Choosing the Best Cannabis Website Hosting

Let’s talk about cannabis website hosting and look at some important keywords before we expand on the different cannabis website hosting options that are available to you. Website hosting is what replaces your physical store. Since your business is online, you need a place to store the files that make up your site; this is where a host comes in. They provide a place on a web server where your files are stored. You pay for hosting services and are renting storage space for your website, so basically, the hosting is what makes your website appear on the web.

Important terms that you’ll need to know:

• Server: This is a computer that is used to host websites.
• Network: Consists of multiple servers that run as a single server. They host websites but offer more resources than a single server would.
• Cloud: Refers to multiple networks in different locations that run as a single server.

Your cannabis website hosting options:

1. Shared web hosting: you share it with other websites on a server network
2. Cloud-based hosting: you share it with pre-allocated resources for your website.
3. VPS hosting: multiple websites share a server but they are allocated a portion which is theirs alone.
4. Dedicated server hosting: a single dedicated server is used to host your website.
5. Managed hosting: is monitored private hosting by an individual or a company.

Factors to consider when choosing a hosting service for your cannabis website:

• Security: Since your cannabis website is an online business, security is important. The internet is widely accessible, making any business conducted online susceptible to exploitation by identity thieves and hackers.
• Speed: Faster speed makes for a better user experience. There is no doubt that a slow site speed will result in a poor user experience.
• Ease of use: Website hosting can become difficult to configure if you do not know how a network works. Ease of use assesses how easy or difficult it will be for you to set up.
• Resource allocation: When considering a hosting service for your cannabis website, it is important to take note of the number of recourses that can be allocated. You want an option that will allow more resources as it gains popularity.

Should you choose shared, dedicated, or managed hosting for your cannabis website?

• Shared hosting: The same server is used for many websites where the resources are shared.
• Dedicated hosting: You get set resources which you on a server that you do not need to share.
• Managed hosting: Your resources are controlled by people making them less susceptible to threats.

The difference between cloud, VPS, and shared hosting:

Cloud hosting is offered across multiple servers in different countries. The advantages include resource flexibility, ease of access, flexible pricing structures, and faster website speed and performance. The downside of choosing cloud hosting for your cannabis website is that it does cost more than a shared hosting plan and is difficult for an amateur to set up.

VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting uses a shared server but you get a portion that is yours alone for your cannabis website. The advantages are increased performance and more control. The downside is that while it is less expensive than having a dedicated server for hosting services, it is still more expensive than a shared hosting plan. Additionally, it is difficult to configure the server and you may require technical help.

Shared website hosting uses a single web server for multiple websites. This means that it costs less and is simple compared to cloud and VPS, but this comes with disadvantages. Shared hosting encounters system crashes since there are many websites on one server, it is less secure and it may not perform well compared to the previously discussed options.

Deciding which cannabis website hosting to choose:

Since your cannabis website is a business, it is recommended that you choose a VPS or Cloud hosting service provider. While shared hosting is best for startups, it will limit you as your business grows in terms of available resources.

Cloud Vs. VPS hosting:

• Reliability and performance: cloud hosting is preferred to VPS where reliability and performance are concerned since cloud services uses servers worldwide to deliver great performance and can migrate files, which protects it against downtime.
• Flexibility: cloud hosting is preferred as VPS is hosted on a physical server, limiting its scalability options whereas cloud hosting is not restricted to a physical server making its scalability options wide. You can scale up or down, depending on your cannabis website hosting needs.
• Ease of use: VPS is preferred as it requires less technical knowledge to set up and you have more access over customizability compared to cloud hosting.
• Security: VPS hosting is preferred as it is hosted on a single server making it less susceptible to attacks whereas cloud hosting is spread across multiple servers making it a less secure option.

The bottom line?

If you want a cannabis website hosting service that is secure, easier to set up, and your website is not susceptible to high user traffic then you want to choose a VPS hosting service. If you are tech-savvy, have a larger cannabis business, or expect your business to grow quickly, you would want to choose a cloud hosting service, which has the added benefit of being faster and more reliable. You can also optimize its security by choosing a company that uses dedicated cloud hosting.

At Digital Octane we provide website hosting services specifically for CBD and Cannabis companies. Aside of a great hosting itself, our service includes real-person tech support to help you with any website matters anytime and maintenance to keep your site up-to-date and running smoothly. It is affordable and comes as low as $19/mo. See more info on the cbd website hosting page and reach us out for a free consultation to answer any questions.