If you’re running a cannabis or CBD business, you already know how difficult it can be to get basic business tasks done, whether that’s opening a bank account, renting warehouse space, or processing payments Unfortunately, this extends to creating a website, too, as many hosts don’t allow cannabis or CBD-related businesses and will prevent you from using their services. Thankfully, there are a few hosts (including Convesio) that do support cannabis or CBD-related businesses.
In this post, we’ll take a look at a variety of different factors to consider when choosing a host. Some are universal, no matter what industry you’re in, while others are cannabis industry-specific. If you’re looking for a solid, professional web host that supports the cannabis industry, look no further: Convesio supports websites for businesses in CBD, cannabis, hemp, and other related industries.
Considerations for Choosing a Web Host
Now let’s take a look at 8 different things you should consider when choosing a host for your cannabis or CBD business.
Cannabis Industry-Friendly
Cannabis businesses operate in a highly regulated industry, which means that many web hosts are not keen on hosting anyone that does related activities, even if they are entirely legal. Unfortunately, many of the larger hosts will outright ban any cannabis-related business from their servers, even months or years after you’ve been a customer.
As such, it’s really important to choose a host that is explicitly open to the cannabis industry – like Convesio. Don’t just assume that a hosting company won’t mind; it may take months or years, but they will kick you off eventually.
Security
Cybersecurity is a significant concern for cannabis businesses, as they often deal with sensitive customer information. Look for a website host that offers robust security features, such as SSL certificates, firewalls, and malware scanning. You should also look for a host that implements Cloudflare or a similar system against DDOS attacks.
Uptime Guarantee
A website host’s uptime guarantee is critical because it affects your website’s availability. Ensure that your website host offers an uptime guarantee of at least 99%, preferably higher. If your site goes down (especially during a sales event) you will lose sales and future customers.
Technical Support
Good technical support is essential, especially for businesses that rely on their website to generate revenue. Look for a website host that offers 24/7 support via your preferred communication method, whether that be email, phone, or carrier pigeon.
At Convesio, for example, we use email, live chat, and Slack to provide support. This makes us more accessible, in the event of an issue. Many hosts only offer a ticket-based system, which can often take longer to resolve your issue.
Scalability
As your cannabis business grows, your website hosting needs may change. Ensure that your website host offers scalable hosting plans that allow you to upgrade or downgrade your hosting as needed.
At Convesio, we specialize in scalability. Using a cutting-edge technology called Docker containers, we’ve developed robust infrastructure that makes it easy to scale your website for more visitors and transactions. While other hosts also offer scalability solutions, they tend to only bundle them with the upper-tier of plans. We don’t do that – instead, you only pay for the extra technical resources that you actually use, and not the ones that you don’t.
Backup and Disaster Recovery
Website backups and disaster recovery plans are crucial for ensuring that your website stays online and operational, even in the event of a data loss or disaster. Ensure that your website host offers regular backups and a robust disaster recovery plan.
Pricing
The cost of hosting a website can vary dramatically depending on which host you use. Some can be just a few dollars a month, while others go up to hundreds or even thousands. As a general rule, you get what you pay for: while cheaper hosts are very affordable, they tend to have less features and less responsive support. More expensive hosts usually have an increased feature set to match the price increases.
When it comes to scaling your website for more visitors and traffic loads, prices can also vary. Most hosts charge a flat fee for increased resources, which means you’ll need to pay more even if you don’t use the resources. A few, like Convesio, are different and only charge you for the resources you actually use. If you plan on getting a high amount of traffic on your site, this is definitely something you should consider.
User-Friendly Control Panel
A user-friendly control panel can make it much easier to manage your website and hosting account. Look for a website host that offers a control panel with a clean interface and intuitive navigation that can be used by anyone in your company and not just technical experts. You never know who might need to make a change to your site at the last minute.
Many legacy hosts use cPanel, which is an ancient (comparatively) technology that can do a lot of things, like install WordPress. CPanel is usable, but can be a little complicated if you aren’t familiar with it.
Other hosts have their own custom control panels. Convesio’s control panel, for example, has been designed to be super-simple and not require any technical knowledge. It is much simpler than cPanel.
Wrapping Up
Picking a web host is especially difficult for cannabis and CBD businesses, as the industry itself has only recently become legal. Many of the larger hosts still won’t allow cannabis businesses to use their platform, even if the product is entirely legal.
Thankfully, there are more and more hosts willing to support the cannabis industry and the particular issues businesses face. So if you’re looking for a web host that supports the cannabis industry, Convesio is a great option.
