When searching for the best web hosting for small business, you may come across terms and phrases that are unfamiliar to you. It’s important to know what you need and what’s just nice to have.
What does caching do for a website?
A cache holds data temporarily, which uses less computing power on a server. Caching can be done on hardware or via software. Once you’ve visited a website, that page’s data is cached so the next time you visit it, it loads faster. This is a useful feature that can improve your site’s performance – especially for returning site visitors.
What is a CDN and do you need one?
A content delivery network (CDN) is a physical form of caching. A CDN typically distributes data across multiple servers around the world. Typically, your website is hosted on a single server in one location.
Some web hosts allow you to choose the server that best suits your audience. If your audience is global, you may need to use a CDN. It enables faster loading times for everyone who accesses your website, regardless of where they live.
How important is WHOIS privacy?
When you register a domain name, you must provide contact information, including your address and phone number. Anyone can look up WHOIS information on any website. So, if you don’t mask your information, you could open yourself up to spam, telemarketers, and other unwanted contacts.
Some web hosts include WHOIS privacy in their hosting plans, but not all. You can use a business address and phone number instead of your personal information. It may be worth the extra cost to get WHOIS privacy masking, which shows information that cannot be personally identified.
Why you need an SSL certificate
A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate is an encrypted code that stores data that is transmitted to and from different computers. You can tell a website has this when you see the little lock icon in the top left of the URL in a browser (it’s also indicated by the “s” in “https”). So it protects your website and your website visitors.
It’s important to have an SSL certificate, especially if you have an ecommerce website, as it helps secure credit card information and passwords. You’ll also have an easier time ranking in Google’s search engine results if you protect your website with an SSL certificate.
Most web hosts include an SSL certificate at no extra cost, although there are still some that charge extra for it. Also, most use the Let’s Encrypt version of an SSL Certificate, which is a Domain Validated (DV) SSL. A single domain SSL certificate is sufficient for most small businesses, although you may want to purchase an Extended Validated (EV) SSL Certificate, which gives your website more validity.
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