A host is generally a server or rack of servers that “hosts” the files composing your website via the Internet. Companies usually offer various packages at different rates for their hosting services, but it’s important that you make a choice with your future company in mind, and not just saving a few bucks at the moment.
One effective way to determine the reliability of a web host that you are considering is to access the websites of their customers at various times throughout the day for several days. You should check for any errors that could be the fault of the web host, and find out whether the load times are fast enough. If you are running an online business, this is very important since slow load times can cost you customers!
Consider a reseller hosting space plan from your web hosting company, to cover all the costs of your hosting needs as well as add profit to the equation. This simply means you would rent more space than you need from a web host and sell it to others. The parent host would cover all server needs and requirements, you would simply sell to other people looking for a host.
Look for a company that offers an “uptime guarantee.” Uptime is also known as the amount of time that a server is online for, as opposed to down, for service or maintenance. A reliable web host should be able to offer some sort of guarantee that your site will be available at least 98 percent of the time, with superior web hosts able to offer 99.9 percent uptime.
Look for a web host that lets you create your own customized error pages. In case your site is not accessible, you will be able to apologize to your visitors and perhaps redirect them to your Facebook page. Instead of getting frustrated at the usual error message, your visitors will appreciate you apologizing to them.
When searching for a reputable web host, you should aim to find one that has all the important documents. These include terms of Service, Acceptable Usage Policy, and Privacy Policy. These documents are meant not just to protect the host, but also the users. Ensure that when you find these documents that you look over them really carefully. If you can’t find these documents on a host’s website, then you should look elsewhere.
If you are thinking about using a free web hosting provider, it is generally a good idea if you can find a hosting provider that will allow you to use your own custom domain name. Most free providers don’t allow this so finding one that does will make it much more valuable.
Ensure that you choose a web host that provides both cPanel and Fantastico. CPanel can assist you in controlling and maintaining your website easily by using this control panel that is very user friendly. Fantastico is a strong script installer that lets you install scripts in only two minutes instead of the thirty minutes that it takes to install them manually. Both these features can be extremely useful for you. If the host you’re considering selecting doesn’t provide both of these, then you may want to consider finding another host.
You should be wary of web hosting packages that offer you free domain names. In many cases, the reason why the domain names are free is because they will be owned by the web host. This can cause problems if your website becomes extremely successful since your domain name will become very valuable. In addition, there might be issues if you have to switch web hosts because you may not be able to keep your domain name.
If you want to use a shopping cart software, make sure it is compatible with your web host. A good web host should support certain features such as Web scripting, dynamic content or executable files. These features will allow you to add different ways for your visitors to interact with your website, for instance by leaving feedback.
Stay away from a web host who has an issue with automating or properly administrating the most basic and necessary aspect of business. If you see they have issues with their billing and payments, then try to stay away from them since this usually means that they will have many other issues including having frequent site outages.
Look into a web hosts policies on spam. There are many hosting companies out there that have made a bad name for themselves by hosting any number of malicious domains, just as long as the pay on time. You may not want to have your site sitting among this company. It can put your company in a bad light.
Avoid any web hosting company that has a reputation for messing up the billing and payment system, no matter how reliable their hosting may seem. Even when a company offers reliable web hosting, failure to manage other key aspects of the business can mean problems for you as well, including sudden outages if the billing automation system cannot accurately keep track of customer transactions.
If you have decided to use a free web hosting service, then be aware of potential problems and be prepared to deal with them. These can include, restrictions on your hosting package, limited number of web pages allowed, and issues with security. In addition, it is highly likely that you will be bombarded with unwanted ads that appear on your site, as well as, popups and banners.
Avoid free web hosting from companies that do not ask you to place ads on your site. While free hosting with no ads sounds great, the company needs to make money somehow. Avoid the shock that would come if the web hosting company suddenly went out of business and shut down. Choose a web hosting company that has stability, a solid revenue stream and good business history.
If there was anything in your business that you should be willing to splurge on, it’s the power of a proper host. It will be one of the most important decisions you make, and if you choose wrong, it could end up meaning months of lost service and lost profits.
