Considerations for Choosing a Web Hosting Provider (Carl Ziebarth)
Jul 28, 2009
Web hosting is the backbone to any online business. You can spend thousands developing a stellar, stat of the art website, but a poor hosting provider can render it worthless. There are thousands of web hosting providers available. How do you know which one to choose? Here are some considerations that will assist in choosing a quality hosting provider.
Basic information can be important. When talking about web hosting it is easy to get bogged down in bandwidth, megabytes, uptime, etc. However, there is some basic information that can be just as important. Reviewing the company's profile can provide information about how long the company has been in business.
Find out the type of data center used. Every hosting provider has a data center. Some are state of the art facilities, others are little more than a hole in the wall. Obviously, you want to be closer to state of the art than hole in the wall. You want to learn enough to be sure of their competence. You should ask about the type and speed of connection, temperature in their server room, amount of backups, and up time. These will get you started.
Ensure that you have a generous amount of bandwidth. Every time your website is visited it uses bandwidth. If you plan on hosting a large amount of pictures, audio, or video, you may use up bandwidth quickly. You do not want to be surprised with a low cost hosting company that hits you with a large bill for extra bandwidth.
You will work very hard to build a following. You do not want your hosting provider adding banner ads. Even worse, you do not want them adding pop up ads. It would be horrible to lose customers over advertisements added by your hosting provider.
SSL certificates can be crucial. If you are running an e-commerce site, security of your customers' information is critical. If the customer does not trust that their information is safe, they will not give it to you. It will be very hard to run an e-commerce site that way. Ensure that your hosting provider will help you setup an SSL certificate.
Beware of unlimited space offerings. Many low cost hosting providers advertise unlimited space and bandwidth. Often, they offer this for a very low cost. It can be very attractive, especially to new webmasters. Be careful of these offerings. These companies make money by putting a large number of websites on the same server. The hope is sites using a large amount of bandwidth will be tapered by those using very little.
Customer support is always important. Whether you are buying a lawnmower or choosing web hosting. It is even more important in web hosting. It is important that you be able to get customer service as quickly as possible. At a minimum, you want a hosting provider that offers several technical support options including email, phone, and/or instant messaging.
The answers to these questions provide a well rounded view of the hosting company. You should be familiar with their background and offerings. Keep in mind that they will become your business partner. It is crucial that you choose wisely and carefully. Keep these questions in mind as you research each company and you will make a more informed choice.
About the AuthorWe can help you choose a website domain name or hosting? You can view web hosting company reviews at Bruces Money Rants..