Lots of start-ups concentrate on the frontend capability of their websites like search optimisation, user interface and experience, layout, and advertisement. However, they neglect the importance of backend functions which sums up the poor performance they experience with server issues. While building your website, you probably focus on the content, SEO, the graphics and layout, advertising and marketing all essential components of a good site. However, it turns out that the server you choose to host your website matters a great deal.
Frontend and what happens at the server side is quite essential and with a focus on selecting a suitable web server, your content and ideas add up to your business objectives at the end of a period. Remember that how your webpage quickly loads is a determinant of the type of web server handling that action. But it goes further than that, Google is interested in your web page’s rapid loading, and they are likely to push your profile forward when you meet their ranking requirements.
Given how SERPs are designed nowadays, you don’t want to pump in energy creating content with intuitive interface and experience that people on the internet don’t get to see eventually. It can be frustrating when your best efforts don’t create desirable results. While a good web server may not be all you need to portray a good impression for your website or push you to the first page of a search engine result, it certainly adds up to such desired results. Yes, your server choice in terms of speed, custom settings, and bandwidth add up to your website’s search potential on SERPs.
Website Security Primer
To truly get a hang of the implementation of security measures online, look into your security structure noting exactly how data is exchanged, stored and retrieved. When you choose to host your webpage on a server, you’ve decided to put your files where people can access it quickly and safely. So, it is practically outsourcing security to a service provider at no cost at all. If you were to do that yourself, quick access and file safety may become a serious burden because you don’t have a platform or architecture that is practical for speed and security.
The role of server hardware that takes care of your content can’t be overemphasized as it contributes to the transfer and exchange of information from the server-side to end-users. With a mouse click and the right address in the URL box, browsers convey people to various destinations online, but what really happens is not obvious to everyone. Basically, information or data moves in bits and exist as tenants on a server as packets, which is the information or query that is requested.
This exchange and transfer of information result in malicious openings that can be utilised by black hat hackers. The openings reveal information like the address of computers and networks, including their location and server strength. This logging activity is an asset for benign attacks by hackers and security experts alike where malware can be injected into the network including the server.
Factor in this precaution in your planning process with proper server-side protection, choosing a server host that has made adequate provisions for your website safety, at this point, is important. Ensuring that your users go through your web content with relative ease where they feel confident spending time on your website is equally important.
Shared hosting becomes a shared responsibility
Start-ups usually prefer shared hosting to either cloud or dedicated hosting because it is practically easy to break into the market and push out your content cheaply. But it comes at a security cost. Most times, sharing resources like speed and bandwidth with others means you are also sharing security risks. When the content of a shared server user like you gets hit with a security threat, it has a halo effect on other users where their content and the webpage can equally get compromised.
With a shared hosting platform, you need to be in the loop about the general security measures in place so that you are not affected by others. A cautionary note is to refuse to accept or assume that the responsibility of security is plainly in the hands of other shared users. Take responsibility for yourself, for your content and online campaign by upgrading your security systems whenever necessary even when others don’t take it seriously.
When it comes to your website security then choosing a reliable hosting provider is the most important process. Taking into consideration factors such as 99.9% uptime and enhanced security protocols, A good hosting provider should also have expertise in application software hosting such as QuickBooks Enterprise Hosting and services such as Hosted Desktop as a service with top-notch end-user support.
Results of poor web hosting
Spam
Spam is unsolicited content that takes up your storage space. While spam could be simple requests from third party locations, it could also be dangerous sets of programs and instructions that slow down your server speed and your computer. Refusing to manage spam results into a hammer blow from Google, as the search engine consistently looks for spam to destroy it, possibly along with the web page contained.
Backlinks to websites pointing to your domain, are great indicators of online dominance and google delights in ranking a webpage with tonnes of it on the first page. Spam existing in the comment box rich with links are usually placed there by bots and not human beings. They surreptitiously create a good impression on google that is misleading. However, recent Google updates eliminate and blacklists such site address.
It is better to protect your webpage and server from spam by utilising organic methods alone, shun black hat approaches.
DDoS Threat
The DDoS security breach has been in the news lately following recent political implosions connected to Operation Payback, a campaign for free information and largely a decry of intimidation after Wikileaks censorship by the United States. Bigger corporations like Visa and Mastercard’s website were the targets.
These consistent attacks are carried out to restrict a website indirectly by loading traffic beyond its capacity. When this happens, the webpage is rendered inactive and it becomes difficult to connect with the server host.
Such a breach is activated by malicious code through a series of active computers on a network. As hackers continue to fine-tune their antics, security systems are also upgraded continually to handle DDoS occurrence on a computer and server host.
Usually, an attack like this happens on a website once at a time and therefore can be managed and prevented from spreading to other webpages. Experience has always shown that a DDoS attack is a smokescreen for injecting further malicious crawlers on a webpage.
Malware
What a layman calls virus is known as malware in technical parlance. The misconceptions surrounding its name takes nothing away from its dangerous potential on web content and users’ vital information.
It has also become one of the favourite tools in a hacker’s arsenal to launch specific attacks. Black hat hackers usually create links that direct to an affiliate address to gain control of certain data which could have a financial benefit. Such links give them backdoor access into your system administration when you innocently click a link embedded in a download request or pop-up.
It can become really frustrating when your webpage is compromised all the time because you don’t have a monitoring system in place. Monitoring systems look keenly at your system catalogue and screen potential areas for malicious intent.
How to find the right hosting provider
Looking for the right host for your website becomes dicey when you don’t make adequate preparations for it at the onset. Usually, some start-ups approach this issue ingeniously, they create a department in their organisation that handles this task at the cost of looking outside for mentorship and direction.
It is more a necessity now than ever, to create a hosting plan so that your choice for a type of server host is more rational than sentimental. This rational process of reaching a decision empowers you to choose a provider that meets your business requirements.
A good indicator is opening certain doors for server host collaboration. This partnership reveals a lot and is a platform for knowledge transfer. Endeavour to select from numerous alternatives, the provider, that puts your security concerns first and clearly shows success through evidence and a proven track record of performance. Consequently, this approach allows you to focus on other creative duties rather than security alone.
For those considering website hosting in NZ, during the interactive process, ask a provider these questions to gauge their competence
- How will you help me secure my website?
- What measures would you take in the event of an attack on my webpage?
- Is DDOS (Denial of Service) protection available? Is there an uptime guarantee?
- What are your plans for backups? What is your backup policy? How immediate is the backup process?
These questions guide you to make rational decisions about their security expertise and measures: are they proactive or reactive. Consider creating an appraisal method that looks into how these providers meet the requirements and then proceed with your decision. But don’t forget to consult the experts as well.
Conclusion
Your content, webpage, layout and user interface is useless without a proper structure in place that caters to your server needs like security, scalability and speed. Having a great server provider, such as Bluehost, 1&1 INONOS, Hostgator, Heart Internet and Domain Names Freeparking NZ, allows you to reach benchmarks quickly and move your business forward.
Similarly, endeavour to create a profile that evaluates a server host on the basis of security for your content online including necessary features that add spice to your content’s impression on virtual space.