The perfect host

Jerry L. Kennedy | TLT Social Media Marketing February 2015

A wise decision on who will house your Website is critical to success.
 

Your hosting account is the server space where those files are stored and retrieved by browsers around the world.
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LAST TIME WE DISCUSSED THE IMPORTANCE OF FINDING the right domain name, but a great domain is only the first piece of the puzzle when it comes to building a Website that will be easily found by your intended audience (prospects). There’s one more piece of information to consider that is often overlooked. Most folks go from selecting a domain to hiring someone to design their site without giving very much thought to where the site will be hosted once it’s built.

What is hosting, and how is it different from your domain name? Think of it this way: Your domain is like the address for your house. When someone types your domain name in their browser’s address bar, it’s like writing your mailing address on a letter. The browser uses the domain name, like the post office would use the address on that letter, to track down the location of your Website.

Hosting, on the other hand, is the house; it’s where your Website actually lives. Think of your Website as a collection of files—images, text and video that your browser opens and displays for the end-user based on the instructions contained in the folder. Your hosting account is the server space where those files are stored and retrieved by browsers around the world, and choosing the right hosting account is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your Website. Why?

To answer, let’s return to the analogy of the house. We all know that houses require regular cleaning and maintenance: sweeping, vacuuming, putting things away, changing lightbulbs, changing air filters and dozens of other tasks that, if neglected, will cause your house to fall into disrepair and eventually become unlivable. In addition to the maintenance, you also need to think about periodic upgrades (to things like appliances), insurance and security. Your Website also requires regular cleaning and maintenance, periodic upgrades, insurance (in the form of backups) and security. Especially security.

Who takes care of these requirements for your Website? That will depend on the kind of hosting account you select, and there are as many kinds of hosting plans as there are types of homes. If you select one of the bargain basement plans from one of the larger hosting providers like GoDaddy.com, expect to care for maintenance, upgrades, backups and security yourself. Also expect your site to run slower because it will be sharing server space with a lot of other Websites. If you’re willing to pay a little more, you can find a hosting provider that will take care of all of those things. It’s like having a butler, handyman, claims adjustor and police officer living in your house.

How does hosting affect your site’s performance, especially its search ranking? First and foremost, it’s the speed, baby! How fast your site’s pages load into your end-user’s browser has a huge impact on how search engines like Google rank your site, and your hosting account makes all the difference in the world when it comes to load speed. Bargain hosting is like bargain housing; many dwellings crammed into as small a space as possible (think apartments), and finding the address you need is a little like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack. At the other end of the spectrum, a dedicated server with just your Website on it is like a mansion on a hilltop. You can spot it quickly from miles away. 

So pay attention to your hosting provider. Don’t cheap out. It truly is a case where you get exactly what you pay for. Take your time, do your research and find a place to build your Internet home that will be fast, easy, convenient and secure for your guests.


Jerry Kennedy earned his stripes as an operations and sales manager in the lubricants industry. He is currently the co-founder of CDK Creative, a digital marketing agency that brings his real-world sales and operations experience to the world of online marketing. Learn more or request a consultation at http://cdkcreative.com. Email him at jerry@jerrykennedy.com.