When selecting a web host for your business, you have many options.
Many business owners or marketers opt for overseas web hosts to save money or use certain features. However, there are several reasons why choosing an Australian web host may be the best choice for your business.
Improve website speed time
You might not realise it, but the further your data needs to travel, the longer it takes for your site to load.
In the hosting world, we call this phrase latency. It refers to the time it takes for your data and content to travel from your web hosting server to the user’s device.
Experiments show that the website can delay loading times when you are hosting on an overseas server. Whilst it might range from a few milliseconds to seconds, depending on your server location, every bit of time adds up.
We know people have less patience (ahem, Karen) for site loading times. Having an Australian web host can help increase the chance of your website loading quickly, providing a good user experience for your customer base and potentially new ones.
Google reckons that for every second your site takes to load, this can reduce your conversion rate (e.g. purchase) by up to 20%.
Improved data security
Some countries have higher risks for cybercrime and non-compliance. By choosing to host with one of those countries, you may increase the chance of a site hack or be on a target list for those seeking cybercrime for a particular region.
The other benefit of choosing an Australian web host is that your data is stored in Australian data centres. That means the data on your site does not go overseas, where you are unaware of their practices and where Australian laws do not apply.
With your data travelling to fewer locations, there is a decreased risk of a data breach.
Reliable and stable infrastructure
Unlike other countries or data centres, Australia has a stable economic, social, and environmental climate.
That means a reliable power source for your Aussie website and stability in the overall running of decisions made by the country.
Although we tend to get bushfires in the bush and severe weather in tropical parts like Queensland, most data centre locations are away from these areas, and the servers are monitored 24/7 for their performance.
Support during crucial business hours
Some web hosting companies may only provide support during their trading hours. And whilst some claim to be 24/7, the senior engineers or staff who fix more significant problems tend to work during the business hours of their given country.
It makes sense to choose an Australian web host company that will be online at the same time as you. For support outside of hours, ensure a 24/7 technical support service is available (hint: we do).
Predictable pricing you can budget for
Overseas hosts often charge their prices based on their local currency.
For example, top USA hosting companies (we shall not name to throw shade) will charge you based on the United States Dollar.
Suppose the currency fluctuates, is unstable, or shifts. In that case, you could fork out more cash than you had initially budgeted for.
Whereas when you pay with Aussie dollars, you know how much you need to pay and don’t have to worry about currency changes or any charges that your financial institution may add on top.
If the provider has Goods & Services Tax (GST), your Australian Taxation Office (ATO) liability can decrease if you are registered for GST.
Maintenance during your timezone
When maintenance or outages occur, an Australian web host will choose a time outside your business trade hours.
Overseas providers, on the other hand, will usually prioritise their time zones to ensure they have staff available to address any issues when the rest of their country and majority customer base is awake.
Support a local mate
You positively impact the world by giving your money to an Australian web hosting provider rather than an overseas-run firm (especially those big conglomerates).
Our team dances every time we receive an order. Okay, well, sometimes. There’s often a smile or two!
Investing in an Australian company is a no-brainer and good for the local economy. It also supports the creation of jobs for fellow Australians.
Quality support that speaks your language
When you opt for an Aussie web hosting service, you’ll usually get quality support that understands your needs and challenges.
For example, when AUDA (domain regulator) changed the rules for Australians, local providers like us were more aware than some of our overseas competitors.
We also know and understand the local marketplace, so we always find ways to make things easier and better for you with that all-Australian twist you love. After all, we are ‘koalified’.
What about if your customer base is worldwide?
Good question.
You should choose a web host server location that reflects the primary target market for your website.
We only service Australian locations for servers, so if your main customer base is further away – you might be better off with another provider.
If, by chance, you have a good mix of customers from Australia and across the seas, then another option is to use a Content Delivery Network (CDN).
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a network of servers strategically placed worldwide.
When a user visits your website, the CDN will serve the content from the closest server to their location. The network ensures that your website loads quickly, even if your web host server is overseas.
However, even with a CDN, choosing an Australian web host can still result in faster load times for users in Australia. The delay happens because the data must travel from your web host’s server to the CDN’s server and then to the user’s device. By choosing a local web host, you can reduce the distance the data travels, which results in faster load times.
Case in point: check out the difference in server location for this site using Cloudflare. The website is hosted with a USA server. You’ll notice the USA server loads fast in the USA, but for Australia, it is slower even though it has a Content Delivery Network. Based on the previous Google stats, that could equate to a 40% drop in conversions for the website.
You can utilise a CDN through tools like Cloudflare. We also have the Sucuri CDN available for those who use Security Plus.
You get to make a difference with us
The other benefit of choosing an Australian web host, aka True Green® Hosting, is you’ll be making a difference.
We plant trees in Australia every year you use our web hosting or cloud email hosting. We also measure your website page views to help fund carbon offset projects. And support the Solar for Schools program, which lets remote Pacific Island schools ditch fossil fuel generators for clean energy, on top of other environmental causes.
To sum it up…
Choosing an Australian web host can benefit your business, including faster load times, improved user experience, and data security.
Additionally, choosing a local web host supports the local economy. It can provide access to local customer support and higher quality of service.
Check out our green web hosting plans to switch to 100% Aussie Hosting.
