It seems there’s a clear preferred choice when it comes to selecting a web hosting platform for new websites. An overwhelming majority of new site owners seem to start their online journey with Shared Hosting. It is pretty straightforward to use and provides a host of features without drowning you under a deluge of complex functionalities. While that is one of the reasons for its popularity, the other important consideration is its price. Shared Hosting is the most affordable web hosting solution and offers the best value for your money.
Even though it is a pocket-friendly platform, it offers you all the features and tools you need to get started. But if you’re looking to get more out of your hosting, you must enlist the help of extra add-ons. These add-ons will add more functionality to your hosting with useful tools. They range from a selection of backup tools, security measures and even email hosting. But, first things first – let us understand what web hosting means.
What is web hosting?
Simply put, web hosting is a service that enables you to publish your website over the Internet. It is your website’s home where all the files, databases and services required by it are stored. Various hosting companies offer web hosting services and build and maintain the infrastructure that makes it possible. They rent out server space and provide associated services to businesses and individuals wanting to publish their websites and blogs online.
You can buy the server space for your blog or website in the form of hosting plans. And like almost everybody else, you can start with Shared Hosting, which is a very popular choice among new site owners. But, what is Shared Hosting?
Shared Website Hosting is a web hosting service that hosts numerous websites on a single physical server. The sites share all the server’s resources, like storage, memory and processing time. Since many websites use one server, the hosting provider can offer the hosting space at very low prices. It is a proven platform that is also one of the oldest forms of hosting. However, as your website starts to grow, it will need more advanced features that will add more functionality to the website. Some features will offer a better user experience while others will improve your site’s security and stability.
Let us take a closer look at some of these add-ons that you can buy with your Shared Hosting plan to enhance your website’s performance.
Some useful web hosting add-ons you must consider
Add-ons are additional services offered by hosting providers over and above the basic hosting plans. Some hosting providers offer these services pre-bundled with the web hosting plan for zero cost.
For the add-ons that are optional and come at a cost, you can pick and choose only the ones that you need, like a buffet system. Opt for these add-ons from your hosting provider to make it easier to integrate them with your website.
Here are our picks of some handy add-ons that will super-charge your website and make it much easier to manage and maintain.
- SSL Certificates
SSL (Secure Socket Layer) protects your website data as it travels between your server and user. It encrypts outgoing information to protect it against interception and decrypts it only at the user’s end. You must get an SSL certificate for your website even if it doesn’t handle sensitive or financial data. It awards a seal of trust that assures your website users of the site’s safety standards.
Web hosting providers offer a basic SSL Plan free with their hosting plans. Additionally, providers also tie-up with various branded SSL providers like Comodo SSL and offer paid SSL Certificates on their website. Buying an SSL from your web hosting provider makes integration easier.
- Automated Backup
Your website’s backup is your last line of defence against total data loss. If your website crashes or gets hacked, you do not get much time to restore it. The longer your site stays down, the more users you will lose. Invest in an automated backup tool like CodeGuard that backs up your data without intervention. With CodeGuard you get the latest copy of your website to restore.
- Website Security
Site security is a critical factor in ensuring that your site maintains its credibility. An anti-malware tool like SiteLock actively identifies threats with a daily 360° scan. It proactively identifies threats and fixes them automatically. With a robust security system, you are assured of your website’s protection and concentrate on your business. Site security is a highly recommended add-on.
- Content Delivery Network (CDN)
The Internet is blazing fast! But it still takes time for the data to travel from its hosting server to the user. If the data has to cover a greater distance, it will take more time. If your server is in India and the user is in the US, they may find the site to be slow. A Content Delivery Network like CloudFlare replicates your website data on a global network of servers. It serves user requests from the nearest server and supercharges page load speeds. In recent times, With CDN becoming a basic requirement, more and more hosting providers have started pre-integrating Content Delivery Networks with their web hosting plans.
- Business Email Hosting
Using a free email service for your business is a cardinal sin! Imagine sending crucial business communication through a free email account. Get a domain-matching email for your business to build up your credentials. It shows your serious intent and makes your communication more trustworthy. Don’t let your users mark your email as spam. Get a Business Email Hosting account for your new website.
Conclusion
Get these add-ons when you’re buying web hosting for your new website. They will turbo-charge your website and make it a well-rounded destination for your customers. In addition to these also ensure that you’re getting 24X7 live support to take care of any contingencies. For this, always buy web hosting from a reliable hosting provider.
HostGator is a trustworthy web hosting provider that offers state-of-the-art web hosting solutions. Apart from cost-effective Shared Hosting plans that operate on a robust infrastructure, it offers all the relevant add-ons at reasonable prices to add more value and functionality to your site. You get pre-bundled cPanel, free SSL, pre-integrated CDN and caching and round-the-clock award-winning customer support.
Visit our website today and check out all the web hosting and add-on products.
To know more about the other web hosting categories and to choose the right option for your business, visit our Hosting Blogs Category.
