Wouldn’t it be great to have a web hosting that provided you with lots of flexibility, while saving you money too? The longer your website is available online, the more profits you’ll be able to make, so choosing a web host which is reliable is key. The tips below will let you determine how good a current or prospective web hosting provider is relative to its competitors.
A good web hosting service should bill you professionally. You should be able to log in with a username and password to have access to your account balance and make secured payments. If you have to send PayPal payments every months without getting account statements, you are not dealing with a serious web hosting service.
Decide which host to use based on how well it meets your hosting needs rather than on other services it provides. You might not get the best deal on domain names or other extra services from your web host provider. Don’t purchase these extra services when you sign up for web hosting unless you’re confident that you’re getting the best deal.
Figure out how much bandwidth you need before shopping for web hosts. Keep in mind that you need more bandwidth if you plan to include photos or videos on your website. Compare different bandwidth plans and purchase a plan that gives you a little more bandwidth than you need so that you have room to expand your site.
If you want to have an e-commerce website, look for a host that offers this specific kind of service. Other services might not have the same security features. E-commerce features might be a little more costly, but they will allow you to create a site that looks professional and can support the kind of traffic you need.
Consider using a dedicated server rather than a shared one. You’ll get more storage space and more bandwidth with a dedicated server. Your site’s security will also be improved. A dedicated server will give the maximum level of service to your customers. Satisfied customers are more likely to continue using your services and are more likely to order more products.
Find out what happens to your content in case you wish to cancel your subscription. You should be given a few days to save everything if you wish to switch hosts and you should not be charged any cancellation fees. You should also beware of signing for a contract that specifies you cannot cancel your plan.
Keep track of your sales and traffic so you can find out when people are on your site. If you notice a time of the day where you get more visits, you should look carefully as the uptime advertised by your web host. If most of the down time occurs during your rush hour, look for another service.
You should verify that all of the data that is stored on the web host’s servers is adequately backed up. This is particularly important if you are running an online business, and need to store customer information on databases located on the web server. Ask what precautions are in place in the event of a fire or natural disaster. Make certain that the servers are redundantly backed up in different geographical locations.
Understand the difference between dedicated and shared hosting when it comes to choosing a web host for your new website. Basically, dedicated hosting is when you have your own server and the bandwidth is not shared with other users. This is appropriate for very large companies who have the time and resources to invest in this. Shared hosting is the economical and easy choice for a small or medium sized business. Let someone else do the hard stuff and concentrate on your actual business goals.
Make sure that the host that you are planning to use has good customer service. You are bound to have some kind of an issue even with the best host out there. The thing that makes a difference is a host who can be easily contacted and will jump at the moment that an issue is reported.
Be sure to have a variety of ways to contact your web host when a problem occurs. If they offer 24/7 support via email, live chat or phone, then it is likely that they have very reliable customer service. This will prevent headaches down the road if an issue arises.
One of the most important things to look for when choosing a web hosting provider is high server uptime records. You’ll want to look for providers offering uptime in the high 99% range. One caveat though, is providers claiming 100% uptime. Although a perfect uptime rating might indeed be accurate, it can sometimes indicate required maintenance and upgrades are being neglected.
If you are not experienced enough to create your website with HTML, you can use FrontPage instead. FrontPage allows you to put together a web page without writing any code. Make sure you choose a hosting service that supports FrontPage and its extensions. Consider re-writing your website as you acquire more skills.
Though it sounds technical, you need to find out whether the web hosting service you are considering has “blackholed IPs.” If a provider has blackholed portions, that could mean that they do not regulate what kind of businesses are on their server, including porn sites and spammers. If your host has been blackholed, you may have trouble with other networks refusing email from or to your site.
If you have a number of websites, consider hosting them all with the same company. Many companies offer significant discounts for multiple domains. In addition, starting a new website with a company you already know gives you the comfort of knowing you are working with a company you can trust.
Now you have the know-how necessary to identify a suitable web host for your site. It will take some time to compare services, and this is time well spent! Make your website all it can be by using the above advice to choose the best possible web hosting plan.
