The modern consumer does the majority of their research before making a purchase online. In fact, according to a a study conducted by the eCommerce Foundation, 88% of consumers perform an online search before making their purchase. Furthermore, when a consumer is making an expensive purchase (purchase >$250), consumers will more than likely turn to online reviews to help them with their purchasing decision. If you’re a home services business owner who currently hosts a site and has been getting positive review content, this is good news for you.
Some research indicates the average homeowner is budgeting anywhere from $1,000-$3,000 a year for home repair costs.
Web hosting services that will get your business noticed
If you have not, today’s economy is in a prime spot to get your business online. With many home services industries experiencing better than average growth compared to other industries, it’s never been a better time to get online and maximize your business. But in order to get your business online, you need to host your site.
Why you need website hosting
A lot of businesses believe that if you simply buy a domain (the URL address to your site) that you’ll be able to get your business online. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. A domain will just get your name recognized on the web. A host site allows you to “rent” space on a server so all of your site’s data can be stored and shared on the web. Consider it like the space you rent for your office and shop, only online. Hosts will charge for the rented space on their server. Of course any business owner has the ability to self-host, however, if you’re not a seasoned programmer we advise against this.
When you employ a hosting service, all of your backend needs: uptime (the time your site is visible on the internet), traffic bandwidth (the load of site visitors that can be allowed), maintenance and repair of servers and more will be taken care of. Hosting also allows you to keep your online company’s data safe.
Best hosting sites for your home service business
Here is a list of the best host sites for your small business. It’s important to identify what your needs are and what a provider can offer. Do you need your site to be up on the web 100% of the time guaranteed (uptime)? Do you put customer support at a paramount? Are you a low-cost searcher?
HostGator
Cost: $2.75/month (special intro offer with 45-day money back guarantee)
Free trial: No
Support: 24/7 support
Uptime: 99.9% guarantee
Pros:
- Good for beginner website builders
- Easy to use site building software
- Established host provider for many years
- Good customer service
Cons:
- Some Windows-based compatibility issues
- Doesn’t support SSDs (faster storage drives) on all plans
A2 Hosting
Cost: $2.99/month (special intro offer)
Free trial: No
Support: 24/7 support
Uptime: 99.9% guarantee
Pros:
- Robust hosting packages
- Compatibility with WordPress
- Great customer service
- Money back refund plan
Cons:
- Some Windows-based compatibility issues
- Relatively expensive compared to other intro offers
DreamHost
Cost: $2.59/month (special intro offer with 97-day money back guarantee)
Free trial: No
Support: 24/7 support
Uptime: 100% guarantee
Pros:
- Industry leading security features
- PC Mag’s “Editor’s Choice” 4 years in a row
- 100% uptime guarantee
- Good customer service
- Generous money back refund with introductory plan
Cons:
- No Windows based servers
- No phone customer support
Bluehost
Cost: $2.95/month (special intro offer with 30-day money back guarantee)
Free trial: No
Support: 24/7 support
Uptime: 99.9% guarantee
Pros:
- Free SSL (security license that helps with SEO rankings and purchase protection)
- Great customer service via phone, email and chat
- Free domain name with purchase
Cons:
- Low cost introductory plan doubles after 1 year renewal
Hostwinds Hosting
Cost: $8.99/month
Free trial: No
Support: 24/7 support
Uptime: 99.999% guarantee
Pros:
- Great uptime
- Great customer service via phone, email and chat
- Top rated on Inc 500, PC Mag and Findmyhost
- Easy to use tools to build attractive sites
Cons:
- Some Windows-based compatibility issues
- Only been around since 2010. New to the industry
GoDaddy
Cost: $1/month (Special intro offer)
Free trial: No
Support: 24/7 support
Uptime: 99.9% guarantee
Pros:
- Global data centers to provide high speed and great uptime
- Great customer service via phone, email and chat
- Email integration with microsoft apps
- Free Microsoft office business email service for 1 year with purchase
Cons:
- Been known to have slower speeds
- Huge company, sometimes takes time to get customer service rep
- Rate jumps 800% after year renewal
- No grace period money-back guarantee
Liquid Web Hosting
Cost: $29/month (lowest rate)
Free trial: No
Support: 24/7 support
Uptime: 100% guarantee
Pros:
- Terrific customer service
- Industry leading uptime
- Uptime guarantee lapse will credit your account
Cons:
- High price
- For expert webmasters
- Lacks shared hosting plans (plan for most basic needs)
Siteground
Cost: $2.99/month (special intro offer)
Free trial: No
Support: 24/7 support
Uptime: 99.9% guarantee
Pros:
- Trusted by over 2 million domains
- Free automatic daily backups to your data
- Unlimited email accounts
- Dedicated security that constantly writes updates and patches to the services
Cons:
- After 1 year intro rate, price nearly triples
Inmotion Web Hosting
Cost: $2.99/month for shared hosting
Free trial: No
Support: 24/7 support
Uptime: 99.9% guarantee
Pros:
- All SSD infrastructure (faster server speeds than any other host site)
- Excellent 24/7 support via phone, email, chat, ticket
- Free SSL (security feature)
- Free malware detection
Cons:
- Higher introductory rate for some of the same features as other host sites
1&1 IONOS Web Hosting
Cost:$0.50/month (limited time special offer on business plans)
Free trial: No
Support: 24/7 support
Uptime: 99.9% guarantee
Pros:
- Ease of scale if the traffic to your site increases
- Free online marketing programs
- Free SSL (security feature)
- Free 3 month trial for Atom-server services (upgraded services)
Cons:
- Intro rate is expensive compared to other providers
- Storage of data is less compared to other providers
The right hosting company will level up your business
When you put your business online, you break down barriers of who can see you and when they’re able to do so. Just because you lock the doors and head home at 5pm doesn’t mean your potential customers stop shopping. Your business needs to be visible to your potential customers at a moment’s notice and having your business online and hosted will help you do so. When you host your site, you’ll be able to set up appointment, invoice your customers, promote positive review content and grow your business to the next level.
