Starting your online journey calls for thousands of questions, a series of doubts, and a line of to-dos. Right? Of all the important and the not so important issues related to running an online website, one that appears a little late is that of web hosting. Here you are stumbled by an array of arguments before picking the right one.
To start with, the type of hosting service is a topic of grave concern. Where some would vote the relevancy of Shared Hosting services, others would be inclined towards the Virtual Private Server. Depending upon the type of business and the extent of secrecy, you wish to embed within your website, the choice would vary. For the ones that seek to own a private virtual server space without the intervention of any other website, VPS serves the purpose.
Now, this might have been easy; however, the question as to which provider should you trust is a bit tough. There are plenty of VPS Server Hosting service providers and finding one would involve a series of things that you need to consider. In case you are wondering where to start, we have outlined the top five questions you need to ask the VPS hosting service provider before investing in their plan.
Five Questions You Need to Ask Your VPS Server Hosting Provider
- Do you provide SSL?
SSL stands for secure socket layer. It is the payer of encryption added within the URL of the website to maintain the privacy of all your information. For the ones that are about to build an eCommerce store or a website where they might share/store vital user information, safeguarding and protecting the same is a must. So, before you finalize a VPS Hosting provider, ask them whether or not, they provide an SSL certificate along with the hosting services.
- What is the minimum uptime of the server?
Running a website that remains off the internet is of no use. You have spent tons of effort, time and money, so driving significant benefits is what you expect, right? Having a server with less than 99.9% uptime would only be a wastage of money and resources. Prior to taking the next step, ask the service provider, what is their uptime? Anything up to and above 99.5% would work. Also, if possible, have them sign a consensus where they guarantee the above.
- Do they have an option to upgrade?
It could be that you are a pro or just a beginner. Irrespective of the above, traffic of a website can never be predicted, and if everything goes right, you might witness an increased amount of traffic. Now, this is when you would feel the need to upgrade your existing services. Often, website hosting service providers trick their customers promising to provide scalability. What you need to do is make sure that you don’t fall in their trap and confirm that they will stand by their words.
- Do they provide 24*7 Customer Support?
VPS Hosting involves the ecosystem where you have dedicated control over your resources and complete root access. So, having a backup is a must. It might so happen that things go against your will, and there isn’t much that you can do. In such a case, having expert support or guidance is imperative. The assurance that somebody has your back and will diligently address your problems sways off all the concerns. A 24*7 support, either through a call or a text, is enough to embed trust.
- What do they charge?
Finally, one of the most important ones, the fee levied on the plan. The thought of taking your website online might give you butterflies, but that doesn’t negate the fact that the pricing of the plan is important. Just because they are offering all that you want, you cannot spend any amount of money. Ask them what they charge and how? Specifically, it is the speed, bandwidth, space offered and backup facility that accounts for the price. Assess what they are offering, and whether or not, it is worth the money.
Final Word
It is always best to know the features rendered by a significant VPS Hosting provider before joining hands with the same. Examine each and every aspect and only when you are convinced, move ahead with purchasing the hosting service and taking your website online.
