So you’re ready to finally set up your web presence. Before working with a designer and developer, you’ve decided to purchase your own domain and host. The biggest domain registrar is Go Daddy, and they also offer hosting. It’s a simple process to get the domain connected to the host as long as they’re all under one roof, but is that the best option? Let’s take a look at Go Daddy’s plans.
Economy1 website |
DeluxeUnlimited websites |
UltimateUnlimited websites |
Now let’s compare it to competing host, Host Gator.
Hatchling1 website |
BabyUnlimited websites |
BusinessUnlimited websites |
I chose Host Gator as a comparison because it has very comparable plans. But you’ll notice that the cheapest option is actually significantly better than Go Daddy. This shouldn’t be a surprise. Go Daddy spends big bucks on advertising, and they have become synonymous with web domain registration. When you buy the domain, they upsell you on hosting.
Advanced host features
Do you need a VPS with SSDs? How about a CDN? Maybe a dedicated server? How do you set all these things straight?
For an average small business website, a basic cheap account like the ones listed above will be completely sufficient. But if you have e-commerce on your website, or a huge international company, these features can become very important. Let’s take a look at them.
VPS
VPS stands for ‘virtual private server.’ Essentially, you have access to server controls, as if you have your own server, but you don’t actually have your own physical machine. It’s virtual.
What’s the point? Well, you can choose the processing power of your server, just like building your own desktop computer. You can install software on it as well.
Do you need a VPS? Probably not. Its main use would be for a large website with advanced features like forums, user email accounts, and things of that nature. Talk with your web developer before purchasing!
Dedicated Server
A dedicated server is just like a VPS, but instead of being virtual, you get a literal server machine with your name on it. It has the same benefits of a VPS, but better, and also more expensive.
SSD
What about SSDs? What do they do? Solid State Drives are the next generation of Hard Disk Drives (HDDs). They have no spinning platters, and work more like a huge flash drive. They’re better for a few reasons – namely speed and reliability. They’re great for your computer, and your server as well.
Do you need an SSD? Maybe. The biggest benefit for a website is the file transfer speed. Having a fast website is important, but I would only strongly recommend the upgrade if you have a lot of media on your site. Videos, downloads, many PDF documents, or things like that.
CDN
A Content Delivery Network is essentially a group of servers that are spread out physically. When a user accesses your website, the server closest to them will send the files of your website, vastly increasing the speed. Do you need one? Much like SSDs, it depends on the content of your website. An informational website that’s mostly text and a few images will be fine without a CDN. But if your income is directly tied to the speed of your website, like an e-commerce website, it might be worth the investment.
Other considerations
Before settling for a cheap plan or going all-out for a $200/month dedicated server, consider the potential return on investment. What kind of traffic are you expecting to get? How much money will your website generate, or more importantly, how much money would you lose if your site was slower, or if it went down for a minute or two every couple months?
Discuss these things with your web developer, and come up with a custom-tailored plan that suits your needs.