Internet Marketing Digital_marketing_for_dummies | Page 375

Hosting a Website
A web host is a business that stores your website files and makes your website accessible
on the Internet. Although you can set up a web server to deliver your website yourself,
most companies want to use a web hosting company.
The best web hosts have the following characteristics:
Significant uptime: If your website goes offline, it costs you money. Your web host
should have 99 percent uptime or greater.
Support: Look for a host that provides 24/7 customer support, both over the phone
and with live chat.
Speed: Your customers and prospects expect your website to load quickly, and people
will bounce if it takes too long. Your website host is a major factor in your page load
speed.
Security: The last thing you want to deal with as a business owner or marketer is a
hacked website. Your host should take the security of your website as seriously as you
do.
Redundancy: Look for a host that backs up your website daily so that you don’t have
to worry about losing everything you’ve worked so hard to build.
We recommend the following website hosts.
WP Engine
wpengine.com
If you choose to use WordPress as your CMS, WP Engine is a great choice as your web
host. This company is known for exceptional uptime, lightning-fast page load speeds, and
unprecedented security.
Rackspace
www.rackspace.com
No matter what you’re looking to deliver on the web, chances are Rackspace can handle it.
Rackspace is a company with an excellent reputation in the industry and a long track
record of quality.