CiviCRM is a powerful and flexible open-source software that helps non-profit organizations manage their contacts, donations, events, campaigns, memberships, and more. However, to get the most out of CiviCRM, you need a reliable and secure hosting provider that can meet your specific needs and budget.
But how do you choose the best CiviCRM hosting provider for your non-profit organization? What factors should you consider when comparing different options? And what are the ways to evaluate the CiviCRM hosting providers who are available in the market today?
In this blog post, we will answer these questions and help you find the best CiviCRM hosting provider for your non-profit organization. We will cover the following topics:
– What is CiviCRM hosting and why do you need it?
– What are the benefits of choosing a specialized CiviCRM hosting provider over a generic web hosting provider?
– What are the key features and criteria to look for when choosing a CiviCRM hosting provider?
– How to get started with CiviCRM hosting and what are the steps involved?
By the end of this blog post, you will have a clear idea of how to evaluate the CiviCRM hosting provider for your non-profit organization and how to get started with CiviCRM hosting. Let’s dive in!
What is CiviCRM hosting?
CiviCRM hosting is a service that provides you with a web server and a database where you can install and run CiviCRM, an open-source software that helps non-profit organizations manage their contacts, donations, events, campaigns, memberships, and more. CiviCRM hosting can be done by yourself or by a specialized provider that can offer you technical support, security, performance, and customization. CiviCRM hosting can help you centralize your constituent communications, build and manage your donor base and membership, and integrate with WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, or Backdrop.
Why Choose a Specialized CiviCRM Hosting Provider?
Some of the advantages of using a specialized provider over doing it yourself are:
– You don’t have to worry about installing, configuring, updating, or securing CiviCRM and its dependencies.
– You can benefit from the expertise and support of professionals who know CiviCRM inside out and can help you with any issues or questions.
– You can enjoy better performance, reliability, and scalability as specialized providers have optimized servers and networks for CiviCRM.
– You can access additional features and services that can enhance your CiviCRM experience, such as backups, SSL certificates, site builders, content delivery networks, and more.
You may pay slightly more than a generic hosting plan and may be limited in repurposing it for other websites should you choose to move away from CiviCRM. 2020Media’s hosting plans allow you to upgrade, downgrade or switch without penalty
Key features and criteria to look for when choosing a CiviCRM hosting provider
Some of the key features and criteria to look for when choosing a CiviCRM hosting provider are:
– Reliability and uptime: You want a provider that can guarantee a high level of availability and performance for your website and CiviCRM. Look for providers that have a proven track record of uptime and offer SLAs (service level agreements) or refunds in case of downtime.
– Customer support: You want a provider that can offer you timely and helpful assistance in case you encounter any issues or have any questions. Look for providers that have 24/7 support channels, such as phone, email, chat, or ticket system.
– Features: You want a provider that can offer you all the features and tools you need to run and manage your website and CiviCRM. Look for providers that offer generous storage and bandwidth, domain names, email accounts, SSL certificates, backups, security monitoring, DDoS protection, and more.
– Pricing: You want a provider that can offer you a fair and affordable price for the hosting service. Look for providers that have transparent and flexible pricing plans that suit your budget and needs. In addition, look for providers that offer discounts, free trials, or money-back guarantees.
– Hosting environment: You want a provider that can offer you the best hosting environment for your website and CiviCRM. Depending on your location, traffic level, resource usage, and customization needs, you may choose between different types of web servers, such as shared, dedicated, VPS, or cloud.
– Location should be considered when choosing a CiviCRM hosting provider because it can affect the speed and latency of your website and CiviCRM. Ideally, you want a provider that has data centers close to your target audience, so that they can access your website and CiviCRM faster and with less delay. Location can also affect the compliance and security of your data, as different countries and regions may have different laws and regulations regarding data protection and privacy. You want a provider that can ensure that your data is stored and processed in a safe and legal manner.
How to get started with CiviCRM hosting
The steps involved in setting up CiviCRM are:
- Order a hosting plan from your chosen partner. Agree with them what will happen if it does not work out – do they have a money-back guarantee or free trial
- Ask the provider to install and setup CiviCRM for you on the plan.
- Obtain login details to CiviCRM and proceed to go through the CiviCRM setup checklist
- Use resources such as the CiviCRM documentation and the CiviCRM user forum for advice.
- Contact the hosting provider for help if you are not sure about anything. A good CiviCRM host, like 2020Media.com, will have knowledge and expertise in the package.
If you are looking for the best CiviCRM hosting provider for your non-profit organization in the UK see what 2020Media CiviCRM hosting has to offer. With features like 24/7 customer support channels, custom built CiviCRM environments and attractive pricing, they fit the profile of a reliable and responsive hosting partner for your non-profit organisation.