Today’s blog post explains what web hosting is and looks at how a reputable web host assists in supporting your .au domain name.
To put it simply, a web host stores the files that make up your website. The text, images, documents and anything else saved to your website is stored on a server, provided by your web host.
What should I look for in a good web host?
Let’s say you want to start a website to promote your .au business. You might pay a small fee which gives you access to a domain name, website builder and a web host - you don’t even have to think about where your files are stored. However, as this post points out, understanding your web host is definitely worth your while.
As in the above example, many registrars offer web hosting as a value-added service to assist in setting up your website after you have purchased your domain name.
Maddison Selleck, Chief Business Development Officer at VentraIP Australia, shares his advice on what to look for when deciding on a web host:
#1 Understanding the service guarantee
When deciding on a web host, make sure you understand the service guarantee on offer. VentraIP Australia provide a 99.9% uptime guarantee which enables a high availability for websites that they host.
“Take the time to ensure that your potential web host is using reliable drives and that their entire network is located within Australia. This will help ensure your website is quick to load, particularly for your Australian visitors.”
#2 Quality technical support
“When something goes wrong, the last thing you want is to be stuck on hold or forced to email support and wait around for hours - or days - while your online business is in limbo. The gold standard of customer service in Australia nowadays is 24/7 phone support and you should accept nothing less. When your website is offline, every minute counts!”
#3 Additional service inclusions
“To avoid any unexpected costs or disruptions to your website, it's best to consider how often your provider will backup your website (more often is better) as well as other inclusions such as memory, that is allocated to your service.”
As indicated by Maddison, your web host plays a big part in supporting a reliable and secure online presence. This is a decision that should be made carefully, and with as much knowledge and understanding as you can muster.
If you are only just starting out, check out our Registrar Page, which gives you access to a range of fantastic options for you to get your very own .au domain name and hosting package.