Whether you’re starting a new website from scratch or working on an already developed one, hosting problems are bound to happen at some point. Or, at least it seems that way.
As anyone who’s ever had a website will tell you – these things happen. It doesn’t matter whether you’re paying for a offshore hosting service or you’re piggy-backing off of free ones – problems arise. So, we thought we’d extend a helping hand.
On that note, we’ll go over the 10 most common hosting problems and give you a tip or two on how to avoid them!
1. Your hosting provider goes out of business
In all honesty, this is not a common problem, but it could happen and it has happened. Essentially, your hosting provider goes bankrupt or decides to close up shop and you’re left without a website.
The solution?
Your best bet is to host your website with a large, well-known company. They’re not going anywhere anytime soon and even if they do go under, they will certainly make sure their customers are left with something in return.
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2. Unexpected downtime or service interruptions
Unlike the first one, this one’s actually fairly common. No hosting company is perfect and unexpected downtime does happen from time to time.
How to avoid this one?
There are a few things you can do to minimize the effects of this problem. First, make sure you’re using a quality hosting provider (one with good reviews). Second, have a backup plan in place in case your site does go down. This could be as simple as redirecting your domain to a holding page or, if you’re really prepared, having a mirror site that kicks in automatically.
3. Poor bandwidth and mediocre load time
Once again – a common problem. While unresponsive websites are usually your fault (it’s hard to hear but it’s the truth), it is also very likely that your hosting provider is to blame as well.
How do you fix it?
There are a number of things you can do, but the best thing to do is to switch providers. If you’re on a shared server, see if you can upgrade to a VPS or dedicated server. This will undoubtedly improve your website’s speed and responsiveness.
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4. Poor security measures and data breach
This is a big one and it’s something that no website owner ever wants to deal with. Unfortunately, it happens. A lot more than you might think.
The best way to avoid this is to make sure your hosting provider takes security seriously. This means they should have things like firewalls and intrusion detection in place. They should also keep their servers up to date with the latest security patches. That way, you won’t get hacked or DDoS-ed, and your data won’t end up in the wrong hands.
5. Government regulatory issues and censorship
This one’s very dependent on where you live. Basically, if you’re in a country with strict government regulations, then this might be something you have to deal with.
So, what can you do?
There’s not much you can do about this one other than to host your website with an offshore provider like evoluso.com in a country with more relaxed laws. Alternatively, you could try using a VPN or proxy service to get around the restrictions but that really isn’t an ideal solution. After all, VPNs aren’t all that powerful.
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6. High prices and hidden fees
Just like with any other business venture, you have to be wary of hidden fees. Or astronomically high ones. Either way, it’s not a good sign.
The solution is pretty simple – do your research.
See what other people are saying about the hosting provider you’re thinking of using. Also, take a look at their pricing structure and see if there are any hidden fees. If everything looks good, then go ahead and give them a try. If not, steer clear of them and look for a better deal. There are loads of hosting options to choose from, so don’t get stuck on the first one you come across.
7. Lack of technical and customer support
This is a major headache for both newbies and experienced website owners alike. If you’re not tech-savvy, then you’re going to need all the help you can get. And even if you are, things can still go wrong from time to time.
So, how do you get by this one?
Look for a hosting provider with good customer support. That way, if something does go wrong, you’ll be able to get in touch with someone who can help you fix the problem.
Also, see if they have a FAQ section on their website. That way, you can try and fix the problem yourself before contacting customer support.
8. Poor quality outdated hardware and infrastructure
Just like any other piece of technology, servers need to be regularly updated. If they’re not, then they’ll become outdated and won’t be able to handle the load. This will lead to slower speeds and downtime.
The best way to avoid this is to make sure your hosting provider is using the latest hardware and infrastructure. That way, you’ll be able to rest assured knowing that your website is running on the best possible platform.
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9. Limited scalability and flexibility
This one’s usually a major problem with free hosting. Once your website starts to grow, you’ll quickly find that you’re unable to scale it. And if you want to add any new features, you’ll probably have to upgrade to a paid plan.
The best way around this is to choose a hosting provider that offers scalable plans. That way, you can start off small and then upgrade to a bigger plan when your website starts to grow. That way, you won’t have to worry about any sudden increase in costs.
And, if it ever gets to a point where you need to build your own servers for hosting – you’ve really made it.
10. Not eco-friendly
Nowadays, more and more people are becoming aware of the importance of being eco-friendly. And rightfully so.
The good news is that there are now plenty of eco-friendly hosting providers to choose from. So, if this is something that’s important to you, then you can easily find a provider that matches your values.
Just do a quick Google search and you’ll be able to find plenty of options.
Conclusion
There you have it – 10 of the most common web hosting problems and how to avoid them. By following the tips in this article, you’ll be able to choose the best possible hosting solution for your needs. And, if you ever do run into any problems, you’ll know exactly what to do.
