By Daniel – The web hosting landscape keeps changing from time to time. Everything from software, hardware, and protocol has evolved; thanks to the rapid advancements in the industry. The impact of these changes has been positive, especially for small web hosting businesses that have now improved their products.
If you’re in the web hosting business, it would be best to stay updated on the incredible array of trends in this industry. It will help you keep your company on top and also contribute to its growth. Read on to know some of the latest web hosting industry trends.
Let’s get started!
Security is Paramount
Cybersecurity remains to be a significant concern for many businesses today. Many attacks get recorded every day, affecting many companies, including those that offer web hosting services. This has made it vital for web hosting firms to improve their online security systems regularly.
Most businesses today embrace password and multifactor authentication. They also put more emphasis on SSL certification and compliance checks for CMS. In addition, other companies are investing in security tools such as residential proxies for data encryption.
Read: Steps of Blockchain – The Future of SSL Certificates
Competition from DIY Website Builders
Website building is no longer the daunting task it was a few years ago. It has changed significantly as DIY website builders are becoming more popular. Anyone can build a website from scratch or with templates on WordPress, Squarespace, etc. This hasn’t been great news for web hosting companies.
People won’t seek your services if they think that websites are easy to build. Other potential customers will believe that there’s no real difference between premium and free web hosting. The best way web hosting businesses can remain competitive is by offering additional value to their customers.
The Superiority of the Cloud
Cloud computing is increasingly becoming popular around the world. The web hosting industry has joined in this shift as most web hosting companies no longer rely on physical data centers. They have transferred most operations online and are already reaping the benefits that cloud technology brings.
Read: 4 Doubts you might have about moving to the cloud
These benefits include better performances, greater flexibility, and higher scalability. Besides, web hosting companies are moving to the cloud to reduce downtime. These benefits make the cloud more popular among web hosts. You can expect the cloud to become more superior in 2021 and beyond.
Protecting User Privacy
Data breaches have been on the rise in recent times. Web hosting companies are responsible for ensuring the businesses hosting websites on their platforms are safe from attacks. They need to set policies and have security systems in place to prevent cyber-attacks.
Hosting providers can respond to the privacy trend with security tools like residential proxies. These tools can help them encrypt data on transit. Web hosting companies can also recommend proxies to their clients as tools that will help them browse the internet anonymously.
Different web hosting companies offer proxies at different price options. There are expensive proxies that give you the best benefit of proxies at a price. Then there are cheap proxies that deliver high-quality and competitive proxy servers at a lower price. The only difference is the executive privileges of an expensive proxy.
Besides, web hosting companies can provide their customers with shared proxies. Although shared proxies won’t guarantee them absolute anonymity, they will give them some user privacy. In addition, continuous web hosting user education is another way to respond to the privacy trend.
Customers Expect More Than Simple Web Hosting
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Web hosting is the basic service offered by web hosting companies. They also provide web design, security, email, marketing, and SEO services in their packages. Although these are the services traditionally expected from web hosting companies, customer needs have changed recently.
Today, people expect web hosting companies to expand their service offerings. If you run a web hosting company, ask yourself what else you can offer your customers. For instance, look into the security needs of your clients. Find one thing you can offer your customers to boost their online security needs.
Read: Shared Hosting vs. Dedicated Hosting: What Should I Pick
The Future is Green
There has been a call to reduce human carbon footprint across various industries. The web hosting industry, initially an unlikely champion of a green future, is also now pushing for it. Most web hosting companies are investing in eco-friendly technology such as energy-efficient hardware.
Other ways web hosting companies are embracing a green future include using optimized software and intelligent load balancing. Using artificial cooling in a web hosting company is another way to promote an eco-friendly environment. An excellent way to do this is to set up physical data centers near a river. Data centers in Norway already practicing this because using renewable energy is more sustainable.
Read: How to analyze the possibilities of hosting before buying it
HTTPS is the New Normal
HTTPS is no longer optional but a mandatory requirement for websites. This started in 2015 when Google decided to favor websites that have embraced HTTPS in SERPs rankings. Things then went from bad to worse in 2018 when Google decided to mark websites without HTTPS as insecure.
Many web hosting companies recommend that their customers have the HTTPS secure sign. But then, you won’t attract many customers if you charge them for it. The best thing to do as a web hosting business is to offer HTTPS for free. Providing this service as an incentive won’t hurt your profitability.
Read: HTTP or HTTPS: What is the Difference and Which One is Better to Use
Stiffer Price Competition
Price competition has heated up in this age of DIY website building. Many website hosting companies are making it as easy as possible for their customers to build websites. Businesses that don’t have such offers need to consider offering price offers instead to attract customers.
Price offers are short-term, but they help businesses attract long-term customers. But then, you need to be decisive when thinking about price competition. Stronger competitors, like GoDaddy, offer price discounts regularly. The decision to be more aggressive with your pricing can make or break your business.
Read: Which Type of Hosting is Best for WordPress
Conclusion
These are some of the trends witnessed in the web hosting industry in recent times. Business owners in this industry need to keep these trends in mind to stay on top of the game. Cybersecurity is one of the things that matter. You will attract more clients if you offer security solutions alongside web hosting.
Besides, it is worth remembering that these trends keep changing over time. You need to update yourself about the most recent web hosting industry trends. Investing in solutions like proxies can also be helpful to you in 2021. All these trends are worth keeping in mind as a web hosting business owner.
Daniel – maxburst[@]linkdoctor.email
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