Budget Web Hosting Solutions for Start-Ups
Start-ups today can’t survive without a proper website. Offering customers with the option of finding information online and even providing services online will be crucial for business success in the modern world. When it comes to delivering reliable online services to customers, the web hosting company you choose for your business plays a crucial role. But as a small business starting out, you might not have the money to opt for a high-end service. Luckily, there are a few budget options available for start-ups, with a wide-range of different services that should cater for your needs.
Before we examine some of the options, it’s a good idea to understand and analyse your needs. As the below will show, web hosting providers offer a variety of services and you shouldn’t opt for packages that deliver things you don’t even need.
The main areas you need to focus on:
Space – How much space do you need for your online activities? The more activity you have on your site (e.g. you are selling products online), the more space you need. If you are just looking for a website for basic information, you shouldn’t pay for too much extra space.
Bandwidth – Web hosts often have a limited bandwidth on offer in the more budget-friendly deals.
Speed and reliability – Again, if you are expecting plenty of activity, you need to focus on speed and reliability. It’s a good idea to read reviews and consider what type of scalability the provider offers.
Support – For start-ups, the level of support your host provides can be the deal breaker. If you don’t have an in-house IT team to solve certain issues, you want to ensure the support offered will cater to your requirements.
Managed or Unmanaged – Most providers recommend opting for a managed web hosting service, especially if you have no experience in the field. On the other hand, if you are well used to handling web hosting and all the things that come with it, it’s not worth paying for the administration.
The top hosting solutions available:
Let’s now look at some of the biggest names in the business and what these providers could offer for your start-up.
1. First one to mention is 1&1. The web hosting company is rather popular among small businesses and its focus is mainly on entrepreneurs, instead of private customers. The provider offers unlimited web space, with a single domain on offer. The biggest benefit of using its services comes also in the form of 24/7 customer support and you are able to take use of its simple website building apps. 1&1 hosting costs £3.99 per month for the first year, with the service going up to £6.99 a month afterwards.
2. Another popular hosting provider in the UK is 123-reg. The company initially only offered domain registration, but it has since moved to hosting as well. The service offers 10GB of web space, with a single domain on offer. The provider can also support up to 500MB worth of MySQL data. The service is rather cheap, costing just £2.50 per month.
3. If your start-up requires the use of ASP.NET and MS SQL for website management, then you need a Windows hosting platform. EUKHost is a solid option for this, providing customers with 50GB web space and supporting three domains, although the web host doesn’t provide a domain to use itself. The benefits to EUKHost come from its 224/7 technical support and the unlimited bandwidth it offers. The service costs £4.99 per month.
4. You are guaranteed to receive reliable service with Easyspace, as the web hosting provider has been operating for over 18 years. The provider offers support via phone and its online chat service, with services ranging from unlimited bandwidth to a free setup. It offers 3GB space with the basic package, which unfortunately doesn’t come with e-mail account. Nonetheless, you can enjoy from other additional benefits and the annual packages start from £28.80.
5. Finally, GoDaddy is one of the most known web hosting providers in the world. The service costs start from £4.80 per month, with the average prices climbing to £6 after the first year. Start-ups can enjoy free backup and restoration services, with an option to use the unlimited storage. The annual plan also delivers a free domain and unlimited bandwidth. The best advantage of the service is the on-demand increases to hosting capacity. For a start-up, the ability to boost your hosting during high traffic periods can be crucial, as you might not always be prepared for those sudden surges in interest.
The above hosting providers are all worth a closer look if you are searching for web hosting with your start-up. The key to finding the right provider depends on understanding your needs. While the above offer great pre-set packages, you should also contact their customer service for tailored services, especially aimed at business use. This can guarantee you are paying only for the services your business actually requires.
