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We build a lot of successful websites for businesses and enterprise organizations. Sometimes our existing customers ask, and sometimes friends and associates ask, “Do we need a new website?” But that’s not the right question. Actually, you need to start with three questions first.

Some recent events have demonstrated some of the challenges that can come from these arrangements. Twice in the last week we have been asked to jump in and help when a system or process has been disrupted by the hosting environment or the environment has not been available to assist when a disruption has occurred, resulting in significant outages, unnecessary heartache and costs, and more than a few sleepless nights for our customers’ in-house IT teams. When we’re asked about what’s important to consider when choosing a hosting provider, here’s what we say.

We still get asked this question all the time. Once we have helped a customer build their application or website, they want our advice on where they should they put it. It’s a great question, because the “right” answer has changed over time as project requirements and hosting technologies have changed. And even today the answer can be different depending on your individual business needs and the industry that you are in. So, let’s start with a brief overview of the differences between the four broad categories of application and website hosting and then drill down to discover what our go-to recommendation is for most businesses today.

If everything we knew about hackers, ransomware, identity theft, and website security was limited to reports from the major media, no one would ever build a website again. Yes, the internet landscape has its dangers. But the truth of the matter is that the real risk to the vast majority of the websites out there is that they have not been well-maintained, are out of date, or have not implemented basic security measures.

The internet is all about the disruption of established business models. But that disruption is not limited to virtual vs bricks-and-mortar businesses. Sometimes – often – internet and web technologies disrupt themselves.