
What if you were able to find a host that gave you flexibility, saved you money, and provided great service? A lot of people earn their living through online businesses. An important function of these sites is web hosting, and it is crucial you pay close attention to what features you are offered for the different prices. Your ‘great deal’ is not a great deal if it’s not fully meeting your needs!
Find out what kind of sites a service hosts. Most free hosting services offer only static web pages, meaning you won’t be able to script your own language. You may have to search for a pay service if you need, or want, to create dynamic pages.
Your domain should be registered outside of the web host. This way you can keep the name in case of a disagreement between your host and you, or a shutdown. You will have no control over your domain registration but your host will.
Will monthly payments or a one-time payment best suit your budget? You cannot predict what will happen with your web host or your business in the coming months. If you do choose to make a lump payment and decide at some point in the future to switch providers, you might not receive a refund.
Be sure to allow for the future growth of your website when choosing a hosting service. An individual HTML page does not take a lot of space, but if you decide to add pictures or even videos, you will quickly need more space. You should have plenty of space for development, if you have 100MB of available storage space.
Many hosting providers insist you backup your data. This is absolutely necessary to ensure your data is safe besides complying to what your server’s requirements. If something were to happen where your site data was lost on the web host’s site, you will be very relieved to have a backup you can use to recreate your site.
Check to see if the host you are interested in offers a money back guarantee. If you find the hosting service isn’t right for you within the first 30 days after ordering it, you should be able to cancel it and get a full refund. It is not uncommon for web hosts to make claims that cannot be supported.
Customer Service
If your knowledge of design is limited, look for hosting providers with excellent customer service. As someone who is new to the field, you will have a lot of questions about what you should do. The technical support that you will receive from a company with great customer service will be much more beneficial to you than a package of features you may never use.
Reputation is a vital asset for a good web host. Read reviews and articles on web hosts, and you will begin to see that some hosts have a reputation in their industry, that can offer you a sense of trust in doing business with them. The companies that have problems offering quality, consistent service should also stand out.
Self-hosting your site is not recommended for anyone using a dial-up Internet connection. To ensure that your website is always online and updated, it must be backed by a fast and always reliable connection. If you forgo choosing a host and try to run your site through your dial up, your site will suffer from lag and excessive downtime.
Visit the website of the hosting company you are thinking of going with. If their website lacks professionalism, it does not bode well. Will yours likely be any better? On the other hand, a user-friendly, professional website indicates experience, competence and more reliable service.
Hidden Costs
Look for hidden costs and scams. Many providers won’t disclose extra fees up front. The way to avoid this is to know upfront what you need from a web hosting provider, and make sure the plan you choose has those features and no hidden costs associated with them. Pick the plan which offers you exactly what you need for a price you can afford.
Your web host needs to have multiple connections when accessing the Internet. With only a single connection, you run the risk that whenever it goes down, so does your website. Verify whether redundant connections exist, and ensure your site will have sufficient bandwidth with this web host.
Make sure that there are various ways of contacting your web host if some kind of a problem should arise. Hosts that provide you with multiple ways to reach them, including chats, telephone and email,are usually reliable companies. This will be a lifesaver should anything go wrong.
As your website gets more visitors, you may want to upgrade your service plan. Make sure to ask if there are set processes to ensure that the updates occur in a timely manner. If you need to ask for more bandwidth, your request should be responded to in a speedy manner. It should also not be difficult to move from a server that is shared over to one that is dedicated.
If you are going to upload a lot of information, pay attention to the uploading method of the website hosting service that you want to use. Uploading is much faster and easier if you can use an FTP program. Now if happen to not be a technology guru, at least ensure there is a decent online manager.
Now you have the know-how necessary to identify a suitable web host for your site. It takes research and time, but there are various good companies out there. Use these tips to hasten your search so you can find a web hosting company that helps you take your online business up a notch.