You already know your business should have a website—but just using that Facebook page is so easy, isn’t it? At least it used to be; Mark Zuckerberg’s ecosystem is becoming less user-friendly and more indefensible in terms of security and privacy by the day. You need to move out of Mark’s house and get your own place.
Like finding a home, searching for a website hosting service presents almost too many choices. There are hundreds of web hosting companies in the market, all vying to get your business online and in front of customers who aren’t looking for you in the Yellow Pages (ask your parents; they can explain).
Regardless of size, all web hosting companies provide the same utility: servers that store and stream the files (graphics, text, audio, video, etc.) that make up the content of your website. Keep in mind, web hosting services are for pro-level sites that need to handle plenty of content and traffic—which is most types of business sites. Some small, micro-budgeted enterprises could get by with simple, third-party website builders like Squarespace or Wix, or even Tumblr or Blogspot. But a real business needs real hosting muscle behind its site.