Web Hosting Services in the United Kingdom
3E Accounting’s pocket guide on what to look for when choosing your web hosting services in the UK.
We live in a digital era, and terms such as ‘data economy’ and ‘technological revolution’ are buzzwords that everyone is familiar with. Knowledge is just a click away, and any business without a web presence is out before they even begin. There are various web hosting services in the UK and choosing a suitable one can be confusing. You need to focus on service with the best uptimes, reliable support and good features. Importantly, you need a service provider that can assure you of fast speeds globally and locally.
The Host With the Most
If your business has a website, then it needs a home. This axiom applies to the sole trader as much as multinational corporations. Whether you are a drop shipper or a 100-year-old brick-and-mortar organisation, the web is the place you need to be. Ideally, you want your business to be discoverable at the top of a web search in Google.
A web host has various functions including:
- Hosting your website.
- Storing your website data on its servers.
- Making your website data available to those who browse.
- Data transfers and communication including emails.
This is where the service providers such as 3E Accounting come in. Excellent features, reliable servers and really fast speeds are all nice to have but will cost a pretty penny. Finding a service provider who can provide customisable services at competitive pricing, such as 3E Accounting, maybe your best option.
Web hosting comes in various tiers, each with its unique features and cost plans. Depending on your needs, you should choose a web host that serves all your needs without breaking the bank. Some of the more popular tiers include:
WordPress Web Hosting
this is a highly popular, open-source platform and requires some know-how of content management systems (CMS). It is easy to learn, very user-friendly and provides the most functionality for a self-hosted site. You can choose the free WordPress CMS and do it all yourself, or get the optimised plan for a fee, which handles back-end support.
Dedicated Web Hosting
best for sites that need a lot of server resources. It is packed with features, full-scale support and super-fast speeds. It is powerful and pricey, a top-tier host where you pay for the privilege.
Business Hosting
Ideal for corporations with high digital footprints needing round-the-clock support such as onboarding specialists. The host will have dedicated servers as well as cloud servers such as Google Cloud, etc. They also offer SSL or Secure Sockets Layer certificate, which encrypts data for safe financial transactions on your website. Not as pricey as dedicated web hosting but still on the upper end.
Shared Web Hosting
the web host has a single server but with multiple sites which enables the cost to be inexpensive. However, performance can be comprised due to the very nature of the shared resource. An alternative to this is the slightly more expensive VPS web hosting. Also a shared service, but it has fewer sites with individual resources.
If you are still confused as to what suits your business, starting small may be your best option. From a shared or VPS web hosting, you can always move on to business hosting. Conversely, you can always speak to business solution firms such as 3E Accounting on web hosting services in the UK. Our team can guide you on what you need, be it a site builder, or operating system. Contact 3E Accounting today for innovative insights and solutions to all your business needs.