Web hosting services come in endless shapes and sizes, but finding a good web hosting service for your website requires a lot of time and money for professional photographers.

“What is web hosting, and why do I need web hosting?” you say? A web hosting service is an internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to make their websites accessible via the web.

In an amateur’s term, Web Hosting is the home of your website. If you want a website, you’ll need somewhere to host it and that is what web hosting is. Web hosting is a rental space in a computer’s server where you store your built website on the internet and display your site to the world. It is a core prerequisite for building your photography website as without it, your site wouldn’t reach an audience, and no one would be able to view your stunning photography.

In the twenty-first century, known for an increase in digitalization, a web hosting service is the foundation by which your business is showcased to the world. It is also essential for your photography business if you’re a professional photographer who relies on income from your photography services.

Choosing a web hosting service can be challenging for photographers who are more concerned with taking pictures than building a website. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a web hosting service.

  1. Price: This is probably the first concern of photographers when choosing a web hosting provider; however, it should not be the pivotal factor. Most web hosting industries charge exorbitant renewal fees after offering an attractive sign-up deal; however, I’ll advise that the cost of web hosting be considered an investment as we get value for what we pay.
  2. Reliability and Availability: Web hosting providers with unreliable hardware and weak connections can cause your website to have many downtimes, causing potential clients to get impatient and leave, decreasing sales.
  3. Security: Security is one of the most disregarded factors for many when choosing a web hosting provider. Even though your website’s security has a lot to do with building and developing your website, a secure web hosting can also help keep your website safe from potential hackers. Also, ensure that the vendor does a periodical antivirus and anti-malware scan to protect your web application.
  4. Speed: with so many other competing photographers, a hassle-free, fast-loading website is beneficial for the digital life of your business. Web hosting providers with fast-loading servers also make it easy for photographers to upload many pictures without concern.
  5. Customer Service: as a photographer who is new to owning a website, you might encounter some problems while managing a hosted website. Therefore, access to quick-response, well-trained, multi-channel customer service is essential. It is suggested that you look for a hosting provider that offers high-quality 24/7 customer service.
  6. Backups: Many general websites are victims of cyber-attacks that leave irreparable damage on the website’s files. A backup is, therefore, necessary when you choose a web hosting provider.
  7. Scalability: As your business grows and sales increase, your initial hosting plan might need an upgrade. So, it is advisable to choose a hosting provider that would easily upgrade your subscription.

Hosting providers provide a variety of hosting packages. The more extensive or more complex a website, the more comprehensive a configuration package that it’s going to need. The main packages are broken down as follows:

  • Shared Hosting: Shared hosting is the commonest of hosting where your website and many others share space on a single server which but you do not have any idea as to what website you are sharing your space with. Each of the website has some limitations as to their storage and traffic on user-friendly host which is set by the host. Shared hosting is however very cheap which is advantageous for new website owners. The technical maintenance for this package is also covered by the share hosting platform. The disadvantage here is that your website would have a slow load-time which can push impatient customers away from seeing the album of pictures on your website and there’s no scalability.
  • VPS Hosting: A virtual private server (VPS) is designated for your direct purposes more than a shared server hosting but less than dedicated hosting. It places your website in an isolated server which is then placed within a bigger server. You have root access and options of customization when using VPS hosting. It also offers more security and technical performance than shared hosting.
  • Dedicated Hosting: Dedicated hosting is mainly a server that is dedicated to one server. In addition to the isolated server, dedicated hosting allows you to have complete control over your server. You have full administrative access and more responsibility to set things up the way you like. This package improves the performance of your website which your customers would love a lot as it depicts the originality of what your business is like. It also solves the problem of website security and load time for your website.
  • Managed WP Hosting: WordPress is just like dedicated server with the only difference being that your website maintenance is managed for you. This means, the speed, security and maintenance are all taken care of by the host but you still get your isolated environment. The servers also have attractive features, such as faster load time, security features that work specifically with WordPress, pre-installation, and WordPress updates. The WordPress hosting is useful especially for businesses that have websites created on WordPress.

Having a secure, easy-to-use, fast-loading website is the foundation of your photography business’s successful digital life. Still, there are thousands of web hosting providers out there that, at times, it gets a bit confusing. яндекс Here is a list of the best web hosting service providers that you can choose from:

  • Bluehost
  • Dreamhost
  • Hostinger
  • HostGator
  • SiteGround
  • GreenGeeks
  • InMotion
  • Kinsta
  • A2Hosting
  • WP Engine

1. Bluehost

Bluehost is one of the best providers for web hosting your website. This web hosting provider offers nearly every web hosting that you may need for your photography business including advanced hosting services like VPS, dedicated server, and managed WordPress hosting. The variety of web hosting packages available makes it easy for you to migrate or upgrade your subscription in case of an expansion in your business.

Some of the services the hosting provider offers include, building websites using their DIY site builder, advertising and social media marketing on its server; it also offers numerous domains-email addresses, and an easy-to-use control Panel which helps you create attractive pages that will compel customers to check out the pictures on your website. Its other features include: Dozens of site tool add-ons, free SSL certificate, technology to support fast page load times, Cloudflare integration which speeds your site loading, 99.99% uptime.

