Website hosting and management
Understand the support, maintenance, security and management features you should look for in a web hosting provider.
Finding the best servers to host your website on can be daunting. There are many things to consider, not least:
- the type of site you wish to build
- how to manage it
- who will maintain it
- whether to host it in-house or externally
As well as this, you should also think about server upgrades, monitoring and security, content management, and customer service. Read more on choosing a web hosting provider.
Server security
Websites can come under threat from hackers, viruses and other cyber attacks. If you host your website in-house, you must put your own security measures in place.
If you use third-party hosting services, server security will generally be their responsibility. Look for assurances that they are running firewalls and malware detection, and monitor their servers for unusual activity. See more on cyber security for business.
Server upgrades and monitoring
To keep your website running smoothly, someone must monitor the server's performance and apply upgrades when needed. This includes watching its central processing unit, memory and disk usage, network performance and backup utilities. From time to time, you will also need to install new versions of the server software or upgrade hardware components.
If updates require downtime, try to schedule them at quiet times, such as overnight, to minimise disruption to your customers. With external hosting, the provider usually handles upgrades and monitoring, but you should check their service level agreements (SLAs) to confirm what is included.
Content management
Content management systems (CMS) allow authorised users across your business to easily add or update web content without needing extensive technical skills. When choosing a hosting provider, make sure they support the CMS you plan to use - for example, WordPress, Drupal or a hosted site builder. Read more about content management systems.
Techical support
Customer and technical support are important when choosing a web host. No provider can guarantee 100% uptime, so you should know what help is available if a problem occurs. Ask:
- what support channels are offered, eg live chat, phone, email
- when support is available, eg 24/7 or during business hours
- is there a limit to the support you can get as part of the package
See how to choose an IT supplier for your business.