Choosing a host for your small business website, at first may not seem like a big decision. However, there are crucial things to take into consideration when dealing with Internet Service Providers. Mistakes can be made everywhere in your company but making a mistake when choosing a web host provider can potentially be fatal. In a 2006 Akami survey, 75% of people would not return to websites that took longer than 4 seconds to load. Improve your site's loading speed and reliability, by choosing a reputable web host and understanding the top 5 SMB pitfalls:

1. Choosing Web Host That Doesn't Have Proper Backup Protection

Is the majority of your business done via eCommerce? If your webhost doesn't have proper backup, you are at the mercy of their servers. Putting your website on their server, means that if they have internal errors, you have a crisis.

Solution: You can host your main site on one server and have a mirror site on another server. That way if something happens, you are able to login and redirect users to a mirrored site.

2. Not Adequately Planning for Web Space

With your web hosting plan, you will receive a designated amount of space from the host, and you will need to plan to make sure that this space will be enough for your resources. If your website is rich media heavy or uses video extensively, you may require additional memory to keep your load times down.

Solution: Shared hosting providers are a novel solution for businesses that are rapidly expanding or in the transformation process. When you have reached your capacity with a host, you will be informed when you have exceeded your Terms of Agreement. They will often give your business a timeline to transfer your excess resources elsewhere before shutting your website down.

3. Choosing an Unreliable, Slow, and Unsecure Host

Now this sounds like a no-brainer, but many business owners are surprised at the lack of competency their web hosting providers provide once the contract is signed. Make sure you adequately assess the proficiency running the site and the reputability of the hosting company. Your website's loading speed, security and reliability depends exclusively on your web host.

Solution: Reach out to other businesses in your industry that use similar resources online. Ask them about their host and if they are satisfied with their service. Ask if they have ever had security issues, and check out industry website loading times to benchmark web hosting services. Also, try and compare multiple web hosting vendors, to help make a more informed decision.

4. Choosing a Provider with No Support Team

If you are hosting your website with a host that doesn't provide 24 hour support, and immediate customer service, it may take days for you to fix an issue. Most web hosting providers provide 24 hour support with trained customer service reps to help you. However if you are looking for a low cost leader, they may not employ adequate customer service resources, so keep that in mind.

Solution: If you don't employ a trained IT professional, you will want to have a web host that provides excellent customer service. This will save you time, both dealing with general site issues and planning for future growth.

When you are choosing a web hosting provider, make sure they have a reputable history and provide secure service. Sharing hosting sites, helps you diffuse the effects of a potential server crash, and employing resources in house will help you deal with external representatives. Learning from the top pitfalls in web hosting will help you plan for your needs and secure your service.