Why Your Website Should Be Professionally Hosted
When launching or maintaining a website, the question of hosting often arises. Small businesses and non-profits may be tempted to rely on a friend or a board member with technical know-how to host their site. While this can seem cost-efficient and convenient, it often leads to challenges that can negatively impact your organization. Here’s why choosing a professional third-party hosting provider is a smarter and safer option.
Reliability and Uptime
Professional hosting providers guarantee a high percentage of uptime, often exceeding 99.9%. They invest in infrastructure, backup power, and redundant systems to ensure your website remains online. In contrast, a friend or board member hosting on personal servers may lack the resources or motivation to prioritize your site’s availability. If their server goes down, your site could go offline—potentially during critical times.
Scalability for Growth
As your organization grows, your website will need to handle more traffic and potentially offer additional features. Professional hosting services provide scalable options, ensuring your site can grow seamlessly. Personal hosting arrangements often lack this flexibility, forcing you to migrate later—a process that can be time-consuming and disruptive.
Security
Security is one of the most crucial aspects of website hosting. Professional hosts offer firewalls, malware scanning, and automatic updates to protect your site from cyber threats. Hosting on a personal server typically lacks these advanced security measures, leaving your business or non-profit vulnerable to data breaches.
For non-profits specifically, hosting sensitive donor information or organizational data on a board member’s personal server creates a significant liability. A breach could result in reputational damage and even legal repercussions.
Accountability and Transparency
When a friend or board member hosts your website, the relationship can complicate matters if issues arise. Who is responsible if the server crashes or data is lost? With a professional hosting provider, you have clear terms of service and support agreements. This accountability ensures quick resolution of issues.
In a non-profit, hosting your site on a board member’s personal server could lead to conflicts of interest. If the individual leaves the board, the organization may face challenges regaining control of the website.
Maintenance and Support
Third-party hosting providers offer dedicated support teams to help with technical issues, updates, and server maintenance. This ensures your website remains functional and up to date. On the other hand, personal hosting arrangements depend on the availability and willingness of the individual hosting your site.
Imagine your site going down during a busy campaign season, and your board member is on vacation or unavailable. A professional host prevents such scenarios with 24/7 support.
Professionalism and Credibility
Using a professional hosting service reflects well on your business or non-profit. It signals to clients, donors, and partners that you are serious about your online presence. Relying on personal hosting arrangements can create an impression of amateurism, even if your site is well-designed.
Investing in Your Digital Future
While it may be tempting to rely on friends or board members for hosting, the risks far outweigh the benefits. Professional third-party hosting offers reliability, security, scalability, and support that personal arrangements simply can’t match. For non-profits, the added need for transparency and conflict-free management makes professional hosting even more critical.
By choosing a reliable hosting provider, you invest in the stability, security, and credibility of your online presence—ensuring your website remains a valuable asset to your organization. If you’re unsure which hosting service is right for you, we recommend checking out Squarespace, see why here. Contact us today to explore hosting solutions tailored to your needs!