Choosing a web host for your website can be quite difficult. There are many web hosting services to select from, and each service tends to have several packages available. It is also a very important decision due to the fact that your web host directly influences your website’s up-time.
Use the following tips to make the best decision.
You should always back up your data on your own, instead of relying on your web host to protect your information. The more backups you keep of your data, the more protected you will be. Before paying a hosting provider, ask them about their backup services and how much redundancy protection they have available.
Find a service that offers to register your domain name for you. Registering your domain name yourself is feasible and cheaper, but if you lack experience you should spend the extra money and rely on your web host to do this for you. Choose your domain name carefully so it reflects what your company is about.
When designing your site, choose tools compatible with the platform you are going to use. For instance, you will have to use a Windows-operated server if you build your site with ASP or VP while a Linux-operated server will support sites built with Python, PHP or Perl. Linux tools are a little more complex but allow you to save money on your hosting plan.
If you are working with a limited budget, consider using a shared web hosting service. This option is especially appealing for personal websites or any site that will not be used to store sensitive information. If you take this route, you can expect to pay well under $20 per month–much less than you would pay for service from a dedicated server.
Look at the testimonials of a company closely, especially those featured on their site. Many shady web hosting companies offer fake customer reviews on their site. For some companies, this may be easy to spot, for others it may be more difficult. In either case, do not take these testimonials at face value. Get reviews from independent message boards not affiliated with the web hosting company.
If you plan to change your web host, make sure that your new host offers at least the same features and service as your current host. Changing web hosts is not difficult, but it does require some preparation and work. So if you make the change, be sure that you are changing to a better plan to make it worth your while.
Consider all of your needs before signing up with a web hosting company, to get your best price and avoid unnecessary charges. Determine how much bandwidth and storage you need first, for example and whether your site will be interactive. All of these details are crucial in factoring who your web host should be and how much you should pay for it.
Consider signing up for a 12 month web hosting contract. Many web hosting providers now offer large discounts to customers who sign up for long term contracts. If you pay for your web hosting on a month by month basis, as oppose to on a yearly contract, you could end up paying more than double for your website’s annual hosting.
By paying upfront for web hosting you could see your money going down the drain. Web hosting is best paid for on an as used basis, like electricity or cable. In the event that you accept a prepaid option, and your web host company goes bankrupt or finds themselves in hot water, you are out of that prepaid amount as well as a host.
Research each potential web host’s customer support before deciding on a host. The easier it is to get in touch with the hosting service, the more likely you are to be satisfied. If you’re having problems with your web hosting account, you’ll need to be able to easily reach customer service by email or phone.
Take email needs into account when choosing a web hosting plan. Most plans will include some basic email services, but if you need additional mailboxes or storage, you may have to purchase an extra package or select another tier of service. Some inexpensive plans may also limit the number of emails you can send in a day.
You should know that an average website can work fine with 10 gigabytes of bandwidth every month. If you have videos or files’ your visitors can download, you will mean much more. Take this into consideration when you choose your web hosting plan. Consider upgrading it later if your sites get to be more popular.
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.
Make sure you understand how much bandwidth you are allowed to use for web hosting. Even if you have a lot of space available to store your site, you will need a sufficient amount of bandwidth to allow people to load your site quickly and to increase your traffic. Stay away from a web host that overcharges you if you exceed your allowed bandwidth.
Check to see if your web hosting service gives you an easy method to submit your pages to search engines. You will also want to know how much control you have over search engine optimization and keywords, as well as how often you can send updates for no charge.
Due to the large number of web hosting companies to choose from, along with the wide variety of packages offered by these companies, it can be difficult to decide on a web host. In addition, it is important to make the best choice because your web host directly affects your website’s up-time.
Follow the advice provided in this article, and you should not have any problems selecting a web host that fulfills your needs.