Your website can have the very best design, but without a reliable host, it won’t consistently deliver to your users. Learn how web hosting impacts UX and how to find the best web hosting Canada has to offer.
Imagine you put in all the work to build a stunning website and spend money on SEO and ads just to drop the ball when they reach your website. Instead of being greeted by a slick site, your visitors are left with slow-loading screens or unresponsive servers.
Does the web host matter?
Unfortunately, this happens all the time with sub-par and cheap web hosting services. And given how quickly users bounce if friction happens during their website experience, there’s a good chance you’ll lose their trust and interest—potentially forever.
Do I really need web hosting?
Don’t let your visitors get lost in the abyss. Find a hosting provider that supports your site’s stunning visuals and high-quality content. You need a great foundation to build your site, and our team of design experts at EB Media is here to help.
Follow along as we explain web hosting and delve into the ways that web hosting impacts user experience, so you can make informed decisions that elevate your brand’s online presence and drive business success.
What is web hosting?
When you build a website, its files are stored on a server and sent to the right computers when they enter a URL to visit your site. That space is held by the web host, who takes care of the server space and delivers your website quickly and reliably. If your web host goes down, your site can’t be accessed until it’s fixed.
When should I use web hosting?
You need a web hosting service whenever you build a website—there are no real workarounds unless you obtain a license and build a server yourself. For the most part, it’s not a cost-effective option.
5 Ways Web Hosting Affects UX
1. Website Page Speed & Loading Times
How does hosting affect website speed?
With modern technologies constantly improving internet speeds, user expectations are extremely high when it comes to loading times. A great web host uses ample server resources, SSD storage, other optimized configurations, and content delivery networks (CDNs) to deliver pages as quickly as possible—ideally in under 2 seconds.
How does web hosting affect SEO?
Over the past few years, Google and other search engines have made website speed an increasingly important ranking factor because it’s so intrinsically tied to a good user experience. So, a fast web hosting service will also help set you up for better SEO success.
2. Uptime and Site Reliability
Uptime refers to how often a website is accessible, which requires web hosting servers to remain active. When people head to your website and find it down, it can be frustrating and a real credibility killer.
Today, web hosts should have a strong uptime guarantee and a history of 99.9% or higher. If it’s not up nearly all the time, move on to a better, more consistent option. Look for a host that proactively monitors uptime and has quick response times to minimize disruptions the rare time your site goes down.
3. Solid Security Measures
Site security is critical, especially as AI makes cyberattacks more and more sophisticated. Your site must be secure enough to deliver to users and keep any sensitive customer data safe from cyber threats.
Your hosting provider should follow security standards and best practices, including SSL certificates, malware scanning, regular security patches, and firewalls. Consider adding 2FA, or two-factor authentication, for an added layer of protection.
4. Server Location
Your server’s physical location greatly impacts your site performance—the closer the server is to the users accessing your site, the faster it will load. Choose a server location closer to your target audience to keep latency and loading times down.
If your audience lives all over the world, use CDNs that cache site content on several servers worldwide so every user can enjoy fast loading times or global solutions like Google web hosting.
5. Storage
A good hosting plan should give you ample storage space for your site’s files, media content, and databases. Whether your site is 1 page or 100+, you need a storage plan with ample space for current and future needs. Better yet, find a solution that’s scalable, so you can flex your plan up or down as your business needs evolve.
The type of storage matters, too. Opt for SSD storage, which is usually faster and more reliable than HDD storage options.
EB Media—Web Design Agency & Hosting Services
Don’t pick a web hosting service based solely on price—weigh these factors when you’re choosing the right solution. Remember that a positive UX is invaluable to building a trustworthy, successful brand, so sometimes the cheapest option won’t make sense.
At EB Media, we build professional websites and take care of web hosting for our clients. We can offer expert advice and hands-off web hosting solutions tailored to your specific needs—we take care of everything, so you don’t have to worry.
If you’re ready for a free quote or want to discuss your next project, contact us today or learn more in our blog on website development.
