Website Hosting for Your Small Business

The internet has grown from a small neighborhood into a densely populated world in the last 20 years. As a result, many businesses have had to adapt to the changing environment and make their digital presence clear for those who seek them via those channels. Along with this came new services with new terms that are still foreign to the average business owner. While large corporations have polished websites and social media pages, some small businesses find it an extraneous task to actively maintain a digital presence. The internet is an overarching term of many components, drowning the basics of where it all comes from, starting with the website and website hosting.

Domain Names

The title of a website is also known as the domain name. This will usually direct the user to a page that contains information on products, services, or just general knowledge. Although it seems like the computer speaks in English, in reality it has its own language. When a computer calls out to a domain name the Domain Name Servers (DNS) respond with a series of numbers associated with the domain name, known as the ‘IP Address’, or Internet Protocol Address. This address leads the computer to the location of the server where the site is housed, known as the ‘website host’.

Website Hosting

A website host works as a safe keeper of different sites and ensures they are functioning correctly and updated frequently, as well as backed up so the data is never lost in space. Like any industry, there are big and small website hosting companies, and along come the pros and cons of choosing one or the other. Some well-known website host providers include GoDaddy.com and BlueHost.com. These are user-friendly for the general person and make it easy to build a website from scratch.

These large hosts can be thought of as a 2000-unit apartment complex, where it requires an appointment and a wait time to get maintenance for the renter when needed. A smaller website hosting service, like BRMC, can be compared to a single home, where the owner will ensure the foundation of the home is always intact and any small maintenance is prioritized and taken care of.

Benefits Of A Smaller Website Host Provider

Having a reliable website makes the difference in a competitive online world. If a prospective client is looking for an injury lawyer would make a google search and clicks on a site that is ‘currently unavailable’, they will click on the one that is functioning and make the selection from the list of available choices. Hosts like GoDaddy come with a range of issues that include frequent website breakdowns and not enough personalized attention. This may be okay for a personal website but not when it comes to a business and a potential loss of leads.

Choosing a local website host provider makes sure the websites are functioning properly at all times, leading to more clicks, and eventually ranking the site higher on google searches. Google will make other websites organically appear on the first few pages if they frequently function properly and have little to no downtime.

Website hosting by a small firm gives businesses peace of mind because of the range of benefits. They know they will be treated with first class care and be catered to in a very short period compared to GoDaddy.com.

Importance Of Online Presence

Like Kodak and Sears, even the most successful companies can get left behind if they are not competitive and change with the times. It is important to recognize that we live in a digital world, and to stay relevant, companies must ensure they are communicating clearly via online channels. Therefore, advertising where potential customers are looking to fulfill a need is a must. The website is like the online home of a business and must be maintained often.

Having a team that ensures your website is hosted on a healthy platform is important. Having an experienced company that can ask the business the questions consumers are seeking and then applying it on a website in a creative fashion is an even better idea. Blue Ridge Media Company is a boutique marketing firm that creates and hosts websites, and takes it many steps further to enhance the online presence with social media maintenance and other services. Enjoy a peace of mind with BRMC website hosting!