Beware Web Hosting Red Flags – Get hosting right the first time.
Here at Peak District SEO, We want to help YOU, our customers. We do that by having candid conversations. We don’t believe in telling you what you WANT to hear just to win the business.
Instead, we prefer to give an in-depth analysis of your website coupled with frank conversations about what it will take to achieve the improvements you want to see.
Sorry to be Blunt, but…
Frank conversations can sometimes mean telling some home truths about the current state of your website. It might be that your site doesn’t perform well due to a whole number of things. We never want to dishearten anyone, We are not interested in the blame game. Web developers and web hosts are human beings with their own lives and stresses that affect what they do. We get that, and blaming others is not really a constructive path to go down.
Instead, we’ll work out what’s happened and suggest solutions. Solutions are what we do. However, we know that solutions are retroactive and we want to help businesses avoid falling into the common traps we regularly see in our industry.
Selecting the right web hosting provider is crucial for the success of your online business.
Unfortunately, some web hosts engage in unscrupulous practices that can jeopardise your website’s performance and security. At Peak District SEO we’ve seen firsthand the challenges that businesses face when dealing with unreliable web hosts. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the red flags to watch out for when choosing a web hosting provider to ensure that your website stays secure, reliable, and accessible to your customers.
Web Hosting Red Flags – Lack of Transparency:
One of the first red flags to watch out for when evaluating web hosts is a lack of transparency. Be wary of providers that don’t disclose all fees and charges upfront. All charges should be made clear to you before you sign anything and before any money changes hands. Be sure to ask about migration fees and fees for making website changes.
Smoke and Mirrors / Secret Sauce Malarky / Shared Hosting and Incantations
A lot of web hosts use shared hosting, but don’t let you know that’s what you’re getting.
They do this for cost reasons, ie they can charge you as though you have your own dedicated hosting that’s super secure….but really, they’ve just stuffed your site in a shared area that costs them peanuts to run. This is why they won’t let developers and SEO teams access the server. They don’t want to get found out.
Another common tactic unethical companies use is the Secret Sauce, bargaining chip.
After they’ve spun you all the usual spiel about their service being the best ever known to man, they will hit you with the ‘Secret sauce argument‘. Don’t fall for this nonsense.
The argument usually goes like this:
If you move away from our hosting, you’ll lose all the bespoke benefits of our special code/settings etc.
Generally, this will be an outright lie designed to panic you into staying with them. Sure, different companies do things their own way, but in 28 years of fiddling around with websites, We’ve never once seen any set-up that has us astounded at the “higher-level, never seen-before skills” of the departing host or developer.
If they are adding code to your website that isn’t disclosed to you the site owner, that’s unethical. Web hosts who claim to offer “secret sauce” or “free add-ons” are essentially trying to lock you into their service plan by making you fear what might happen if you move away from their hosting.
Always check the terms of terms of service and cancellation policies.
Web Hosting Red Flags aren’t always super obvious. So it pays dividends to check the terms and conditions before signing up. this will help you to avoid hidden fees hidden in ambiguous language which can can lead to unexpected costs and headaches down the line.
You don’t want to be locked into a contract in terms of time. If you want to leave, you should be able to do so within a week.
Also, it would help if you were sure that you own your domain name and the website you’ve had built. We’ve seen instances where the web host owned the domain name for the website, effectively forcing the client to stay put with an inadequate service.
Poor Customer Support:
Effective customer support is essential for resolving issues and ensuring the smooth operation of your website. If you encounter difficulty reaching customer support representatives or experience slow response times to inquiries and support tickets, it’s a sign that the web host may not prioritise customer satisfaction. Prompt and reliable support is crucial for addressing any technical issues or concerns that may arise.
Downtime and Reliability Issues:
Website downtime can have a significant impact on your business, causing loss of revenue and damage to your reputation. Watch out for web hosts that experience frequent and prolonged periods of downtime or have unreliable server performance leading to slow loading times. A reliable hosting provider should guarantee uptime and provide a robust infrastructure to support your website’s needs.
Security Concerns:
Security should be a top priority when selecting a web hosting provider. Be cautious of hosts that offer inadequate security measures, leaving your website vulnerable to cyberattacks and data breaches. Ensure that the host provides SSL certificates or other essential security features to protect sensitive information and safeguard your website’s integrity.
Data Ownership and Transfer Issues:
Some unscrupulous web hosts may make it difficult for you to transfer domain ownership or website files to another host. They may even hold your data hostage to prevent you from leaving. Ensure that you have full control over your data and that the host facilitates a smooth transition if you decide to switch providers.
Poor Reputation and Reviews:
Before committing to a web host, research their reputation and read reviews from other users. Negative reviews and complaints about the host’s services are a clear indication of potential problems. Pay attention to how the host responds to feedback and whether they address customer concerns in a timely and transparent manner.
Limited Scalability and Flexibility:
Your hosting needs may change as your business grows, so it’s essential to choose a host that offers scalability and flexibility. Watch out for hosts that impose restrictions on bandwidth, storage, or website traffic, hindering your ability to expand. Opt for hosting plans that can accommodate your evolving needs without limitations.
Lack of Backup and Recovery Options:
Regular backups are essential for protecting your website’s data and ensuring quick recovery in the event of a disaster. Be wary of hosts that don’t offer reliable backup solutions or have limited options for data recovery. A trustworthy hosting provider should prioritise data security and provide robust backup and recovery options.
Work with someone you trust
We only work with web developers and web hosts that we trust. That’s why we work with and recommend Voteq web hosting. Many of our existing clients work with Voteq to avoid Web Hosting Red Flags. The Owner Ash Brentnall is reliable and friendly but more importantly, his company is responsive, they know how to migrate websites properly and they understand and consider SEO when building WordPress websites.
You may also like:
- Website Migration
- Quality Over Quantity – How We Handle Leads
- Case Studies
- Customer Trust Key to Making More Sales
I’m Phil Gregory, the MD and founder of Peak District SEO.
I’m an SEO & Google Ads Consultant with 27+ years of experience in I.T and helping UK Businesses improve website performance.
I built my first website in 1998, then I discovered the joys of website optimisation and never looked back.
If you want a no-nonsense, no-hard-sell approach and to actually get your website fixed with a solid, affordable, long-term approach, hit the contact button today.
Peak District SEO is a UK-based Digital Marketing Company.
We help businesses make more money, using traditional Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) , Ai Search / GEO and paid advertising (PPC).
Why Peak District SEO?
27+ years of experience.
80+ 5* reviews on Google
Our customers have hundreds of page one and position 1 rankings, and we can prove it.
We’ve helped hundreds of SMEs in the UK
We have numerous articles published across the web discussing SEO.
We regularly publish case studies about the work we’ve done
Customers trust our service – See our reviews on Google, Trustpilot and Facebook
Our customers have hundreds of page one and position 1 rankings and we can prove it.
