Any senior who decides to start a business online is going to need web hosting sooner or later. If you have a website, you’ll need a web hosting service to store all your files and data. In this article, you’ll learn 7 web hosting tips for choosing a reputable web hosting service.
To know what web hosting is, all we need to do is look at what Wikipedia says:
That sums it up. You need a place to store your files and host your website. That’s what a web hosting service does.
Here Are The 7 Web Hosting Tips For Seniors
Following these web hosting tips will ensure that you signup with a solid service provider and will go a long way to your online success.
1 – Choose a trusted service provider
This is the most important point of these web hosting tips. There are tons of web hosting companies online. Some should be avoided at all cost and there are others with fantastic support and are highly reliable.
To make matters more confusing, many web hosting companies have different names but they’re under one main company. So, you think you’re getting a variety of choices, but in reality, you’re still looking at different hosts under one company.
Our research has shown that the three of the best web hosting companies out there are CanSpace, Siteground, and Blue Host. Out of these three, for most seniors just getting started online, the best choice would be CanSpace.
Support is very good with all three, but especially with CanSpace. With many other web hosting companies, if you have problems, you’ll need to submit support tickets and you’ll be shuttled to some outsourced support staff that can’t proficiently help you – and you’ll be given the runaround.
With CanSpace, they will solve almost all your problems in record time.
Here is an example from my own experience. The issue was reported at 11:35 AM and resolved at 11:40 AM.
2 – Try to keep your domain registrar separate
Ideally, it’s best to register your domain name (e.g. www.yoursitename.com) with a domain registrar like Namecheap. By keeping your domain and web hosting companies separate, you cannot be held hostage by your hosting companies.
Many people make the mistake of registering a domain while getting the hosting plan. Later on, when they try to move to another web-hosting provider, the one that they’re currently with makes them jump through hoops and tries to retain the domain name and hold it hostage. It happens.
Then it becomes a hassle and a mess trying to break away from them. So, get your domain with Namecheap.
That said, if it all seems confusing to you, you can get your domain through CanSpace. They are very ethical and will not resort to slimy tricks to retain customers. You’re in safe hands.
3 – Check the features and limitations
Always check the features and fine print when signing up with a web host. Very often, you’ll see words like ‘unlimited’ data or ‘lifetime’ plans, etc. Usually, in the fine print, you’ll discover that there are limits and conditions.
When you exceed your allotted quota, they’ll send you the bill and extra charges. It happens all the time. So, be aware of it.
4 – Does it fit in with your budget?
If you’re a senior who is just starting online, you DO NOT need dedicated servers and hosting with all the bells and whistles. Choose a host that charges you a fee you can afford. This is a monthly bill. So, you want it to be as little as possible.
A normal shared hosting plan will suffice. You shouldn’t be paying more than $15 USD a month for hosting. All the best web hosting providers charge around $12 to $15 a month for a basic shared hosting plan.
See our recommended service below.
5 – Scale-up slowly
As you progress online, you can increase your data plan, etc. You may wish to get security add-ons, etc. for your website. But when you’re starting out, keep it to the basics.
6 – Ask a few questions first
Before paying for any web hosting plan, always contact their support desk and ask them a few questions. The goal here is to see how fast they respond to your questions and if their replies are reliable.
A support team that gets back to you in a timely and polite manner inspires confidence in their service. If you’ve not heard from them after 2 days, you’re better off with another service provider that is more responsive.
Note my real-life support example above in web hosting tip 1.
7 – Look for reviews
Other than doing your own research, you can always look around for opinions from others. This may or may not help you because while some people may love one web host, others may have had a bad experience with them.
Be realistic though, and try to take things with a grain of salt.
In Closing
At the end of the day, you’ll have to pick the one that’s best for you.
Follow these 7 web hosting tips and choose your web hosting service wisely.
Recommendations
I am currently using and recommend CanSpace. They offer starter packages for under $60 Canadian dollars ($46 US) for a prepaid annual service.
If you need a hand getting it set up just contact me and we can work out an affordable arrangement.
For domains, Namecheap is a leading ICANN-accredited domain name registrar. Namecheap has about 3 million customers and more than 7 million domains under management.
Namecheap offers domain names at some of the best prices in the industry
Related post: Seniors Guide to Blogging
You should assume the owner of this website has an affiliate relationship and/or another material connection, to any suppliers of goods and services that may be discussed here and may be compensated for showing advertisements or recommending products or services or linking to the supplier’s website.
[avatar user=”mike” size=”thumbnail” align=”” link=”file”]Mike Gaudreau is the owner of The Wealthy Boomers, a site devoted to helping seniors make money online. Mike resides in Montreal Canada.[/avatar]
