Choose The Hosting Company That Works For You

A company, no matter how large, is only ever as strong as its weakest link. Now, in most cases, a company’s weakest link is its web server or its hosting provider. If you don’t know how to program, all of the words and all of the directories can be overwhelming at times. When things get too tangled, we often decide to just pick anything at random and make a purchase. Although this might sound confusing, this article can help clear some of the confusion.
Find out whether you need shared hosting or a dedicated plan. If this is your first website and it’s relatively small, a virtual shared server is probably good for now. If you’re moving a large website which already gets thousands or millions of views, shared probably won’t cut it. You should probably seek a dedicated host, instead.
Web Host
Always check into the security precautions provided as you shop for a web host. Websites are vulnerable to a number of different types of attacks, making security a reasonable concern. Ensure that the host you choose has clear procedures for handling threats like DDoS attacks. You should know what your web host will do if they are attacked through the Internet.
If you are considering a free website hosting service, be careful. One thing that many free web hosts do not provide is content backup. This means you’ll need to make your own arrangement for backing up your site. This means that if something disappears, its gone for good.
Service charges coming from hosting providers could be correlated to the traffic your site generates in some time period. Ask your host how your bill will be computed. The formula varies between providers with some charging a flat rate based on amount of traffic, and others charging a varying amount according to usage by month.
Unlimited Storage
Look to see what is offered when a web page hosting company says you have unlimited storage or bandwidth. For instance, you may indeed have unlimited storage, but the company may limit the type of files that can be stored. Also, it is possible to interpret unlimited bandwidth as a payment plan that is tiered. Read the fine print and see what “unlimited” actually means. It may be less than what the company wants you to believe.
When looking into a potential web host, extend your research beyond the promotional materials and website run by the host. Make sure you read reviews from independent websites for impartial evaluations. Seek out reviews from existing clients.
A lot of hosting services are in fact relying on another major host. Big hosts can lease server space to smaller companies, who then offer different packages to end users. Find out if your host has their own servers and where they are located. If your host relies on another company, perhaps you can find the exact same kind of hosting at a lower price from another company.
Customer Service
If you are a novice in web design, go for a web host that offers great customer service rather than a lot of bells and whistles. As a newbie, you are more likely to have questions about the basic features that come with your package. You may find that web applications are helpful, but having full customer service with technical support makes a world of difference in ease of use.
If you have a computer that operates on a dial up connection, you need to avoid doing your own website hosting. Your website must have a fast and dependable connection to make sure that it is always updated and online. Dial-up will result in a lot of lagging and downtime for your domain, which means losing money and customers.
Search Engine
Choose a web host that offers SEO help to boost site traffic. These features register your site with popular search engines. However, you may prefer to list your website with a search engine directly, as you will have more control over the description which appears under your website’s title on search engine results pages.
You should now have sufficient knowledge to at least understand the terminology, and be able to recognize both the good and bad features of a hosting company. If you have already signed a contract with a web hosting service, make sure you prime your IT technician as you prepare for a fresh port.