Which Godaddy Hosting Plan is Right for You?
You have spent a long time selecting the perfect domain name for your business, and you are now ready to build your website. Congrats! However, if you are looking for a web host, you have a big decision to make. There are many different hosting plans from Godaddy, and a lot of them are quite popular, ranging from basic to advance. So, how do you decide which one to go for? We will tell you, here are the things you need to consider.
Features
One of the most important things to consider when choosing a web host is the features that are on offer. As the name suggests, Godaddy is a big player in the web hosting market, so you can be sure that your pick will have all the features necessary to compete with the big platforms out there. In basic terms, you will get a free domain name with every plan, and you can install one website to host on the plan. You can add additional sites with a paid plan. The free plan is limited to one site, and it doesn’t have a huge amount of features. For a more advanced user, you can get a Pro plan, which adds features like free backups, free domain privacy, etc. These are all common features that you will find on most web hosts. So, don’t get fooled by the seemingly-innocent free plan; it won’t give you the features you need to launch your business.
Bandwidth
Another important factor to consider when choosing a web host is the bandwidth that is available. This refers to the amount of data that you can send and receive, as well as the speed at which you can do so. For example, if you run a blog and you want to upload images to it regularly, you will want to look for a web host that has enough bandwidth to cope with your needs. The good news is that most web hosts today have enough bandwidth to cope with typical business and personal use. However, if you are looking to launch a massive blog or a website that will be frequently updated with large files (i.e. videos, images, and other large files), you will want to look for a dedicated IP that can handle high bandwidth and speed your website/blog up. A dedicated IP can cost you $15 per month, and it will give you the ability to send unlimited amounts of data to and from your website/blog. It also has the advantage of hiding your true IP address, which could potentially make your website more secure.
Backups
A dedicated IP can also give you unlimited backups, which is quite important if you are looking to launch a website that you don’t want to lose. Backups are a great way to ensure that your site stays up and running, even if something bad happens. If you are looking to launch a fresh WordPress blog, you can choose to have monthly backups or manual backups. The former will store a copy of your blog in case something happens to it, while the latter will require you to click a button to ensure that a backup is created. If you rely on this site for your livelihood, you don’t want to take the chance of losing any content. A monthly backup is a great choice for a blog that is mostly written in static content (i.e. articles, manuals, etc.), while a manual backup is required for a dynamic site (i.e. a blog that is updated with new content regularly).
Security
One important factor to consider when choosing a web host is the security that is built into the platform. This basically refers to the measures that the company takes to protect your data. You have two options here: you can either choose a web host that is security-aware, or one that is made of solid steel. A security-aware web host will check your email for threats, protect your data against unauthorized access, and much more. A steel-wrapped web host will be much safer, as it doesn’t have a bunch of software that can be vulnerable to attacks. You can also get a free VPN with many of the solid-steel web hosts, which will further encrypt all your data on the fly, as you browse the internet.
Dedicated IP
Dedicated IPs are a great way to get a strong foundation for your website. However, they can get pricey if you need high bandwidth, and they don’t come with many features. Nevertheless, if you plan on frequently updating your site with large files (i.e. videos, images, and other large files), they are a great choice for you. You will need a dedicated IP to do that. They are also useful if you have a static site, or a site with very little in the way of updating (i.e. a catalogue or a blog). The only downside is that dedicated IPs are limited in terms of features, as they don’t have much software installed on them.
To sum up, if you are looking for a robust web host that has a bunch of features, go for the Godaddy shared hosting plan. However, if you are looking for a cheaper solution that does the job, you can opt for the basic plan from Bluehost. The choice is completely up to you!