Every day we are surfing the internet, shopping online, and reading blogs without realizing that countless web hosts are striving day and night to bring these luxuries to us. Behind every website, there is a reliable web host providing speed and space. Since the advent of the internet, web hosting has become a multi-billion giant.
When you enter the market to find a host you will be bombarded with countless options, some with robust features, and some with flexible pricing. However, it takes a whole lot of work for a web host to become reliable and reputable. And as we are the trend settler generation, we will always go for the stuff that is creating tides in the market. Therefore, in this article, we decided to bring you up to speed with top 10 best hosting trends for 2023. Let’s get hosting!
Top 10 Best Hosting Trends for 2023 – A Quick Glance
If you are a bit too caught up with the daily workings of your life and don’t have time to read this article but still want to know about top 10 best hosting trends, then take a look at the list given below. It will give you a general idea about the happenings in the hosting world.
- Green hosting
- Multi-could hosting
- Pricing competition
- Fewer data centers
- HTTPS as the norm
- Security Protocols
- Managed web hosting services
- Offering additional services
- DIY website builders
- Artificial Intelligence
Top 10 Best Hosting Trends for 2023 – Overview
Given below are brief overviews of the top 10 best hosting trends of 2023.
1. Go Green with Green Hosting
Among the top 10 best hosting trends, green hosting is garnering much attention. Going green and protecting the environment is on everyone’s agenda these days and the website hosting industry is no exception. Studies show that the annual CO2 output of the internet is equal to 31 million cars driving around the globe all at once. In other words, it accounts for 3.7% of global greenhouse emissions, which is more or less similar to the airline industry. You might be wondering how that is even possible. The answerer, our reader lies in the data center, where all your website data gets stored.
Despite the web developers managing all the servers, the hardware gets its fair share of chores as well. Just like our gadgets get heated up due to excessive use, the same thing happens to the hardware in data centers. Therefore, they have to be stored in a cool and controlled environment. This requires energy-intensive maintenance, which results in a significant amount of CO2 output.
Fortunately for the environment, people are becoming more and more aware, due to which web hosting companies are also investing in carbon offsetting schemes. Nowadays web hosts take an active part in eco-friendly initiatives that help reduce negative impacts on the environment.
They do this by gaining carbon offset certificates (VER) and renewable energy certificates (REC). REC certifies that the web hosting company helped generate renewable energy, whereas VER certifies that the web hosting company helped reduce the greenhouse gases stated in the certificate. Therefore, opting for a green web host is a for sure way to gain more clientele these days.
2. Multi-Cloud Hosting
Multi-cloud hosting is one of the top 10 best hosting trends that is on the rise these days. The need for stable and predictable hosting environments is rising and the advent of multi-cloud hosting seems to be a silver lining the clouds of unpredictability. Multi-cloud hosting is a new concept. It involves the distribution of a wide array of cloud assets such as software and documents across two or more cloud environments.
This next-generation cloud approach provides enhanced benefits like increasing stringent data privacy and governance regulations, enhancing performance and resilience, and improving flexibility and scalability. Companies that opt for multi-cloud hosting can offset the risk of downtime, cyber threats, and data loss as it distributes computing resources across several high-end hosting providers.
Studies show that in 2020, about 35% of companies transitioned to multi-cloud hosting stating that it allows for lesser risk. Another noteworthy aspect of multi-cloud hosting is that in case a single cloud host fails, a website can remain operational by utilising the other cloud hosts in the multi-cloud architecture, a concept that is impossible if all data is stored in a single location.
3. Pricing Competition
As awareness is increasing, more and more businesses are trying to establish an online presence, and to do that they need web hosts. As the demand for web hosting is on the rise, the competition among the web hosts is also getting more heated. And with inflation on the rise, apart from features and tools, web hosts are also competing with their prices on the line. Nowadays, web hosts have resorted to offering tempting discounted buy-in deals to lure more customers into doing business with them. From Bluehost to HostGator, every single web hosting service provider is caught up in this battle of prices.
Website hosting cost varies, depending on your requirements and needs. However, the main items to which the price of a website boils down are web hosting, content creation, domain, web development, graphic design, and marketing. Each web host will present you with different price schemes that come with a set of options and features. Therefore, for the seamless operation of your website always take into account the features and services it is offering. And for the sake of your wallet, try to find the best price possible.
