Building a website: our top 5 web hosting tips

According to Google search data, an astonishing 6,600 Brits search for the term ‘web hosting’ each month. Setting up an engaging site is clearly something a lot of people want information about and we want to help.

We’ve outlined our top 5 web hosting tips below to help you get the most out of your website, enhance user experience and simplify overall page management. But if you’re interested in learning more about web hosting, check out our blog on what web hosting is.

1. Ensure your website is secure

One of the most important steps in building a website is security. It's one of the first things you should think about is the cybersecurity of both your business’ and customers’ information. The simplest way to do this is by making sure your website is SSL certified (Secure Sockets Layer).

There are lots of benefits to improving website protection, the primary one being a secure connection that encrypts personal data and payment information. A second benefit to making sure your website is SSL certified is the instant assurance given to customers – it tells them that they're using a secure site, all thanks to the little padlock symbol that appears beside your URL (yes, that's what that little thing's for!).

2. Don’t underestimate page loading speed

Website speed is everything. In fact, it’s estimated that slow-loading pages cost the US economy over $500 million each year, with a single-second delay reducing conversions by an astounding 7%! Incredibly, as many as 40% of all consumers would abandon a website if it took longer than three seconds to load.

Put yourself in the best possible position to satisfy customer demand by considering the benefits of varying bandwidths. Or perhaps unlimited bandwidth is your best bet, for wholly unrestricted connectivity and a speedy site no matter the traffic or on-page content.

3. Combine web hosting and domain registration

There are numerous steps involved in establishing a website. Alongside web hosting, you need to come up with and register the perfect domain name. You may also still need to set up a personalised business email. You can simplify the process though by keeping your eye out for a web hosting platform that also offers domain name registrations or transfers and email hosting as part of their packages. Not only does this make it more of a breeze to set up your website, it also streamlines the admin processes and allows you to manage each working element more easily (doesn't that sound ideal?).

4. Make your web hosting package work for you

Your website is your own unique digital space where you can publish information about your brand and engage with consumers and everyone’s requirements are slightly different.

For instance, 34,800 Brits search Google for ‘host a free website’, likely looking for help surrounding the best web hosting for a blog. Whereas a further 2,040 search for ‘best web hosting for small business’, clearly looking to develop their ecommerce offering. That's why it’s important to make sure your web hosting package supports your needs exactly.

On top of this, consider the scalability of your website and whether there’s room to grow as your brand does, in both visibility and reach. You might not need too many features just yet, but be careful not to limit yourself before you even get started.

5. Consider a specialist web hosting company

Creating a website can be a time-consuming process, and one which often requires organisation, patience, and skill. And with an average of 1.8 billion worldwide websites online at any one time, it’s important to get it right or you run the risk of falling behind.

Thankfully, you can effortlessly skip over many hurdles that come with building your site by working with a specialist web hosting company. With countless hosting platforms to pick from, make sure to find one that offers round the clock support, for everything from everyday queries to server concerns.

Understanding how to get the most out of your website and web hosting package can make all the difference, whether it's handling customers, creating on-site content or managing growth.

Want to know more about web hosting? Take a look at our blog about the top six types of web hosting and find out which is best for you.