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Things To consider While Choosing A Web Hosting Service
By spykerman
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You’ve worked hard on your website and you’re ready to introduce it to the world, but there’s just one thing missing - a web host. Event with the right tools, your site would be ineffective without a reliable web host. Here’s how to choose the most appropriate one for your needs. Not every web host will live up to your expectations, or meet your needs. Many of them may have excellent marketing techniques, but you can’t always be sure that what they are advertising is what you’re going to get. Also, if you’re not too familiar with the web hosting terms and jargon, you might not even understand what they’re offering. To help you choose the best web host for your site, here are several important things to consider.
1. COST
One of your first concerns will probably be how much web hosting is going to cost you. Thinking about cost is expected, especially when most site owners do not anticipate that their sites will bring in revenues right from the very beginning. While cost is a valid concern, you should be careful about jumping at the lowest priced hosting plans available to you. Doing so could be a huge mistake, and one you may regret later. It is important that you know exactly what you expect of your site, and that the web-hosting plan you select is capable of meeting your expectations. Therefore, when considering the cost of a web-hosting plan, you also want to understand the value of that plan, and how it can work for you long term.
2. HOSTING PLAN
The cost of a hosting plan will depend largely on the features of that plan. Dedicated servers are usually more expensive than shared hosting or other plans, since you’ll be given access to what is essentially your own physical server (although you won’t necessarily own that server). You will also need to decide on whether you’ll require an unmanaged or managed plan. If you’re going with a shared hosting plan, you may want to consider a managed option, especially if you’re not too familiar with how shared hosting works.
3. FEATURES
Hosting plans will typically have a wide variety of features, so it’s important that you understand the different types of hosting features available. Most people assume that more is better, but having a plan that offers a multitude of features does not necessarily mean that it will be the best option for you. A sound web-site hosting plan will offer features catered specifically to your site’s needs. For instance, a plan may provide an online store and selling tools, but if you don’t intend to build a store and prefer revenues from advertisements, then having that feature would be impractical. The features you would most likely need are quality bandwidth, enhanced security, and scalability.
4. TECH SUPPORT
It is imperative that you choose a web host that has a flawless reputation for providing quality technical support. During the life of your website(s), you’re bound to encounter more than a handful of technical issues, and it helps to have a support team that is not only timely and efficient, but effective as well. If the web host provides quality technical support, then those issues can be quickly resolved. If not, it won’t be long before you are in the market for another web host.
5. HARDWARE
If the host uses top-of-the-line equipment, then you know you’re in good hands. Believe it or not, some web hosts do not even have their own hardware. You will need to make sure that you know exactly what type of hardware the host is using. If you cannot get a definite answer for this, you might as well search for another company. The existence of your website will rely heavily on the type of hardware it resides in. If the host uses top-of-the-line equipment, then you know you’re in good hands.
6. EXPERTISE
Ideally, web hosts should be able to accommodate every type of customer. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Oftentimes web hosts specialize in a specific type of business, despite claiming otherwise. If your site is a business they are capable of hosting, but do not specialize in, you may just end up on the back burner whenever you need support. If, for example, a host was skilled in providing support to large companies or enterprises and your site is a small blog, you might not get the specific attention you need.
7. REPUTATION
Always check a host’s reputation before anything else. You want to buy the services of a host that has an impeccable reputation among customers at your level. If you have a blog, for example, ask other bloggers if they know of any reputable web hosts. You might even get a recommendation. However, don’t base your choice on web host reviews or recommendations alone, since these can often be biased. If you are interested in an honest and unbiased website that publishes the opinion of a real web site hosting customer, then you can click the link you just skipped. But, do your own research as well. A well-informed web host choice will ultimately save you both time and money. Be especially mindful of web hosts who promise unlimited bandwidth. In reality, there is no such thing as unlimited bandwidth, despite what some hosts will have you believe. It is always important to research hosting plans before deciding which one works best for you.
Choosing the right web host and hosting plan can be a tough task, but it is not impossible if you know what options you have available to you. Many website owners decide on a shared hosting plan, simply because these are more stable than windows servers and they also provide more options. You might want to carefully consider this when selecting a plan, because many believe that shared hosting is better than other types of plans, since with this type of plan they tend to avoid many potential problems.
About the author
Eric Spykerman is a search engine optimization expert and web hosting reseller. He currently resells hosting for the company ResellersPanel under the names Linux Hosts Ltd. and Linux Hosts Inc.
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