With cloud-based services growing in popularity, due largely to their ability to drastically cut down on capital costs, and acceptance, more and more companies are looking to the cloud for data backup solutions. But in a growing field that seems to launch a new competitor every other day, how do you choose a cloud backup solution that’s right for your business?

We’ve found that there are five key factors that every SMB should look at before deciding to go with a cloud platform:

Speed: You need to be able to get to your files fast. Slow servers and unresponsive datastores could cost you hours or even days of operation.

Availability: Most cloud back-up servers advertise 99.9+% uptime, but check the contract to make sure that means what it looks like it means. Many providers have exceptions and provisos that could leave you without access to your information. If you can, also check the update schedule to make sure it works for your needs.

Ease of use: Convoluted and difficult to use backup schemes that make the process a chore are much more likely to be ignored or at least not followed as often as they should be. Make sure your solution provider has a simple process that encourages your employees to follow backup protocols.

Data security: Several high-profile data leaks at prominent data centers recently have thrown data security into the spotlight. Check what kind of measures your proposed solutions use thoroughly to make sure that your data is in good hands.

Standards compliance: With rapid-fire advancement in cloud hosting technology, we’re seeing a rise in the number of possible protocols, storage schemes, and processes. Make sure whatever solution you decide on is compliant with the latest standards. It’ll make things much easier, both for regularly scheduled backup and in case you need to move your data to another service later.

Remember, since initial costs are low, don’t be afraid to switch providers if you’re not happy with your current solution.