There is nothing more confusing in the internet world than hosting. What kind of hosting is required? Which host should you choose? Should you host your own sites? These are all questions that require a lot of research. Luckily, this article lays out smart ways to find a host so you can make the right decision.
Find out each potential web host’s uptime–the percentage of time the server is up and working correctly–and avoid web hosts that have a lot of outages. If a company faces frequent outages and is constantly making excuses, it is a red flag that they are unreliable, or they would have made plans to remedy the situation. These outages indicate a lack of professionalism and adequacy; avoid these providers at all costs.
Call the customer service number and ask about SSL certification and shopping carts. If the technicians are helpful, you have found a web host that understands e-commerce and will be able to meet your needs. On the other hand, if no one is able to answer your technical questions, look for a different host.
Read the terms of service when dealing with a web hosting who offers “unlimited” services. Many times web hosts will offer unlimited bandwidth or sometimes hard disk space. Read the terms carefully, as they may reserve the right to ask you to upgrade your plan, if you are a higher profile customer, that has increased usage.
Before choosing a web hosting service, check to see their bandwidth capacity. This can be seen in terms of the amount of data that come into, or out of, your website. Depending on the plan you choose, you will usually be allotted a certain amount of bandwidth on a monthly basis. Large businesses could need as much as 200 GB or smaller ones could get by with as little as 3 GB. Check the availability, then choose your plan accordingly.
You should look for a web host that offers a good FTP application. An FTP software allows you to upload new content to your site quickly and safely. If you have to go to your host’s site and log in to upload new content, you are losing a lot of time.
Learning more about hosting is a must for anyone with a website. By using the tips in this article, you will be better able to tackle the task of finding a web host and making smart decisions about choosing one. Take your time to read through the tips and make a good choice you’ll be happy with.
