Why Should You Host Your Domain Name Locally?
When choosing where to host your domain name, you have 2 choices – either you can use a local host, such as The Web Shack, or you can opt to choose an international hosting service. In this blog we take a look at the different aspects to consider when making this very important decision.
What exactly is a domain name?
Computers contact each other by using numbers, called IP addresses, just like you would use a phone number to dial someone. A domain name on the internet is much like a name entry in a phone book.
The phone book tells people searching for a business what the numbers are, just as a domain tells people, or their computers, that domain is hosted on a specific server. Without a domain name, you would have to tell your customers that your website can be found at “123.456.789.123” instead of using a domain name such as www.shack.co.za.
Factors to consider when selecting your hosting plans:
1.) Quality of hosting providers available
The company you choose to host your website will inevitably form part of your team and it is crucial that their ethics and company culture are in line with your company’s views. Local companies in South Africa have fast stepped up to international standards and can competently compete with international companies. While overseas services are often more affordable, this should not be your main reason for selecting them.Our cost effective website hosting services come with multiple layers of security, as well as 24/7 support.
2.) Who is your target audience?
If you are marketing a product you wish to sell locally, it makes sense to host your domain name locally. Local hosting is important because search engines, such as Google, pick up your location and prioritize your domain name accordingly. If someone searches for “website hosting” in Australia, Australian hosting companies come up ahead of South African companies. If your intention is to market internationally then an overseas based host is therefore better. This is perhaps the biggest reason why local hosting of your website’s domain name is important. Having The Web Shack as your local hosting service provider means that our in-house team can take care of all your hosting queries, offering you peace of mind that there is support nearby.
3.) Download Speed
Another thing to take into consideration is whether internationally hosted servers will affect your download speed.We include speed optimisation software directly to the websites we design for our clients to ensure that optimal download speed is reached. It is important to have a fast website so that visitors to your website are not put off by slow pages which may become frustrating to view.
There is no doubt that having a localized domain name can dramatically help you increase your hits and returns in search engines.