7 Reasons to Choose a Local Web Hosting Provider in New Zealand

Is your company one of New Zealand’s emerging small enterprises, increasingly adopting a digital strategy? According to the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment, these small businesses currently account for 97% (487,602) of all enterprises. They also employ 29% (599,880 and counting) of all employees, which translates to an estimated 26% of New Zealand’s Gross Domestic Product - a hugely significant figure to say the least.

These enviable figures can in part be attributed to New Zealand’s rating as the easiest country in the world to do business, according to the World Bank 2016 Doing Business survey. New Zealand is also classed as the easiest place in the world to start a business, according to the same report.    

The need to define a core digital strategy is paramount in an increasingly complex social and commercial environment. Mobile phones and internet-enabled devices are ubiquitous these days. As of 2016, the number of internet users in New Zealand stood at 4,078,993, representing a penetration (percentage of population) of 89.4%. In 2018, that figure is currently 4,184,520.   

One key element in the technology-driven growth of all enterprises is a website. No matter what your business aims to achieve with its online presence, it will need to invest in a domain name for that website. This name tells prospective customers what services or products they can expect from your company. It should be easy to remember and resonate with your brand.    

To establish what is effectively your own piece of online real estate, you’ll need to talk to a web host. Their primary role involves the sale of retail space on the internet. A few popular examples of web hosting companies include 1 and 1, GoDaddy, Hostgator and Siteground.  
Although globally popular, these companies might not necessarily be your best web hosting options. So much so, there are plenty of reasons why you should consider a locally based web hosting company to look after the needs of your website. 

1. Speed: Your Customers are based in New Zealand

When choosing a web host, one point of which most businesses are unaware of is that the location of your customers should influence your choice of website hosting. 

How does this work?

The speed of your website contributes to the overall user experience, so you’ll want to make a great impression from the offset. The closer the host servers are to your customers, the quicker your web pages will load for those very users.  

Great user experience makes for repeat customers; therefore, a great first impression counts for a lot. In concrete terms, websites hosted locally are around 300% faster than those hosted overseas. The reason for this is the extremely low latency, which measures the amount of time it takes for the host server to receive and process a request for a page. Note that the increased server response time is not the fault of the international host.

Instead, it is due in greater part to the work of local ISPs (Internet Service Providers), which lose more connections to international servers from local servers. A local hosting provider ensures you have the best possible access to your users and vice versa. Such optimization is a continuous work on the part of local hosting providers. 

2. Relationship

There are certain variables in your local environment which will often come into play. You’ll need to be able to relate to these accordingly and gain insight, so as to help your business in the long run. 

Ease of Access

Imagine having to visit the office of a United States host in person. The odds against this stack higher than you might think. If the host were based in Auckland or anywhere else in New Zealand however, you’d find that face-to-face interaction would come fare more easily. 

Customer Service

You might enjoy the technological marvel of interacting with an automated device, but surely you’d prefer to speak to a real human being over the phone? You can exercise the full range of your emotions during a real conversation - something you’d unlikely be able to do with an automated service. 

They Make Things Easier

A reputable local hosting company will manage your web administration and can properly assess the general technological landscape of the local environment. 

3. Consistent Pricing

The global currency market is always in a state of flux. The rapid and unpredictable dynamics involved also affect the cost of web hosting if you choose to deal with an offshore provider. A local hosting company will mostly keep prices as stable as possible (even though they may be slightly higher than international hosts), giving reasonable notices before a new price regime is introduced. You won’t want to pay different rates for the same package over a span of two weeks or even a quarter. 

4. User-Friendly Rules relating to the Availability of Data

Lawson confidentiality varies from country to country. You might not be well informed about those in the country where your host operates from, and in which your data (and that of your customers) is housed. Being a business, you might be unfamiliar with international law. Consider the provider you choose carefully, as there’s no telling what could happen with the data you send to them. For instance, if they had to shut down or suspend operations due to factors beyond their control, you might lose access to your company’s data (potentially, forever), all because the laws applied to the local host also - by implication - apply to you. 

5. Globally, Businesses Prefer Local Hosting

Knowing that multinational companies prefer their host servers to be as close as possible to their customers, the benefits thereof also apply to smaller enterprises. Host Advice offers extensive insight with this infographic on how the market tilts towards local hosting, highlighting th e various benefits for this undeniable trend. 

6. Improved Search Engine Optimisation

The point of having an established online presence is to provide your customers and potential clients a method via which to reach you ‘on-the-go’. They’ll first need to know that you exist though; therefore, a website buried under the ‘rubble’ of content on the internet is no use at all.  

The science that facilitates search engines in finding your site online (in response to relevant search queries) is known as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

Key search engines like Google use the location of your website (where it’s hosted) as an important ranking factor for search results. So, let’s take a peek into how Google does this. Google decides that if your IP address derives from New Zealand and your TLD (Top-Level Domain) is .nz, then you’re likely to be based in New Zealand.

It comes to the conclusion that your business is more relevant to someone searching in New Zealand and using google.co.nz than someone searching via the global default of google.com, the US staple. Search Engine Land studies show that 43% of Google queries are carried out using Google’s local search engine. This number improves a whopping 7% (50%) for mobile searches.

Thus, a higher ranking on google.co.nz can subsequently provide a massive traffic funnel for your website and business as a whole. The implication is that people searching for your New Zealand based company will more likely find you if you’re hosted with a local provider. 

7. Enhanced Local Economy

Your chosen local hosting provider also takes on the same risks as you in setting up a business to cater to local needs. They are investing in the local economy just like you and will be creating jobs and other opportunities that make for a better society in general. Buying a hosting package sets in motion a cascade of effects that goes beyond the initial transaction. In essence, you’re also investing in their success (and indirectly, your own too).

A stronger local economy makes for a stronger national economy, which in turn paves the way for a stronger New Zealand Dollar. So, you’ll now see that there are numerous reasons to choose a local hosting provider over any other type. The benefits are many and wide-reaching.