issues and unhappy visitors. It’s always worth doing the research to choose your web host wisely, regardless of your website type, goal, budget or priority.

How do I choose a web host for a WordPress site?

To choose a web host for a WordPress site, prioritize hosts offering WordPress optimization and acceleration. This helps you get the most out of the WordPress platform and gives you access to a support team of WordPress experts. Also check the host offers 1-click WordPress installation for added convenience.

How do I choose a web host for a small business website?

To choose a web host for a small business website, prioritize unlimited storage and email hosting. Unlimited storage lets businesses set up multiple, different websites for different products. Email hosting lets you create professional email addresses linked to the business’s domain. Also, check that the host operates data centers in regions near your target customers to provide an impressively fast user experience.

How do I choose a web host for a portfolio website?

To choose a web host for a portfolio website, prioritize hosts offering free website builders. Site builders help you create professional sites that appeal to your clients. AI (Artificial Intelligence) site builders in particular help you easily create custom branded sites using prompts instead of code. Also choose a web host that offers unlimited SSD storage if your portfolio handles large media files, such as photography and videography portfolios.

How do I choose a web host for an eCommerce website?

To choose a web host for an eCommerce website, prioritize hosts offering VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting or cloud hosting. Both hosting types provide the power and scalability needed for handling large traffic volumes, even during busy sales periods like Black Friday. Keep transactions secure by also ensuring your host provides PCI DSS compliance and SSL certificates.

How do I choose a web host for developers?

To choose a web host for developers, prioritize hosts offering VPS hosting with full root access. This enables you to have maximum control over server configurations. Other key features to look for are GIT integration and support for the specific programming languages and developmental frameworks that your site or application requires. Hosts providing high-level tech experts and documentation are also advantageous for complex developer projects.

How do I choose an affordable web host?

To choose an affordable web host, look for hosts offering low introductory pricing. Many hosts offer promotional rates of RM22.50 or less a month for the initial hosting term. Also look for hosting that offers free features such as free domains, free SSL certificates and free site builders. These free features and the provision of unlimited resources (storage, bandwidth) add extra value despite the low price tag.

How do I choose a fast web host?

To choose a fast web host, prioritize hosts that offer proven server response times of under 180ms in the regions nearest to your target audience. Using online tools like Bitcatcha’s Server Speed Checker helps you verify whether a host is able to meet this benchmark. Also choose a host that provides either SSD or NVMe type storage since both provide fast data processing.

How do I choose a green web host?

To choose a green web host, look for hosts that support the environment via renewable energy certificates (RECs). RECs (also known as green tags or renewable energy credits) support clean energy production and are purchased by hosts to offset the carbon generated in powering their data centers and offices. Most green web hosts also run initiatives such as planting trees or upholding eco-policies in the workplace.

Where can I compare web hosts before choosing one?

You can compare web hosts by checking out Bitcatcha’s web host comparison chart. Our handy web host comparison table provides an easy way to to directly compare key attributes of industry-leading web hosts, including pricing, performance, and features. We’ve also written a long list of comparison “Vs” articles where we put 2 hosts directly against each other. Use these tools to help find the best web host for you.