Choosing a web host provider does not have to be a daunting process. The key to choosing a webhost provider that is right for you, is knowing what your web hosting needs are. The questions can swirl in your head. How much does it cost? How much space is provided? Are there provide shopping cart options provided? This article is meant to give you a starting point and a guideline to follow in choosing a web hosting provider.
Amount of Server Space Provided:
You need to determine how much space your website will need and if you will need the capability of expanding your site. Your space needs will be determined by how many pictures you have or will have on your site, whether or not you need video, audio, streaming, etc.
Bandwidth Limitations:
Does the web hosting provider have daily or monthly bandwidth limitations? Determining the web hosting provider’s limitations on the amount of data that can be transferred from your site on a daily or monthly basis is critical, as exceeding these limits can result in the web hosting provider disabling your site.
File Type and Size Allowances:
You need to determine what type of files the web hosting provider allows you to upload and what the file size limitations are. Some web hosting providers limit the type of files to jpeg or html. If your file needs are different, or if there are size limitations that conflict with your needs, it is best to know this in advance.
Customer Service:
What type of customer service does the web hosting provider offer? Do they have phone support, online support and email support? Is the support available 24/7? Some web hosting providers provide phone support during the work day and only email support on weekends and evenings. What is the response time? You need to determine if you are willing to wait for an email response to your problem. If your site goes down on Saturday, how long will you have to wait for resolution? If they offer email support, send them an email with some of your questions. This is a good way to determine how long it takes them to respond and how thorough their answers are.
Reliability/Uptime:
Most web hosting providers provide an uptime guarantee. You need to find out what the uptime guarantee is, what it covers and what the compensation is if the uptime is not met. Most of this information can be found in the web hosting providers Terms of Service. If you cannot easily access the Terms of Service, call the web hosting provider and ask them where you can locate it. You should be looking for an uptime guarantee of 99.9%.
Pricing:
When looking at pricing, keep in mind that pricing has become very competitive, due to the large number of web hosting service providers competing for your business. Most companies offer different payment plans, such as monthly, quarterly, annually. The best price is typically with the annual plan (you pay for one year up front). Several companies are now offering different levels of web hosting plans, to appeal to a diverse customer base. These plans vary in price and offerings, so it is essential that you know what you need, thus ensuring you are not paying for features you don’t need. In addition, you need to be sure and read the Terms of Service in regards to cancellation fees. Pricing and uptime go hand in hand. If you are paying $5.00 per month but your site is down 80% percent of the time, was it really a value?
Email:
Does the web hosting provider offer email service? How many email accounts can you have? How many emails can be sent/received per day/week/month? Is forwarding available? Are auto responders available?
Control Panel:
Regardless of the term used, it is essential that the web hosting service provider offer a control panel. This feature allows you to manage your email, forwarders, masking, passwords etc. If a control panel is not offered, I would steer clear. Failure to provide this feature leaves you at the mercy of the technical support staff to perform mundane tasks such as updating an email forwarder.
Site Builder:
Unless you are a professional web designer, the use of a site builder will be invaluable to you. When researching web hosting service providers, make sure they offer a site builder at no extra charge.
Domain Registration:
Unless you already own your domain name, you should be looking for a web hosting service provider that also offers domain registration. Usually, if you sign up for at least one year of hosting, they will offer domain registration for free. Having your domain registered by the same company that is hosting your website offers convenience. You don’t have to pay separate companies or worry about updating your name servers.
Hosting Multiple Domains / Sub Domains:
Does the web hosting provider allow you to host multiple domains on one account? What is the charge for this? How often are you charged (monthly, annually)? Is there a limit on how many domains/sub-domains you can host?
Years in Business:
This factor is fairly self explanatory. You need to determine if the web hosting provider is established in the hosting industry. I certainly don’t mean to imply that new web hosting service providers will not provide quality service, but new businesses typically have bugs to work out. If you don’t want to go through the learning curve with your web hosting service provider, then you would be better served to look at established companies.
Private SSL:
If your website is commerce related and you accept credit card payments then you definitely want to make sure that the web hosting service provider offers this feature. You need to find out what their fee is for this service and the renewal policy associated with it.
Reputation/Awards:
This is a good indicator of how the web hosting provider is viewed by the industry. Most web hosting service providers like to show off the awards they have received, so you should be able to get this information simply by navigating their website.
Data Backups:
I cannot stress enough how important it is to find out how often a web hosting service provider performs data backups. Do they perform daily, weekly or monthly backups. The more often they perform backups the better. For example, if they provide monthly backups and your site data is lost or corrupted 28 days after the last backup, your data for the last 28 days is gone. The best the web hosting provider will be able to do is restore your site to what is was at the last backup. You need to be assured that if there is a hard drive or server failure; the web hosting service provider can recover your data.
There is no substitute for due diligence.
Take the time to research different web hosting service providers, read the testimonials, and contact the companies. Take all the steps necessary to ensure that you are comfortable with the reputation of the company and the service they provide.