Common Typical Challenges in Web Hosting and Solutions to Resolve Them

WebHosting – Whether you’re an entrepreneur, small business owner, or hobbyist, you likely want to showcase your work on a website. It’s not too hard to partner with a top web hosting service, but dealing with various hosting issues when running your site is the trickier part.

No worries; we’re here to assist. Our experiences have prepared us for fixing slow load speeds and navigating beyond shared hosting limits. Our expertise comes not just from academics but also from our personal investments in time and money for our own websites.

We understand the urgency of keeping your website running smoothly. If you’re facing hosting troubles, acting quickly is crucial. A slow website with frequent downtime won’t impress Google, especially for businesses aiming for a high rating. Keep reading to learn more about common web hosting issues and how to resolve them swiftly.

WebHosting – 1. Slow Loading Times

A sluggish website is worse than an offline one, as visitors tend to abandon slow-loading pages. Prolonged load times not only affect potential leads but also harm your Google ranking due to a low “bounce rate.” To rectify this, optimize images by keeping file sizes small (ideally 20MB or less), maintain optimal dimensions, and use tools like Kraken.io or Optimizely for image scaling. Plugins like Smush or Imagify in WordPress can also help. Additionally, consider using Lazy Load and ensure your hosting plan is up to date.

How to Resolve the Issue

If your website is loading slower than a tram going uphill, making minor adjustments to your graphics can be the key to improvement. Image optimization holds the potential to significantly enhance your website’s functionality.

To ensure rapid loading of photos on the user’s screen, prioritize small image files. This is especially crucial for e-commerce sites, which often store numerous photographs. Aim for individual picture sizes with a maximum of 20MB and an optimal size of no more than 500KB. Maintain picture dimensions at 640 x 320 pixels for mobile devices and between 1500 and 2500 pixels for desktops.

You don’t need advanced Photoshop skills for this; two excellent free online tools for picture scaling are Kraken.io and Optimizilla. Alternatively, ensure proper scaling before posting by using WordPress plugins like Smush or Imagify.

In general, compressing original photos to 80% quality is acceptable without compromising high-definition standards. Consider implementing Lazy Load, a highly recommended plugin that prioritizes picture loading based on visitor proximity to the relevant page area.

Lastly, confirm that you are using the latest version of your website’s hosting plan. This ensures that potential issues do not hinder your website’s functionality, contributing to a smoother online experience.

2. Errors in Servers and Downtime

Experiencing server errors (like 503) or downtime can harm your website’s credibility. Minimize downtime by choosing a web hosting company with a good uptime rating. Regularly monitor your site’s uptime, enabling notifications if possible. A reliable hosting provider should offer a dashboard with detailed information.

How to Address This Issue

The most straightforward way to minimize downtime is to choose a web hosting company with a solid uptime rating. Despite the challenge of selecting the best provider, as many top contenders boast above 99.9% uptime in our evaluation, it is crucial for optimal website performance.

Regardless of your chosen company, diligently monitoring your uptime is essential. While uptime monitoring may not be enabled by default, it is worth exploring, as all the recommended companies provide this feature. Once activated, you can access site-specific data, and some providers even allow you to set up notifications for any downtime. For instance, upon enabling this feature, your host should furnish all necessary information on a unified dashboard.

3. PCI Compliance and Security

Security is crucial for your website’s success. Install an SSL certificate for encrypted data transfer. For e-commerce, understand PCI compliance; website builders or third-party processors like PayPal handle compliance for you. E-commerce plugins, like WooCommerce, can simplify PCI compliance for WordPress users.

How to Address This Concern

To bolster your website’s security, prioritize selecting a web hosting company with a robust security stance. Additionally, ensure the installation of an SSL certificate to encrypt data, safeguarding payment and login information.

For those engaging in e-commerce, delving into PCI compliance is crucial. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI) mandates stringent security requirements for websites handling cardholder data. Opting for a website builder is a straightforward way to achieve PCI compliance, as these platforms streamline the process.

Alternatively, consider using third-party payment processors like PayPal or Stripe. While they charge a transaction fee, they manage PCI compliance on your behalf. For those not keen on this route, ecommerce plugins become valuable. Specifically, WooCommerce is a recommended option, particularly when paired with the WooCommerce Payments add-on for secure PCI-compliant transactions. WooCommerce also seamlessly integrates with external vendors for added flexibility. To explore further details, you can refer to our comprehensive WooCommerce review.

4. Limited Resources: High Traffic and Shared Hosting

Shared hosting may become limiting as traffic increases. Consider upgrading to VPS or dedicated server hosting for scalability. Ensure the new plan provides sufficient resources, such as bandwidth, to handle increased traffic.

How to Address This Situation

When faced with limitations on shared hosting, it’s time to upgrade to a more advanced hosting package. VPS hosting is often the logical progression from shared hosting. However, if you anticipate substantial growth and require even more capacity, dedicated server hosting may be necessary. With dedicated hosting, you won’t need to worry about bandwidth constraints, as your website essentially leases an entire server for itself.

Ensure that your new hosting plan caters to the resources your site demands, regardless of the host you choose. Specifically, the upgraded plan should offer increased bandwidth to effectively address any challenges stemming from the current plan’s limitations in handling high traffic volumes.

5. Insufficient Assistance and Support

Choose a hosting company that offers quality support through email, live chat, and 24/7 assistance. Reliable hosting providers should respond promptly to technical issues, ensuring you’re not left alone in handling problems.

Addressing the Issue

In the context of web hosting, encountering and resolving issues is both expected and crucial. It is entirely reasonable to expect your hosting provider to value your time and promptly work towards restoring your service in case of an interruption. If, for any reason, your hosting company is unable to manage an outage, they should be considerate and understanding of your circumstances consistently.

Having multiple avenues for assistance is advantageous. Contemporary managed web hosting typically includes 24/7 support, with fair considerations for increased usage during peak shopping seasons. The more robust the support options, the better the overall assistance in navigating potential challenges.

6. Inadequate Scalability

Ensure your hosting provider supports easy scalability. Cloud hosting is often a solution, allowing seamless scaling of resources based on demand. Reputable hosting companies discuss options and processes before upselling or migrating.

Addressing the Issue

In many cases, opting for cloud hosting is the recommended solution. While it often entails a slightly higher cost compared to non-cloud hosting, the benefits include greater flexibility. As your company grows and your website faces challenges accommodating the expansion, cloud hosting provides an easier migration process and improved responsiveness to unforeseen surges in traffic.

Conclusion

Managing a website comes with challenges, from security issues to slow load times. Whether facing security concerns or rising hosting prices, these solutions aim to empower you to overcome the obstacles. Consider reliable providers like webhostinghyderabad, offering high uptime, support, scalability, and performance for a smoother website management experience. Share any doubts, queries, or feedback in the comments section below.