Joomla is among the most popular content management systems. Many website owners choose the platform over the other options because it offers more features and flexibility for content rich sites. As with any of the other content management systems, you want to make sure that you choose a Joomla hosting provider that can deliver on your needs. Here are five things you need to consider when looking for the right provider.
1. Technical Support for Joomla
There are a lot of Joomla hosting providers that support the platform. However, only a few of them will actually offer the technical support you need for Joomla. You should talk to their tech support staff to see if they understand to configure the server for Joomla, especially if you’re not tech savvy and unfamiliar with the platform. Take the time to ask them any questions you may have.
Aside from having the Joomla know-how, the provider should deliver excellent support. Some things to look for include:
– Multiple ways to contact tech support. This should include, email, live chat and phone as different problems require different ways to interact with staff.
– High accessibility. Some providers have a 24-hour customer support guarantee. This is incredibly valuable if your website goes down or is facing errors in the wee hours of the night.
– Services that help you set up Joomla. You should have no trouble getting help installing modules or extensions.
2. Competitive Pricing and Terms
Price is always an issue for many website owners. On one hand, there are many providers that offer rock bottom pricing. But that doesn’t mean you should go for the lowest price as you want to focus on a quality service. It’s best to look for a provider that offers competitive pricing for the features and services you need. This is not difficult to find but you also need to look beyond the introductory price.
You may find that the basic plan is competitively priced but you need to look at the other options such as the VPS hosting or dedicated server. Those are upgrades that you may want to grow into. You also need to consider the terms of the plans. Does the pricing lock you in for a one or two year plan? Are there affordable month-to-month pricing options? Are there any money back guarantees if you find that the service doesn’t deliver? This should all weigh into your decision.
3. Easy Upgrade Options
If you want to upgrade to another service or think that you may possibly switch to another provider in the future, you want to make sure that the process is seamless. For example, you want to ask about the process of going from a shared hosting plan to a dedicated server. Will they be able to help you transfer your files from the previous account to the dedicated server?
What if you want to switch to another provider? Some companies will actually offer applications that help you clone or migrate websites to another server. Some offer a service where they actually help you with the process. These are important things to consider if you’re not technically inclined or afraid of making a mistake that can lead to errors or data loss.
4. Multiple Databases
It’s important to go with a provider that offers multiple databases at affordable rates. Some providers will only provide two or three databases for the basic plans while others are more than happy to offer up to 10 or more. Having multiple databases if you invest a lot into the development of your sites. You can test sites before you make any changes to spot errors so that you don’t have to risk any damage to your main site. You should also consider a host that offers MySQL as well as MariaDB if you feel it’s necessary.
5. High Uptime and Site Performance
Most providers nowadays offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee. But the only way you’ll really know how their uptime numbers measure up to other providers is to read to reviews. There are many sites and forums where customers will share feedback on the uptime. You’ll get a sense of whether they actually measure up to their claims or if it’s just a marketing tactic. You’ll also get an idea of which companies actually have the best uptime numbers.
Another thing you want to consider is the speed of the servers. As you know, your website can slow down if you start to get a decent amount of traffic. So it’s important to know if the performance of the host’s servers is reliable. This isn’t a feature that many providers talk about, so the only way you’ll find out is to carefully read through others’ experiences.
Those are the five things to consider when choosing a Joomla hosting provider. Obviously, there will be other features that you will want. But many providers now offer similar packages, so the key differences will be found in these five features. Make sure that you take the time to do your research and talk to the support staff to make a confident decision.
