If you’re setting up a website, you’ll need to choose a site to host it. A web hosting service provides all the technologies you need to have a live website and have it viewed on the internet.
Whatever you want your site to be or the functions you want it to have, sorting out your web host is step one. If you need support with this, speak to our web development team in Berkshire.
Are all web hosting services the same?
There isn’t just one web hosting service. There are loads of options out there and, while lots of them offer a similar service, they aren’t all created equal. Web hosts can offer features such as email accounts, technical support, and FTP access when you choose to host with them, so you should browse your options and think about what you want included in your fee.
SEO and web hosting
Importantly, there is something else to consider when choosing your web hosting service — and that’s Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Some web hosts may offer your website a better chance of ranking highly on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) — which is key to getting visitors to your website.
If you base your decision on who to host with based on price alone, your “good deal” could actually mean poor outcomes for your website’s performance.
Site speed has been deemed a key ranking factor by Google, meaning how fast or slow your website loads could either improve or jeopardize your Google SERP ranking. Loading speed isn’t completely dictated by your web host, but the configuration of your site could be slowing it down. If you’re on a busy server that’s hosting lots of other websites, there will be fewer resources available for yours. It’s not easy to control this one, but it’s worth keeping in mind if your website isn’t ranking well despite ticking lots of the boxes in terms of SEO — e.g. readability is great and you have excellent web design. You might want to switch servers and see if it helps.
Similarly, location plays a role in SEO. Search engines use the location of IP addresses to decide where to place a site in their rankings. As IPs are assigned according to where servers are based, it could be worth getting e.g. a UK IP address with a UK server if your target market is based in the UK.
Another thing to consider is that uptime and downtime can also impact SEO. If your site is always down due to technical issues with your server, it could get flagged by search engines as “unreliable” (which will be no help to your rankings). It’s a good idea to find a host that guarantees a very high uptime or at least offers the technical support to see what’s going on when your site is down.
Jennifer Cornish SEO Agency: web design and development in Berkshire
Are you looking for someone to help with your web development in Berkshire? At Jennifer Cornish Design, we can help you get your site to where you want it to be. Offering services such as SEO and web design, our talented team can get to work giving your business a much-needed boost.
Whether you’re based in Berkshire or beyond, we have the skills and expertise to give your site a competitive edge.Contact us to learn more. Alternatively, why not book an appointment with us today?
