Every successful website depends on reliable and secure hosting. The selection of different hosters is large, and the different tariffs and features also differ greatly. When choosing the webspace, you should always keep important aspects in mind and not save money at the wrong end. Secure and stable web hosting is the basis for a long-term successful website, regardless of the particular site.
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How do the various hosting providers differ?
The most obvious differences are probably the price of the different tariff models. However, in order to find a good hoster, it is not enough to focus exclusively on the price. Rather, the services and tariff details offered are decisive when it comes to choosing a suitable hoster.
What is important?
First of all, the choice of the host depends on the needs and requirements of the website to be hosted. For fun projects or experiments it can be worthwhile to fall back on cheap webspace, but demanding or even professional websites should be hosted by quality hosts. In addition to personal requirements, the following aspects play a major role in the selection of the host:
Server availability
If the website is not available, nothing works. The reliable availability of the site is a basic requirement for proper operation. While hosting offers from cheap providers often struggle with failures, other providers ensure up to 100 percent availability.
Computing power
Especially when several users share a server, it is important that enough computing power is available at all times. If there are many customers on a server or if outdated hardware is used, loading times can be significantly extended or even failures can occur.
Backups
Loss of data is always annoying, especially if you have not secured yourself against data loss. When choosing a host, you should therefore ensure that the respective provider creates regular backups and makes them available. Some providers only store this data for a few days, others for several weeks.
Storage
If you don’t want to save tons of images or high-resolution videos, a few gigabytes of memory are sufficient for most websites. If you plan several web projects from the start, you should dimension the memory accordingly.
Number of databases
Usually, one database is sufficient for each web project. With several projects, a corresponding number of databases can provide a better overview. 1000 or more databases as many hosters offer with their hosting tariffs are way too many.
Number of email addresses
The behavior of the e-mail addresses is similar to that of the databases. It can make sense to create several addresses for different purposes or several people, but few will need more than 1000.
Domains
The number of domains is not in itself a decision criterion, it is easily possible to book afterward.
If you really want to run professional websites, you should also consider the following aspects:
PHP7
If you have to choose a hosting provider today, you should make sure that it also supports PHP7. In direct comparison to PHP 5, the current version is almost twice as fast. The cache engine OPcache can provide additional speed.
MySQL
The latest version of the MySQL databases should also be available (5.6 or higher). Furthermore, the InnoDB storage engine is preferable to the old MyISAM storage engine. Many cheap hosters only provide their customers with outdated versions.
SSL certificate
If you want to transmit data securely, you need an encrypted HTTPS connection. An SSL certificate must be installed for this. Here you should make sure that corresponding certificates are included in the respective tariff if possible.
Additional protection for companies
In contrast to private individuals, companies are more dependent on a secure hoster. They often store confidential data that must be protected in a special way. Hosters such as the Vautrin data center are specifically targeting commercial customers with their hosting offers and offer them tailor-made hosting tariffs. Both small and medium-sized companies and large corporations can benefit from the additional services of such hosters for commercial customers.
Private customers or traders should take enough time when choosing the right hoster and choose a hoster who can best meet their own requirements. In addition to good infrastructure, reliable customer support is also essential for fast communication with the hoster. This is especially true if you are planning a move or takeover or if you have an acute technical problem. In the best-case scenario, companies should take advantage of appropriate commercial offers to ensure reliable hosting.
