Although finding a web host is crucial for getting your site up and running, you may be clueless on the subject. You may find the concept of web hosting confusing or intimidating, but you will need to understand how it works in order to get the right services for your site. This article can help you to identify the best web hosts.
Make sure your web hosts has more than one connection to the Internet. With only a single connection, you run the risk that whenever it goes down, so does your website. Make sure the company has redundant connections and that every one of those connections is capable of supporting your site.
See what kind of server access your web host provides. Some web hosting companies offer complex FTP-based server access while others rely on a simple web-based control panel. If your website is more complex, you will need better access through an FTP-based server. If your site is simple, then a web-based control is a good choice as you do not need as much technical knowledge.
Always pay attention to any outages before you choose your web hosting company, and do not allow them to give you any excuses. Some web hosting providers have a long list of excuses for downtime such as power outages beyond their control, but the quality web hosting providers build systems that have backups and other features that keep your website up and running 24/7. If your web host is making excuses for poor service, leave.
Spend some time reading reviews written on the web hosting service that you are thinking about using. If there are notably good or bad aspects to a hosting service, customers are likely to weigh in online with their opinion. Read lots of reviews about each company, and choose one that has a solid history of providing good service.
Steer clear of free web hosting. For a modest website, free may be okay, but if you have a business or attract a lot of traffic, you may want to go with a more professional host. Free web hosting services may plaster advertisements all over your website, and you are not at liberty to change them. Advertisements can be an annoyance to your visitors, and it could cause them to exit your site and never return.
If you want to hang onto your domain name for the long haul, do not register it through your web host. Even though it seems like a convenient choice, registering your name with the company you have hosting your site can make it hard to keep your domain name later if their company has problems. Use an independent agent for registration of the domain.
Check out the web hosts maintenance schedule. You need to know if maintenance is more than one time per month, if so you should go with another service. A short maintenance time means a shorter downtime for your website.
Downtime of web hosts should be considered. Time slots and days for maintenance should be considered. Choose a different host if they are going to be doing maintenance during a time when your website activity is particularly busy or have frequent server outages.
Be sure to understand if you can bring your domain name when you transfer web hosts. Certain web hosts will not allow you to do this. In these cases, you could end up losing the domain name that your website’s visitors have grown accustomed to.
Research each web hosting company you’re considering before purchasing web hosting services. Just like anything else you are considering purchasing, do your research and read their reviews prior to laying down your hard-earned cash. You might find out some things that will make you want to think again.
Make certain your use a reliable web hosting company. Read the customer reviews, and see if money-back guarantees are offered. It is in your best interest to select a provider that will be able to ensure that your site will be up 24/7. In addition, any support needed to ensure this happens should stay helpful and never be a hassle.
Back up all of your information, don’t count on any web host to do so. You must be sure to backup all of your information on a regular basis, to be sure that nothing is lost, if there should be technical problems. You especially need to take precautions if you have performed a significant amount of SEO work on your site.
Try to find a web hosting provider that has significant uptime so that you don’t risk frequent outages or problems accessing your site. Your traffic suffers every time your site goes down.
Back up your website as often as possible. While your host may provide routine backups of your data, having your own backup will ensure that your data is never lost for good.
Make sure you know what you’re paying for! Web hosting companies have multiple hosting plans, with a wide range of prices. Remember to know the details in a certain package before you decide on signing up for it. Make sure you are paying for all the features you want.
It is very important that the features you need are available with the particular web hosting company you decide to use. Look for basics such as support for Dreamweaver or Microsoft FrontPage, SSL certificates, e-mail spam filtering and auto-responders, and any other add-ons you know your site needs.
Don’t neglect to compare online reviews for hosting services you’re contemplating using. These reviews can inform you about issues other customers have experienced, as well as, the actions the web host has taken to remedy said issues. This can be an excellent way to find a good company.
In conclusion, those who own a website may not know a thing about web hosting. Now that you gained some knowledge through this article, you should have a much better idea about web hosting. Take what you have learned here to heart as you go on the hunt for a new host.