4. Fewer Data Centers
Data centers, despite being hidden from the sight of the general public, are the backbone of the internet. However, the number of these data centers is declining. Studies show that in 2020 these data centers accounted for about 45% of total IT infrastructure. However, statistics took into account the current happenings and dictated that by 2024 these data centers will decrease to 36.5%. The reason for this? These days fewer organizations are building their own data centers and are gravitating towards cloud due to its speed, security, and flexibility.
5. HTTPS as the Norm
To encourage sites to shift to HTTPS, in 2018 Google not only started marking them as “not secure” but also promised a fair ranking boost if websites decided to shift to HTTPS. Due to this in 2021, about 97 of 100 websites shifted to HTTPS. As a result, web hosts started offering free HTTPS. Therefore, these days having a non-HTTPS website will not only drive customers away but will also affect site ranking.
The reason for this shift is that HTTPS comes with countless benefits like:
- It protects sensitive data.
- Helps websites rank high on search engines.
- Resonates security and in turn builds customer trust.
6. Security Protocols
One of the major data breaches in the history of the internet happened in 2020. With a total of 37 billion personal information getting compromised. Moreover, in order to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19, the government started using contact tracing, which infused fear among the general public of tech firms sharing their location with local authorities.
Furthermore, the masterminded cybercriminals also took advantage of the pandemic to wreak havoc. Several studies show that scams reached an all-time high during the pandemic. Therefore, in order to regain trust and control such crimes, web hosts now put extra emphasis on security protocols. Most hosting providers these days tend to offer free privacy protection as well as robust security tools that help protect customers’ personal information. It has become common practice among web hosts these days to offer SSL certificates, encrypted data storage, as well as compliance checks for CMS vulnerabilities.
7. Managed Web Hosting Services
Managed web hosting is becoming increasingly popular these days. It is a valuable asset for growing websites and online business owners who do not have the time or technical skills to manage a website. In managed hosting, all the necessary operations of the website such as system updates, backups, and help desk services are overlooked and managed by the web host. This gives website owners an opportunity to solely focus on the growth of their website while web hosts deal who all the technicalities.
The cost of these managed web hosting plans depends on the provider and is anywhere between $120 to $200 a month. However, some high-end website hosts even demand $400 for it. Top-notch web hosts like A2 Hosting offer robust managed web hosting services the cost of which range from $155.99 to $185.99 for the monthly plan.
8. Offering Additional Services
If you wish to have an edge over your competitors, always offer unique benefits and additional services. That is what most website hosts are doing these days. More and more website hosting providers are coming up with new features and tools that they can offer their customers.
Furthermore, in this high technological age, customers don’t want to settle for something that is basic and desire more unique and advanced features. They don’t view website hosting as merely running a server or storing files these days. Therefore, these days basic services like HTTPS, SSL, e-mail marketing, and web design are considered mundane and don’t seem a lot. Therefore, web hosts nowadays are addressing these demands, and providing their customers with several value-added services. Some of these robust and advanced services increase e-commerce support, which helps business owners overcome e-commerce challenges, and online training, which aids customers throughout the entire process of website building, hosting, and management.
9. DIY Website Builders
After the havoc Covid wrecked on the world, confining people inside their homes with nothing to do but to look for online shopping platforms, an influx was seen in online businesses, with thousands of online stores popping up on the web during the pandemic. As many business owners aren’t that tech-savvy, so building a website from scratch is more or less impossible for them. Moreover, hiring a professional website developer is way out of the budget for many. Here is where DIY website builders come into action. With their user-friendly platforms and easy-to-use tools, anyone can make a fully functional, attractive website in a matter of minutes.
Looking at the increase in demand many web hosts also started offering a website builder as part of their package. Therefore, now customers don’t have to switch between two organizations just to put their business on the digital map. Certain web hosts, like HostGator recognised this need way before the pandemic and offered web hosting and website building as a package from the get-go.
10. Artificial Intelligence
One of the top 10 best hosting trends that is garnering much attention nowadays is AI. With the advent of artificial intelligence, fresh opportunities and convenience came in the web hosting world. AI uses predictive analytics to not only optimize server speed but also apply advanced firewall technology that identifies encrypted patterns and the threats posed by cyber attackers. Data centers employ AI to not only mitigate security breaches and hazards but to also manage the heating and cooling systems. With AI the possibilities are endless, and day by day web hosts are finding new ways to harness its powers.
Some web hosts like Hostinger even introduced AI-powered website builders that help create a website with just a few clicks, making the entire process seamless and fun.