If you are looking for the best hosting company for your website, you might notice that some of them provide offshore hosting. In case you haven’t heard of this service before, you might imagine it to be somewhat similar to offshore banking. Maybe this is a convenient way to help people bend the rules or even to get mixed up in some illegal activities, like tax evasion?
In reality, offshore hosting simply means that your website can be hosted anywhere in the world. Offshore hosting providers will allow you to choose the best country for your webpage, based on your needs and preferences.
Even though at first, it could seem a bit risky to host your website in another country, but most offshore companies provide the utmost protection and privacy. After all, safety and privacy are their main selling points and will be their top priorities.
Also, you might expect it to be the more expensive option, but that is not the case. Depending on the hosting country, offshore hosting could help you to save a lot of money.
Why Choose Offshore Hosting?
You might be wondering why someone would want to host a website in a different country. Well, there are many reasons, but the main ones are:
• cost
• safety
• privacy and anonymity
• not being limited by location
Offshore hosting won’t always be the cheapest option. However, if you live in a country where hosting is pricey, you can host your webpage somewhere where these services are more affordable. For example, the same hosting services are a lot more expensive in the USA than in many European or Asian countries.
On average, offshore web hosting is more reliable and safer than onshore hosting. It will protect you better from identity theft or malware attacks. Besides, your offshore hosting provider will do whatever it takes to provide anonymity for your website. That won’t be the case with your onshore provider, as they will have to obey the local laws.
Furthermore, the best offshore hosting companies steer clear of areas where natural disasters and power cuts are a common occurrence. That means if there are power cuts in your own country, your website will still be running as usual. The closer the servers are to your readers, the faster your page will load. For this reason, offshore hosting is a good option when your customers or target audience are in other countries. They will allow you to host it anywhere in the world, with some popular locations being the Netherlands, Switzerland, Iceland, Panama, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
For example, the Netherlands are often praised for their privacy and information laws. According to AbeloHost, one of the Dutch offshore web providers, the local laws protect the confidentiality of all data stored in this country.
Who Is It For?
Offshore web hosting could be very convenient in a lot of cases, but it is not a necessity for everyone. You will get the most out of it if you: have a large customer base in another country need confidentiality and anonymity are looking for the safest option post content which might be considered controversial or even illegal in your own country.
Customers In Another Country
Imagine that your company is in Europe, and you are aiming to branch out to the Asian market. It would be a good idea to host your website in an Asian country, right? Your content will load faster, and your Asian customers will be able to find your site more easily. However, since you are not in Asia and don’t speak the local language, it would take time and money to set up a website there. An offshore hosting company will take care of this for you. They will have the servers and the staff in this country and deal with local laws and regulations.
Anonymity
Another case where offshore hosting is your best choice is when anonymity is a significant concern for you. Let’s say that you want to publish content that might not sit well with influential people or companies. Obviously, you will prefer to hide your identity, and offshore hosting could help you with that.
Controversial Content
Furthermore, if you expect your content to be censored or even blocked in your own country, offshore hosting is an obvious choice for you. For example, in a lot of Asian countries, adult webpages are illegal. As a consequence, a majority of Asian porn websites are hosted in other countries. There are even hosting companies such as Vice Temple, which specialize in providing hosting only for these webpages.
It is the same with gambling or movie websites. If this content is illegal in one country, it might not be in another. However, that doesn’t mean that you can post whatever you want on your website. Offshore hosting companies don’t allow illegal activities such as fraud, phishing, or spam.
Freedom Of Speech
Finally, in some countries, freedom of speech is still an issue. People could be afraid of how their government or influential groups could react to their content. The best solution here would be to host your website in a country where no one can put the lid on your content.
How To Choose Your Offshore Hosting Provider?
Privacy, safety, anonymity - there are a lot of benefits that offshore hosting could provide. But first, you will have to do your research and choose the best company for you.
Here are some factors you should consider when choosing an offshore hosting company:
- customer support
- price and payment method
- location of their servers
Even though a lot of hosting companies claim that they offer support 24/7, it is not going to be the case in practice. It often happens that what you see is not what you get. That is why it’s essential to read the reviews, especially the ones written by existing or former customers.
It is important to note that you won’t be able to find offshore hosting for free. Yes, you will come across some websites which claim they provide free services. However, they will probably offer some features for free and charge you for any additional, often essential services.
And yes, it is normal that price is important to you, but it shouldn’t be your only factor. Before you choose a company, check if their services are just what you need and that their rankings and reviews are trustworthy. Furthermore, make sure that the company has a payment method that works for you.
Also, by now, you should be aware that in offshore hosting, location matters. So, don’t forget to look up where the servers are. Is this the right location for your business? Is it a location with possible natural disasters or power cuts? What about local regulations - are they exactly what you need for your website?
CONCLUSION
Offshore web hosting might not be a must for all websites, but it offers a lot of advantages for everyone. If you are looking for the safest and the most secure option on the Internet, this will be your best bet. It could be just what you need to expand your business and to attract more traffic to your website. It will also be the best option if you live in a country where hosting is costly.
However, it is crucial to choose your offshore hosting provider wisely. The last thing you need is to hire someone who won’t be in business tomorrow. Don’t just focus on the price; choose an established and reliable company. Compare services, features, and once again: don’t forget to read the reviews!
