Web hosting has changed dramatically over the last several years, with more and more people moving their websites to cloud-based platforms that offer more flexibility and utility than old-fashioned shared hosting systems.
But what will the best web hosting of 2022 look like? What trends will rise to power in the coming years, and how will they change the game? We’ll take a look at some of the top web hosting services out there today, so you can get an idea of where things are headed in the future.
5 Top Web Hosting Providers
As of right now, Bluehost is one of my favorite web hosting providers. It has a good balance between cost and features.
The company also offers shared, VPS, and dedicated server plans as well as domain names. Bluehost doesn’t offer WordPress-specific hosting but if you use it for your own sites it allows you to install WordPress from their control panel without any additional configuration.
A2 Hosting is one of my favorites. It offers shared, VPS, and dedicated server plans as well as domain names. A2 also offers WordPress-specific hosting with easy installation and cPanel management.
The company doesn’t offer a free trial but instead gives you a 30-day money back guarantee which means that if you sign up for its Basic or Personal plan and aren’t happy with it for any reason, then you can get your money back within 30 days.
KnownHost is another web hosting provider that I use and enjoy. It offers shared, VPS, and dedicated server plans as well as domain names.
The company offers 24/7 live chat support through its online help desk, one-click WordPress installations via cPanel for its higher-tier plans, and easy SSL certificate installation for all of its hosting plans.
You can choose between a 30-day money back guarantee or a 14-day free trial with KnownHost.
iPage offers both shared and VPS hosting plans as well as domain names. The company also offers dedicated servers but these are through a third-party provider.
As for WordPress hosting, iPage doesn’t offer it on its own but instead recommends Bluehost and SiteGround. For managed WordPress hosting, it recommends WP Engine or Sucuri.
You can choose between a 30-day money back guarantee or a 45-day free trial with iPage when you purchase any of its plans.
SiteGround is my current top choice for WordPress hosting. The company offers shared, VPS, and dedicated server plans as well as domain names.
It also offers managed WordPress hosting via cPanel with one-click WordPress installations and automatic upgrades. SiteGround doesn’t offer a free trial but it does offer a 45-day money back guarantee on all of its plans.
The guarantee only applies to domain name purchases though so if you want to cancel your hosting plan after purchasing your domain then you may be out of luck.
Best Factors
A web hosting company needs to have several specific features and benefits to rank at number one for best hosting services. A solid data center, fast load times and strong customer service are just a few of these factors.
The best web hosting companies should be able to offer great warranties, additional security features and user-friendly tools as well. In order to be ranked as one of the top ten best web hosts for business by 2022, a company would need to demonstrate all of these advantages with strong reviews and experience that directly relate back to consumers.
Most importantly, they would also need consistent high quality services without regular outages or downtime—not only is it frustrating when you can’t access your site but it will have detrimental effects on your business overall.
Shared vs. Dedicated Servers
When you’re starting out, shared hosting is probably going to be your best bet. With a dedicated server, you might end up paying for server resources that go unused—not just from yourself but from anyone else who happens to be on that particular server.
A dedicated host will run you more money, sure, but they don’t come with any of those downsides. You’ll have your own server to do whatever you want and there won’t be any risk of affecting other people’s websites if something happens to go wrong on yours.
If you have a higher budget, though, shared hosting is still a good option; most plans include certain resource-intensive add-ons like database support and email management.
Virtual Private Servers (VPS)
A VPS is a full-featured server operating system and platform, allowing for complete control over every facet of your hosting experience.
Depending on how powerful you need your web host to be, a VPS is an excellent way to tailor your virtual space to your specific needs.
Additionally, today’s most advanced servers are controlled through an intuitive web panel—making it easy for even novice users to get started.
Whether you’re looking for high-end features like dedicated IP addresses or more basic capabilities like backups and malware scanning, a VPS can meet any of your hosting needs.
Overall, using a virtual private server allows you access to all of the top benefits that come with cloud computing while still maintaining complete control over how you use those resources and services.
Cloud Computing Platforms
Cloud hosting can be pretty overwhelming, given that there are so many options. Where do you start? How do you compare what’s available with your company’s requirements? What is cloud hosting, anyway? The good news is it doesn’t have to be hard.
Cloud computing platforms are built for easy configuration and even easier use; in fact, most providers have a user-friendly website where all you need to do is select what kind of software you’d like to run on your server (i.e., WordPress) and they will handle everything else. All of that ease comes at a price though—cloud servers can get pricey
What Is Managed Services?
Managed services are a way to offload some or all of your IT operations and maintenance to a service provider. Some of these providers also offer a colocation option, which means they’ll host your servers at their location instead of yours.
The benefits are clear: By handing over control to an outside firm, you can save time, money and resources that would otherwise be spent on managing your own server farm. This is particularly appealing for small businesses with tight budgets or little staffing.
For more established companies with extensive IT infrastructures, managed services can mean improved performance and greater efficiency across multiple departments.
How Can I Find the Best Web Hosting Provider?
Choosing a web hosting provider is more important than you might think. A good hosting provider will have fast, reliable servers that can support your website and its traffic needs as they grow over time.
It’s also important to find a host that includes plenty of add-ons with your plan—especially when it comes to backup and security services.
Beyond that, take note of how accessible customer service is for you personally. Do you prefer phone? Chat? Email? Live chat options can be helpful for checking into issues quickly when needed.
If a host doesn’t offer multiple ways for you to contact them, or if their response times aren’t acceptable to you, it may not be worth moving forward with them long term. Finally, how does price factor into your decision?
Conclusion
You should not only choose a web hosting company based on price. Many people are allured by price, but as I’ve learned, it’s a very short-sighted way to go about choosing a web host.
If you choose cheap because you don’t have any money, but then they don’t have support staff and can’t help with upgrades or add-ons when your site grows, you will regret going with that company! In hindsight they were cheap for a reason and now you need to find someone else.
Even if your site is still growing right now (or even profitable!) it doesn’t mean that it will stay that way forever. There are many factors to consider when choosing an experienced web hosting provider and I am going to cover them in detail below