Location, location, location…

Never have I believed the old real estate adage more! The Snap website and my personal site were up and (mostly) down a good part of January and early February. I spent a large portion of my time during that period working to understand the problem and the best option for the future.

Here’s what I learned after talking to several bloggers and a multitude of web hosts…

While online entrepreneurs see the value of creating awesome content, the importance of where that content is hosted often takes a back seat. Usually the choice is as simple as where their friend is hosted, as opposed to properly assessing needs and researching options.

What happens when you make the wrong choice?

• Security and malware attacks. While there’s no perfectly answer to site security, some options make you more vulnerable than others.
• Lost revnue. When your site is down, you miss out on site traffic and potential revenue. It may not be the $5M in revenue Amazon lost in its last crash, but every penny counts!
• Negative effect on your SEO. Did you know if your site is down when search engines attempt to reach it, it has an impact on your rankings?

Think you’re safe from this discussion because you’re hosted on Blogger? Maybe not. The first step in selecting the right home for your site is ensuring you’ve determined without a doubt which platform is right for you. If you go with Blogger, at the very least upgrade to a dot com if you haven’t already done so.

If you’re going with a self-hosted WordPress site, it’s important to understand the difference between shared servers, VPS or dedicated space.

I thought I was safe because I’d selected a VPS option. I was wrong. There are (at least) eight things you need to look for before selecting a web host.
Check out more great hosting resources from around the web:

• Still don’t buy that self-hosted WordPress is a better option? You’re not alone. Get support in the Facebook group Bloggers on Blogger.
• Wondering who hosts a site similar to yours? Check Who is Hosting This.
• Page size can affect the amount of server space you require as well as your load time. You can check your site’s average at Average Page Size Checker.
• Some providers offer unlimited bandwidth, but it’s a good idea to be familiar with your needs. Visit Bandwidth Calculator.

Speaking of location, we’re so excited to be returning to The Little Americain downtown Salt Lake City for our April conference. If you haven’t booked your room yet, be sure to do so. We’re down to the last few rooms in our block.

Questions about which room is right for you? There was a healthy discussion in our Facebook group about it. NOTE: There are some perks that will only be available in the Tower.

We also thought it would be fun for you to check out this map pinpointing the home base for all 400 of our 2016 attendees!