Where you host your website is a big decision. You need to have reliable service that isn’t going to cost you an arm and a leg. Especially if you’re just starting out, or if you need to relaunch your site after your last web hosting provider went belly up. Whatever your reasons for shopping around for a new host, looking at newer companies might prove to be a waste. For something as important as web hosting you are often better off with people who have proven that they know their stuff.
First and foremost, you need your web hosting provider to be reliable. You should be able to get customer service on the phone whenever you need. There’s nothing wrong with needing that up-to-the-minute protection. There are a few other good reasons why sticking with companies who’ve stood the test of time is better for your business.
They Have Multiple Servers
When you look for cheap web hosting, you’re trading off the cost against utility. Not all servers are created equal, and on the hardware level, it’s good to be able to go to a business that can meet your needs.
A company that’s just starting out needs to choose their battles since they can’t afford everything. They end up taking a gamble with a setup they think will bring them the most customers. Of course, that doesn’t always work out. A strong, established business not only has more options for serves, but they have more options for backup servers as well. Hardware is expensive, and it’s the kind of investment that is very difficult to make upfront. An established company should be able to beat a startup in hardware every single the time. It’s only when they get a little bit bloated and over budget that they turn into lumbering dinosaurs.
They Can Spread the Cost Between Clients
When you’re looking at a larger site like BlueHost, you’re looking at a giant that can afford to spread out the costs of the good stuff. When every client of theirs can have access to some of the more premium features in web hosting, one wonders how much extra it’d cost. The truth is that it doesn’t cost that much; hardware is a big component, but once they have it, they have it. It’s all about every customer having a shot at something. When a young company wants to offer a new feature, every client who wants it is going to be paying tons of cash. There’s no way around the fact that things cost money, and that cost is always passed onto the consumer. However, splitting the check 500 ways instead of 5 makes it a lot easier on the pocket.
Their Technicians Know Their Machines
When you’re dealing with a cheap web hosting company, they’re probably not going to have too much in the way of techs. They might only have one person down there minding the servers because techs cost a lot of extra money. They might not even have someone working for them full time; they could be out there for a lot of reasons. This is a prominent weakness of young web hosting companies – not having a large, experienced tech workforce.
Technicians for an established company know their machines. They know the quirks of every system and every server and can do a better job keeping things clean, organized, and on track than anyone else could. They already know everything they need to in order to keep servers in top condition. They might even be able to prevent downtime before it occurs by transferring your web site off a sick server before a major outage.
They’ve Weathered a Storm Before
It’s important to note that young web hosting companies can be fragile. Contrary to the more seasoned players like GlowHost. The bigger, older ones have most likely, already weathered a storm or two. Economic downturns, power failures or corrupted data files haven’t stopped them till now, so they’re more likely to bounce back from whatever comes their way. You never know how a new company is going to fare when they hit a rough patch. They might prove themselves worthy, but they might not be ready—or they might panic. So much of surviving as a business is making the right call at the right time, and you don’t want anyone else’s panic dictating your choices. If you bet on a young company that goes under they could drag you down with them.
They Don’t Compete Through Underselling
You might think that getting the cheapest price is always the best no matter what. While getting a deal is always a thrill, it’s often not the best thing that could happen to your business. A lot of the time you’ll find that a business that thrives just by underselling is going to run into trouble. Many young companies take this risk because they think that they can offset their losses by gobbling up enough of the market share. Whether this is true depends; mostly, they don’t make this goal. If you’re looking for cheap web hosting and you notice that a young company is offering an insanely good deal, it could well be a red flag. If they pull it off, good for everyone, but if they fail it’s going to be your hard-earned cash that goes down the gutter along with your website.
In conclusion, unless you’re absolutely convinced about the new web hosting company, it’s better to stick with the experienced ones. To get a sense of who they are, sort the reviews on our site by “best” – for example, here are the best-rated companies in Shared Servers, which should be good for most users.