6 More Common Web Hosting Problems And What To Do About Them

Way back in 2010 I discussed common web hosting problems. Since web hosting is always evolving along with the Internet, it was time to add to the list. A lot has happened in the last seven years. Back then cloud services weren’t even mainstream. Video viewing and downloading is now common practice. And today more people access the Internet with mobile devices than desktop computers.

Without solid web hosting nothing else matters on your website because people won’t be able to find it and use it. There are a lot of things that can go wrong at the hosting level and affect everything else.

You can avoid most of the common issues below by simply using a top-rated web hosting company with a strong track record of reliability and security. Beyond that here’s what you can do.

Going With a Free Web Hosting Platform

Building on the point above, you should avoid free web hosting platforms. The offer of free web hosting is enticing, but ultimately it isn’t worth it. Free web hosting services offer virtually no security, storage space, bandwidth, design tools, functionality and the list goes on. Resist the urge for a deal that sounds too good to be true, because it is.

Zero Customization

Even if you go with a paid web hosting service there may be little customization in regards to the services, manageability and functionality. Plans that allow you to pick and choose features as well as customize your website will often provide the best value since you’re getting exactly what you need.

Bandwidth Caps

Bandwidth has long been a struggle for web hosting. Handling the demand of today’s users is no easy task. For that reason, some web hosting companies will put a bandwidth cap on a plan. Be careful to read the agreement fully and not fall into this trap. Even if your bandwidth need isn’t that substantial now, you never know how things will change. Make projections based on your goals for the next 1-5 years. 

Connection Lacks Speed

Page speed is a major component of SEO rankings and user experience. If your pages are slow to load or laggy, it’s going to a big negative. A number of things factor into the speed of a website and hosting is one of them.

The location of the hosting company’s data centers plays a role. The centers should be located as close to your user base as possible. Also, look for web hosting companies that are actively taking measures to reduce network latency. Utilizing a hosting service with a Content Delivery Network (CDN) can also dramatically improve speeds.

Overpaying for Web Hosting Services

Too often people make the mistake of sticking with a web hosting service instead of considering their options. Usually, this is the case when people sign up for a special deal and then continue on with the service after the rates increase.

When you’re considering web hosting plans make sure you are aware of all related fees and expenses. Watch out for overage charges, which can make your monthly bill much more expensive than originally anticipated.

It Takes a While for Changes to Appear

Updates and changes are a common occurrence on active websites. How quickly those changes will be reflected on your website is up to the web hosting company. It can take up to a day or so with some providers depending on what was changed. For example, after making a change to the DNS you could find that there’s a “Coming Soon” page in place of your site for a day.

Typically, a day or so turnaround time isn’t a huge issue. However, if you need to promote an event last minute or make a fix for SEO purposes immediate updates are ideal.

As mentioned above, most of these problems are non-issues if you choose the right web hosting company. Providers that make security, reliability and bandwidth a priority are usually worth the monthly fee.