“I think the website is down? Is it working for anyone else?”.
We’ve all been there at some point. Watching the dreaded page loading animation. Muttering expletives at the words Internal Server Error in front of us on the screen.
If you’ve experienced technical issues with your website in the past, you’ll know how frustrating it is having to suss out the problem, manage the solution and communicate the mishap to the people it matters to. If you’ve experienced technical web issues as a customer or consumer, you’ll know how equally frustrating it is to be on the other end. A website issue can be the difference between taking action and not. At best, deciding you’ll come back later. At worst, giving up and going elsewhere.
Whatever action you want potential clients to take on your website (watch a video, download a free thing, read a blog, purchase a course, submit a form) you want to be sure your website can handle it. And the best way to keep things running smoothly and successfully, is to have someone watching over your website hosting and maintenance.
What is website hosting?
As a business owner, you use a physical office or space to meet clients. Imagine your website as your digital office. A space to showcase your team, services, and the work you’ve done with other businesses.
In the same way you might rent a physical space for your office, hosting is renting space for your digital office on the internet. A virtual space where all your website files and data are stored.
Just as you pay rent to a landlord for your physical office, you pay for hosting services to a hosting company. This hosting company stores your website files securely on their servers and ensures that your website is accessible to anyone who wants to visit, just like your physical office being open for clients during business hours.
Hosting is an investment in the security and integrity of your online presence, which is crucial for the success and trustworthiness of your business as an accountant. Secure hosting is essential for protecting client data, preventing cyber threats, maintaining business reputation, ensuring website availability, and complying with legal requirements.
You can find more information about what hosting is here.
6 benefits you’ll feel from having PF manage your hosting.
Feeling lost about website hosting? You might be aware that you have to host your website somewhere, but aren’t sure where to start. Hosting with your marketing agency provides more than just convenience and expertise, it offers a guiding hand through the complexity of website hosting, delivering reassurance, confidence, and direction to those feeling overwhelmed or unsure.
Here’s what having your hosting managed by PF means for you:
- You save time: you’re able to focus more on your core business while trusting your website’s hosting is being taken care of by experts who know and understand your site inside and out. As PF built your site, we are familiar with the structure of your website and can offer you consistent service quality and integrated support and maintenance.
- Less costly downtime and troubleshooting efforts: After building your website with us and then hosting your site reduces the likelihood of compatibility issues between your website and the hosting environment. This can prevent costly downtime and troubleshooting efforts that may arise when using separate hosting providers.
- More flexibility and scalability of resources: allowing you to easily accommodate increases in space or data on your website as needed. While this may result in higher monthly costs, it provides you with the ability to tailor your hosting environment to your specific requirements and effectively manage your budget.
- A more secure site: due to our familiarity with your website, proactive monitoring and maintenance, secure infrastructure, dedicated support, and compliance with standards. Our proactive approach means we anticipate and address potential security threats swiftly, while continuous monitoring and maintenance guarantee optimal performance and reliability. This helps protect your website and data from security threats and provides you with peace of mind knowing that your online presence is in good hands.
- You have access to dedicated support: from experts who understand your website and it’s security needs. In the event of a security incident or suspicious activity, you can rely on their prompt assistance and expertise to address the issue and mitigate potential risks.
- Improved website performance: We go the extra mile to ensure your website runs smoothly and efficiently. Through careful adjustments and regularly checking for improvements, we create a website that loads quickly and responds seamlessly to your visitors’ needs. This means they spend less time waiting and more time engaging with your content, resulting in a better overall experience for everyone.
Navigating website challenges: What to do if your site encounters issues while hosted with PF.
If any issues with your website occur, rest assured, we’ve got you covered. We understand the concern surrounding the impact of a broken URL, particularly during critical campaigns, and the frustration of not knowing the root cause. However, with PF, you benefit from our expertise and swift resolution process. Here’s how we handle it
- Understanding the issue: We need to understand the issue you’re facing, recording a video for us or briefly explaining what’s not working will help us identify the problem.
- Contacting support: Get in touch with us via team@wearepf.com or reach out to your main point of contact (Strategist or Project Manager) and make them aware of the issue you are facing.
- Providing context: Every detail counts, share as much information as you can. Send us screenshots.
- Importance of timely information: Try to remember if you actioned something or tried to implement some changes to your site that may be causing the issue. This can also help us identify the problem.
Following these steps can help us address any issue positively at the right time to prevent major consequences.
What’s included when I host my website with PF?
Can I still host my own website myself if I don’t host with PF?
When we build your new site, we require you to host with us for at least 3 months. This allows us to ensure a smooth transition, giving you time to become familiar with your new CMS and website. During this period, we’ll need unrestricted access to efficiently address any adjustments or optimizations needed.
If you later decide to host the site yourself, it’s certainly possible, but please be aware that it will require additional time, energy, and financial investment on your part.
Why is it important to make an informed decision about your website hosting?
Understanding the fundamentals of website hosting is essential for any business owner looking to establish a strong online presence.
Hosting with PF offers numerous benefits, including streamlined support, cost savings, scalability, enhanced security, improved performance, and seamless integration with your website. Our hosting plans start at £47.50 per month for basic hosting services. Additionally, for £495 per month, you can opt for our premium hosting service, which includes focusing on one of these areas each month: performance, accessibility, best practices, or SEO audits.
We can’t promise you’ll never experience a website error again. But we can promise you’ll have a team on hand to resolve things that feel out of your control quickly and confidently. And, prevention is better than cure, right? With a team regularly overseeing the health and performance of your website, you’re significantly less at risk of being plagued by issues. If you’d like to chat about hosting for your current website, or changes you’d love to make to your site, fill out this discovery form to book a call with one of our creative team!