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2. Dreamhost

Dreamhost is the hosting provider with the most affordable hosting plan that has very low month-to-month prices. If you want to explore great features that would make showcasing your business to the world an alluring one, then this WordPress endorsed hosting provider is the way to go. As your photography business can’t afford to have a down website, Dreamhost guarantees you a 100% uptime for all the plans it provides.

Some other features of this web hosting provider comprise SSDs (solid state drives) for increased speed and reliability, unlimited domain names from over 275 extensions, easy-to-use control panel, 24/7 support, unlimited data storage and email addresses, unlimited bandwidth, one-click installations, and Cloud storage for easier access and security.

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3. Hostinger

Hostinger is known to be one of the most inexpensive web hosts as it combines affordable prices with a variety of features which include free SSL, 10GB storage, 100GB bandwidth, free daily backups, and up to 100 email accounts in your domain

Hostinger also offers a free website builder and a 30-day money-back guarantee and a lifetime use of the speed-boosting Cloudflare integration for a one-time fee of $9.99. It offers email, support tickets, 24/7 live chat, and a searchable knowledge base. The hosting provider is also popular for it’s transparent and fair pricing in which you can enjoy it’s 90% discounted price if you pay upfront.

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4. HostGator

HostGator is known to be one of the most trusted and popular web host. As a photographer, if you are looking for a simple website for your business, then HostGator might be an option to consider. The web host features its website builder called Gator.

The web hosting provider’s plans feature unlimited storage, unlimited email accounts support system, unmetered bandwidth, one-click WordPress installations, and free SSL for the security of your account. The web host’s unique feature is its integration with Constant Contact, the popular email marketing software.

It also features a control panel for easy management of your website, a Content Delivery Network (CDN) and multiple support options including live chat

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5. SiteGround

SiteGround is the best choice for photographers or small businesses that value creative, quality and professional websites. it is also a hosting provider that comes recommended by WordPress.it provides an easy-to-use interface with smart custom solutions in the case of a hassle in your website. It offers free SSL and a 100% renewable energy match and an uptime guarantee of 99.99%. it also features daily backups and restore, fast web load time, an isolation system to protect your website from being hacked and a 24/7 support. However, with its affordable pricing, there’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee on the subscription.

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6. GreenGeeks

GreenGeeks, known as the most eco-friendly provider, stands out most for its impressive green hosting pledge. Aside from being environmentally responsible, its web hosting services are top-notch. The hosting provider offers fast speeds, solid uptime, and great solutions for all types of hosting. It offers a free web migration service.

The eco-friendly web hosts also have a lot of features apart from it being environmentally responsible. It offers unlimited SSD web space, free unlimited domains, free site builder and SSL certificate, free unlimited email accounts, free CDN integration and nightly backups.

It also provides live support with a large knowledge base.

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7. InMotion

InMotion is a premium web host not as cheap as its competitors,but the security, support, and storage space on offer are excellent. It is a web host that specializes in speed for websites as they’ll let you pick from the two data centers they have.

Some of the features the reputable web host provides are free SSD, free domain name, free data backups, feature-packed Add-Ons, free SSL, a hack protection for your website, free Drag-and-Drop website builder, free website migration, 1-Click App Installation, and expertly-trained staff for its support system.

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8. Kinsta

Kinsta is a user-friendly hosting provider that uses Google Cloud Platform which sets it apart from the other web hosting providers. it is a hosting provider that hosts your website on a state-of-the-art speed-obsessive infrastructure with the choice of 21 global server locations.

it offers a high security network to stop hack attacks and malicious intent from your website, free website migration services, 99.98% uptime, 24/7 WordPress expert support and a wide knowledge base, feature-packed Add-Ons, and free SSL.

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9. A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting also known for its cloud–hosting is the A2 Hosting which boasts an anytime money-back guarantee, offering flexibility to its users. The web host is also one of the few hosting providers to offer Windows hosting, free SSL, unlimited email accounts, 100GB to unlimited storage, control panel, free site migration, and one-click installs across loads of CMSs – including WordPress. It also offers its own set of useful features which are root access, 150-450GB storage and 2-4TB data transfer.it is the best choice for cloud plans for small business. its value starts at $7.99 per month as its plans are relatively expensive. A2 Hosting also offers a beautiful range of support services and its customer service team is called the “Guru Crew”.

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10. WP Engine

The WP Engine, also known as WordPress Engine, is a premium managed hosting service that focuses specifically on WordPress websites. The WordPress-specific host provides you with a secure and speedy website and features free SSL, unlimited email accounts, 100GB to unlimited storage, control panel, 99.99% uptime, free site migration, and one-click installs across loads of CMSs. WP Engine gives you efficiencies and shortcuts to get you online with ease and speed. It also boasts an impressive 24/7 customer support.

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Now that you have seen the best web hosting providers you can choose from for your photography business, you’ll need the perfect WordPress theme, a well-built website and a great domain name to get started with digital life for your professional photography business. Even if you don’t earn money from your photography; having a problem-free and fast loading website is still a huge gain for your digital life and your pictures.