If you are looking to develop and launch a new website or change your web host to a different provider, there are a range of aspects you must consider. Let’s look at the top five.
1. Storage Space
Your server-side storage space is where all assets that make up your website are placed. This includes any images, page templates, databases, scripts or any other media that is to be used in the running of your site.
When looking at hosting providers and their packages, you should aim to go for a package that has sufficient storage for your site, along with a good buffer that will be able to cope with updates and additions to your site.
The more storage you have on a server, the more your hosting package is likely to cost; balance is important.
2. Bandwidth
The definition of bandwidth is the amount of data that can be pushed to the user. Think of it as a drainpipe: the larger the drainpipe, the more water can flow through it. A drainpipe that is too small backs up easily if demand is exceeded.
It is vital that you have sufficient bandwidth to serve the expected number of users your site will reach.
The more rich media content such as video, audio and high-quality image files you store, the more bandwidth you will need.
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3. Software platform
Server side software comes in many different flavours, such as Apache, Microsoft IIS and Caddy. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks, so it is important to research the platforms used by each web host you are looking at to make the best decision for your website.
4. Processing Power
The bigger and more complicated your site is, the more processing power it will need to operate effectively and avoid lag for the end user. If your site is going to contain videos or have many pages, look for a package that gets you access to two or more CPU cores.
5. Memory
RAM, or Random Access Memory, allows your website to load more rapidly for the user. The more RAM available to your site, the quicker it will work. Large sites with lots of user interactions, such as comments or content uploads, will need more RAM than sites with less interaction.