We know all about what does and doesn’t work for finding a web hosting New Zealand, as a digital agency that has had to use multiple providers. The better the quality of the hosting company you choose, the likelier website’s overall success with visitors.
One of the things that many website owners don’t realize is how much of an impact seemingly small things have on the success of a site. When you know what matters the most in choosing a web host, you’re on your way to better outcomes for your website.
We’ve summarized what you most need to look for when looking for a web host. These points are all of vital importance, and we have summarized why they matter.
What to Look for in a New Zealand Web Host
1. Look for Flexibility in Plans
Different web hosting plans abound today, and one thing that we’ve found is consistent is that a competent provider needs to be flexible. Inflexibility will cost your site in more ways than one, so this is something you must avoid.
Most sites will grow over time, even if that growth is modest. How big do you reasonably expect your business to become? Since your site could grow beyond expectations, thinking big is always a good way to go about things.
Think about how easy it will be to get additional bandwidth or storage space as your business grows. Will it be easy or complicated to upgrade? After all, one viral video or social media post could double your traffic virtually overnight.
If you offer products and services sold online, think about what your host provides for SEO services and SSL certificates required for better security. Adding these services might need an upgrade to a more expensive plan, so be prepared.
You’ll also need to think about whether the systems that you use comply with regulations about data privacy. Using non-compliant systems reduces the risk of customers doing business with you, as well as opens the door to legal issues.
Think about how easy these changes are to make and whether the web host can complete them for you. After you’ve found out about how possible these changes are, think about whether the price is still within the range you want to pay for your services.
2. Check Out the Technical Specifications
Technical specs matter, especially if you intend to use loads of videos, a blog-based site, or an online store. Video and media-rich sites take up a lot of space and bandwidth, and optimization for mobile users also matters in these circumstances.
The amount of space that you get with your plan, as well as the network speed, will make a significant difference in the overall performance. You don’t want visitors frustrated with how long it takes to access anything and possibly going elsewhere.
Your site should have ample support for multiple platforms that manage different types of content. For example, blogging platforms like WordPress can help provide a user-friendly foundation for a full website with a lot of in-demand features.
Website owners who sell products online will also need to consider what a web host has to offer. You need a site that is user-friendly but also provides the necessary security for customer transactions. You want your customers to trust you.
The amount of bandwidth available is essential, as this impacts how easily customers access your website. How many processors a server has and the amount of RAM will also have a significant impact on performance. Storage space is also of substantial importance.
We recommend inquiring about all of these specifications beforehand to avoid any problems. It’s always better to be able to correct a problem before your site’s ready to launch, and you lack the amount of space that’s necessary.
3. Consider What Type of Support is Available
Support is of vital importance during the selection process, but somehow people often overlook how crucial it is anyway. One of the things that we’ve found from experience is that you can never be too careful when it comes to researching support quality.
You need to have confidence in your host’s ability to handle concerns. After all, the time to find out how well the support functions shouldn’t be during the midst of a crisis. Satisfactory answers to questions can help you judge their abilities.
Think about what could happen if your website is down for any amount of time. If you’re like most business owners, you probably can’t afford a prolonged outage. Where operating multiple backup sites isn’t practical, good support matters.
When you have an urgent need, it’s crucial to be able to speak with a real web hosting New Zealand technician. We know from experience how frustrating it can be to be unable to get the help you need. That’s why support is so vital for your site.
4. Check Out the Pricing
The price of your web hosting is essential, but in many cases, it is far from the most critical factor. In fact, we’ve seen people make very bad decisions based only upon the price of their preferred web hosting provider.
If your site is intended to earn an income, such as an e-commerce or affiliate link site, other factors might have to very well come ahead of the price. For example, you might need to think about features like SSL certificates or e-commerce integration.
There is usually a little bit of extra work required for providers who offer e-commerce features, which somewhat justifies the higher costs. Understanding how the providers explain these additional costs will help you understand their importance.
Better quality could come with a price, but it should be a price that you’ll decide is worth it. After all, the costs of a site that doesn’t meet your needs can be high. A site ill-suited to your needs could require more technical work at a high cost.
5. Find Out Where the Data Centres Are
The location of data centres makes a substantial difference in how easily customers access your website. Even if you use a New Zealand web hosting company, your site likely has visitors from every corner of the world.
Having site visitors from all over the world makes the location of your data centres all the more critical.
Customers in the Australasia region will have different traffic needs than those living in Western countries. For example, Singapore is an excellent location for one of the data centres if you have a New Zealand or Australia customer base for the most part. Having the traffic flow directed to a data centre closer to visitor locations reduces load times.
Sites that attract visitors that include many Western nations would do well to have a web host that uses the United States or UK-based data centre. Consider where most of your visitors are when deciding where your host should have data centres.
It’s easy to think of data centre locations as being somewhat like airport locations. When traveling to certain areas, flights to some airports provide more direct routes than others. Internet traffic operates in much the same way.
To Wrap Everything Up
Knowing the best tips for finding a New Zealand web host will help ensure a better experience overall. Understanding how flexible everything needs to be, as well as the technical specifications available, will make a difference.
Technical support, pricing, and data centre locations all play a crucial role as well. The more you’re aware of these factors, the better a decision that you can make.
