If you are on the hunt for a reliable web hosting provider, you may be doing some intense research to find the right one. While big name companies might first grab your attention, try to stay unbiased. Although there are many great web hosting providers out there, you’ll get more bang for your buck if you consider hosting your site locally. There are some awesome advantages to hosting your website with a local provider.
- Better Customer Service
One of the greatest things about local web hosting is that it is easier to access quality customer support. Instead of being treated like just another sheep in the herd, local providers strive to make sure each and every customer receives one-on-one support and leaves the call with the problem resolved. You may not truly understand how great it is to have such reliable support right in your back pocket until you have to deal with a major telecom company’s support hotline. Larger companies deal with more customers, resulting in longer wait times and less-than-resolved issues.
In some cases, there are so many people waiting on the line for help, that you may not even get a response from the company until hours later. In other words, if you have a website emergency, you may be waiting a while to get it all figured out. Anyone who has ever dealt with this probably never wants to deal with it again. The difference between a big name company and a local web hosting company is that your local company has real people ready to answer real calls and real questions, 24/7/365.
A local web provider will never be too busy to answer your questions, concerns, or fix a problem on your website. Some web companies, like us here at Hostirian, even offer help with web design and online presence. Local companies have the time and resources to put more energy into you and your website. You can be rest assured that you are dealing with real people, because your local companies are quite literally around the corner.
- Faster Loading Times
When you host with a local web provider, you can bet that you and your customers will experience faster loading times. Web speed is dependent upon the distance the website data travels from its server. This means, the closer you or your customers are to that server, the faster your website will load. Therefore, the location of your web hosting provider really matters.
Let’s say that you are hosting your website with a big name provider, whose servers are located in Oregon. For the sake of the story, let’s say that you live and work in southern Florida. Those servers will need to be accessed every time somebody clicks on your website. Because those servers are all the way across the country, it will take a little longer for your website to load for you and your local customers. The further away you are, the more networks you’ll have to travel through to access your website. Your website wouldn’t necessarily be slow, but it will take a few milliseconds longer to load.
If you weren’t already aware, website speed is incredibly important. All it takes is 3 seconds stuck on a loading screen and your visitors are gone! If your website takes “forever” to load, your visitors will look for another website that fits their needs. The difference between a fast loading website and a slow loading website might be where you decide to host. A perk of hosting locally is that you know exactly where your hosting provider is located. You know where the servers are located and you can be confident that your website will load quickly for all those searching locally.
- Pricing
Have you ever noticed that larger hosting companies sometimes charge less for these seemingly awesome hosting or WordPress packages? Those numbers might seem enticing, but you have to really pay attention to what you’re paying for. Have you ever heard the phrase, “You get what you pay for”?
Let’s say that you buy a cup of coffee for only $1. You might think, “Wow! This was so cheap!” But when you take your first sip, you can feel your tongue curling in repugnance. It tastes awful! In this scenario you truly got what you paid for.
You are getting what you pay for when purchasing a cheap hosting package! You might be saving yourself a few dollars per month, but you won’t be saving yourself time and energy. Not to mention, when something goes wrong with your site, you may have to deal with hours of wait time to get in touch with customer support. Most of the time, cheap hosting packages are a way to get you in the door. From there, you’ll most likely have to build the site yourself. Such companies are also known to nickel and dime your every move.
When you host locally, you’ll not only receive a hosting package that includes everything you need, but you will also receive customer support. When you host locally, you know exactly what you are paying for. You are also dealing with real people, who know you and your website, and are able to help at any time of the day, week, month or year. You may even find that some local companies are cheaper than your big name companies. We suggest seriously reviewing any hosting package before you buy. At least with a local company, you know that you are dealing with a small business who cares immensely about your support.
- Privacy/ Security
Hosting locally will help you remember that your data is being stored nearby. Knowing this information will help ensure peace of mind that your data is safe. Website security is incredibly important. There are so many things that entail website security. It’s one of those things that people tend to forget until their website gets attacked or something happens to the server. When deciding on a web hosting provider, consider their security precautions. Some web host providers offer free malware protection along with any package. We, here at Hostirian, are proud to be a company that offers malware protection with all WordPress packages.
Anyone who has ever had malware knows that it is a pain in the rear! It’s very rare that you will see “free malware protection” listed on a cheap or free hosting package. This goes back to the saying, “You get what you pay for”. Over 30,000 websites are attacked everyday. If you are hosting with a big company and your website it attacked, it may be more difficult for you to get it fixed. A local web hosting provider is going to do all that they can to provide an impeccable and secure experience for each customer, while a big name web provider is going to do what they can for the large number of customers they are serving. It depends on the kind of experience you want.
- You Are Supporting A Small Business
Last, but most importantly not least, when you host with a local web provider you are supporting your community. When you give your business to a small, local company, you are keeping dollars in the local economy, which helps create more jobs with better wages. When you do this, your community will thrive! Literally, everybody benefits. Not only will a local company provide you with quality service, but they will provide the community with the tools they need to thrive. Local businesses typically return the favor and are more likely to stay accountable to their local communities, participate in fundraisers, and donate more money to nonprofits. When you support small, local businesses, you are saying “yes” to your own community!