There was a time when businesses literally moved at a snail's pace. Limited modes of communication and the difficulty in getting fresh news off the press contributed to this.
At that time, the telephone was the fastest means of communication and the Internet had not been born. But, with the arrival of the Internet, the face of world business underwent a revolutionary change. Emails, mobile phones and instant online interaction have become the order of the day, taking business to giddy heights.
Of course, the single most contributing factor to this was the ease and speed with which communication could flow from one end of the world to another. So, obviously, communication is vital to the growth and development of any business
It is in view of this that an online presence has become necessary for all businesses, big and small. However, many small businesses that go online take the jump without a clear idea of their needs. As a result, they end up paying through the nose for services that they hardly use.
If you own a small business and you want to take it online, what are your hosting needs?
When it comes to website hosting, there are three main divisions: shared hosting, dedicated hosting and Virtual private hosting services. Which one of these should you use?
Size matters: Unless your company has stated generating huge traffic or you see the urgent need to expand, it is better to start with a shared hosting package. These are inexpensive packs and they typically comprise of all the features a start-up company needs. However, it is important to remember that shared hosting has some drawbacks. Since you will be sharing the server with other clients, you may experience small outages or lack of speed at times. But, instances such as these are quite rare. Besides, there is always the option to upgrade.
If your business is already pulling a large number of dedicated customers and you expect your business to expand dramatically, you are better off with a virtual private server. These are slightly more expensive but show high quality performance. Dedicated servers are for big businesses that will be depending on their online presence to bring in huge revenue.
Features: Before you choose the ideal hosting plan for your business, identify the features that your visitors will look for. These days, you have a variety of products like Forums, blogs, email accounts and other products that you may want to offer your customers. Make sure that your host supports all the services you want to offer.
Fortunately, many hosting service providers have packages for small businesses, that help to take the guesswork out of what you will need. These packages generally contain everything that you would typically need for your site. Many of them have tools that help you build your site from scratch and establish your web presence strongly. Rates vary according to your bandwidth consumption and services you opt for. To identify the best providers, compare and contrast services. Read customer reviews, testimonials and ask for references. These great resources will help you find just the right hosting provider for your needs.
