Something we get asked frequently is if we do web hosting. Fortunately at eye9 Design we have deep systems and networking experience as well as web design and search engine marketing. Even though we do offer hosting as a value added service, our number one priority is to ensure that the customer’s needs are met. All web hosting isn’t created equal. The requirements of each customer depends greatly on;
- How much traffic they get
- How much bandwidth they use or plan to need
- How much disk space is needed
- Any special backup requirements
- Special Regulatory Needs
- Enterprise / Business Class Email
- What platform the site uses (ASP, PHP, Java, etc.).
- Staff expertise – if they don’t have an IT staff it narrows the options
- Existing architecture
We recommend a number of different services and solutions for companies of all sizes. Some of the services we provide (web hosting) and others we recommend 3rd party solutions. For example, customers who rely heavily on email should invest in an Enterprise class email system like Microsoft 365. Customers who have a lot of bandwidth or disk needs, we recommend and provide dedicated servers. We leverage Amazon S3 for external content storage (videos).
Web hosting is far from a one size fits all setup. We are happy to help our customers decide what is the best solution for them. After 10+ years of developing websites and providing technology consulting, we take pride in helping our customers make sound technology decisions. We do love hosting our customer’s websites. Not because of the profits, hosting is very low margin business, but because we control the server, make sure it is updated and know what to expect when we build the site. There are many, many web hosting providers who do not stay up-to-date with security and functional patches and it impacts the website’s functionality.
Another downside of using a public hosting organization is that you are a shared server with possibly hundreds of websites. On the surface that isn’t an issue but at eye9 Design we know every single company we host. You may have a nice house, but if your neighbors are trouble, it can affect your happiness and the value of your house. This is no different on a web server. Who you share your web space with matters. Chose wisely.
