Expenses rack up quickly when you own a website, so many site owners look for ways to cut costs. If you’re one of them, be careful. You might be able to find an inexpensive domain name or a budget-friendly template, but you should never settle for cheap website hosting. From malware to slow-loading pages, here are four site-damaging issues commonly associated with cheap hosting.
Loading Delays
Many site owners envision a dedicated server for their hosting needs, but that’s not the case with cheap hosting plans. When you sign up for cheap hosting, your website gets crammed on a server with hundreds of other sites. You all share the server’s resources, which means your site may experience loading delays.
So, why does this matter? Nearly 1 out of 3 Internet users confess they abandon sluggish sites after 6 to 10 seconds, and 15 percent of impatient users wait just 1 to 5 seconds before leaving. A slow-loading site can make customers click back to their preferred search engine before they even get a glimpse of your content.
Unreliable Performance
When you share a server with other sites, expect inconsistent performance. Sometimes your site will load quickly, and sometimes it won’t load at all. This is frustrating for website visitors, but it can also cause issues on your end. It’s difficult to tweak your template or update plug-ins if you can’t even access your site.
Virus Exposure
Picture a bunch of sniffling kids in a daycare classroom, hugging each other and sharing germs. This is what happens on a shared server, except websites pass around malware rather than germs.
Malware compromises your data, and it can put you — and your customers — at risk. You may not notice malware right away because it operates quietly behind the scenes, which means malicious programs can destroy your site before you even realize anything is wrong. Your hosting company might help, but sometimes you’re on your own if you don’t have a team of WordPress experts on your side.
Unexpected Fees
Your hosting fee is often based on factors like traffic and disk space. This is fine if you manage a simple site with hardly any visitors, but what happens when your site unexpectedly grows? As you add more content and clicks increase, you might get hit with overage fees based on data and visitor count.
You can also encounter extra fees when you’re forced to hire outside help to address issues your hosting company should handle. These expenses add up quickly, which means your cheap hosting plan can end up costing more than a mid-priced plan. For this reason, it’s often wise, to begin with, a medium-priced plan if you expect your site to grow in the near future.
A quality website is a necessary investment for business owners. Show that you value your company’s goods or services — and the consumers visiting your website — by choosing a dependable hosting company for your digital content. If you need help finding a reputable company, reach out to your maintenance provider for suggestions.
Our WordPress Experts Can Help
Visit WP SitePlan today or give us a call at (855) 977-0391 to speak to an expert about anything WordPress! Our skilled experts are here to simplify website management, whether your site needs a complete overhaul or a few quick fixes. We’ve got commitment-free plans for every budget. Let us help you find the perfect plan for your website needs — no contract required.
