Are you thinking of creating a website specifically for Nigerian viewers?
A domain name and a website hosting service are necessary for any website setup.
When creating a new website for your company, selecting the best hosting provider is by far the most essential part.
How do you choose the ideal web hosting provider?
Compared to other web hosting alternatives around the world, finding the ideal web hosting in Nigeria has a unique set of challenges.
Factors to consider before choosing a web hosting
There are many factors to take into consideration when selecting a website hosting provider for a website, but some of them are unique to hosting a website in Nigeria for a Nigerian audience.
Some are included below.
1. $20 monthly spending limit on Naira debit cards
Nigerian banks have reduced the monthly spending limit on their debit cards from $100 to $20, while others, like Firstbank and Standard Chartered bank, have completely stopped allowing international transactions on their Naira debit cards and are only offering their customers the option of switching to Dollar cards.
Due to the hefty maintenance costs and setup requirements, many Nigerians are unable to keep a Dollar card.
The average annual expenditure for hosting services with international providers is substantially over the $20 threshold.
Therefore, Nigerian customers who have a Dollar card do not need to worry; however, those who do not have these cards must choose between using local hosting providers who allow Naira transactions (recommended) or using international hosts who accept monthly payments and pay monthly for hosting services.
2. Supported payment methods
Most international hosts prefer using PayPal or a credit card for payment of their services, both of which are affected by the $20 monthly debit card limit of Nigerians, explained earlier.
Nigerians who have a Dollar card should not worry, but those without it can choose local hosts who accept direct bank transfers or international hosting providers who accept monthly payments for services.
3. .ng and .com.ng TDLs
The official domain registrar for the .ng TLD is the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA).
This organization authorizes service providers to register the .ng TLD for Nigerian users.
Unfortunately, almost all international hosting companies are not accredited for the TLD nor support the TLD on their systems.
If you must make use of a .ng TLD, you must pick an accredited local website hosting provider in Nigeria.
4. Need to host sensitive website files in Nigeria
Some businesses and organizations in sensitive industries are required by privacy laws to host user data domestically because choosing an international hosting provider necessitates compliance with the laws and regulations of the foreign country, which may not be compatible with local laws.
Businesses may have to use a local hosting firm to host their user data in Nigeria in order to avoid violating these laws.
5. Hosting services compared; local vs international
International hosting providers promise your website will run as quickly and efficiently as possible.
They also offer excellent customer support, which, I can tell you with certainty, you will need a lot of.
The majority of local hosting firms in Nigeria significantly underperformed in terms of website speed, performance, and customer support.
Additionally, many local hosting companies only accept annual payments and this prevents users from trying out the services before committing long-term.
Steps to choosing a website hosting
1. First, determine the type of hosting you want.
- Shared Hosting: Providers host many user data on a single server all sharing server resources. The cheapest and most common type of hosting. Designed primarily for beginners.
- Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting: Providers host many user data on a single server each with a dedicated allocation of the server resources inaccessible to other users on the server. This type is costlier than shared hosting and is designed for fast-growing, medium-sized websites.
- Dedicated Hosting: Providers host all of a single user’s data on a single server, not shared with other users. This is costlier than VPS hosting and suitable for big enterprise websites.
- Managed WordPress Hosting: Here, all of the backend activities of managing a WordPress website are left in charge of the hosting provider and users need not worry about them. They are quite expensive choices of hosting.
- Cloud Hosting: Here, providers host user data in the cloud which is suitable for any kind of website as users access hosting resources on-demand and only pay for the services they use.
2. Next, decide on the location of your hosting provider
Conclusion
If none of the aforementioned reasons applies to you, I advise picking any of the affordable international hosting providers or one of the top international hosting providers for the best hosting services, fast websites, and top-notch customer support.
Otherwise, you can choose from any of the local hosting companies.
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