How to Choose a Reliable Web Host ?
The first thing you should do before beginning your search for a
reliable web host, is to make a list of your specific web
hosting needs. How much space will you need? How much transfer
allowance? How many emails? Will you need a database? Will you
need a shopping cart? Will you need a merchant account? Are you
going to set up a forum or chat feature with your web
site?....etc After all, A Reliable Web host should first be a
web host that meets your specific needs. But there are some
things that every web host should have in order for you to
consider using there services, and they are listed below.
Up Time and Reliability You'll want to make sure that your web
site is accessible. Ask your web host whether he quarantees a
certain percentage of uptime. Many web hosts will guarantee your
web site to be available 99.5% of the time. Ask about the
hardware used, the connection, and what safequards are in place
to minimize downtimes.
Reasonable Price Your web hosting company should offer you a
reasonable price for services and flexibility in payment methods
and schedules. Look for hidden costs when comparing prices. You
will find that some web hosts charge a setup fee. Don't rule out
a web hosting company just because of this expense. Some of the
best companies charge a setup fee to help in covering the cost
of having high quality technical support available.
Bandwidth Some services give you a small limit on the amount of
material that can be downloaded from your site each month and
charge you large amounts when that limit is exceeded. Some offer
huge traffic allowances for the same price. You may not need
more than a hundred MB a month now, but why put yourself in a
position where you have to move when your traffic takes off?
Plan ahead and allow for growth. Make sure you have at least 1
GB of data transfer. Always stay away from web hosts that say
that they offer Unlimited Bandwidth Because there is NO SUCH
thing called unlimited bandwidth
Disk Storage Space Look for a web host that offers sites of 100
MB or more. This may sound like a lot, but will give you room to
grow. Some web hosts offer 20 to 50 MB of space and charge as
much as hosts offering 100 MB or more. They then charge you $5
to $10 more a month for every 10 MB you add on when you discover
you need more space. This doesn't necessarily make them a bad
web hosting service, but it is something to consider when
comparing prices.
Server Speed You want a server that is reliable and fast. There
is a free tool available that allows you to evaluate this before
making a decision. Net Mechanic will measure the speed of access
for all facets of access (network speed, DNS lookup, connect
time, download time, and absence of timeouts). The download time
statistic is the most important single item to compare. Collect
your list of candidate hosting services and run side-by-side
tests of all the candidates. Sample during peak and non-peak
times for optimal comparison.
Basic Features Lots of features is another measure of a good web
host. Some web web hosts will offer only minimal features and
then charge a monthly fee to add on any new features.
Multiple Domain Names If you have more than one domain name,You
can host them using one web hosting account.Some web hosting
companies may charge you extra cash for this kind of
service.Others will not charge you. You only need this, if you
have more than one domain name.
Mail Forwarding Accounts And Email Autoresponders Make sure the
Web hosting company allows you to set up mail forwarding -- the
ability to forward you email somewhere else. I have several web
sites and have all my email forwarded to my ISP service so I can
read it all at once. It would take me a long time to downloard
all my mail from each of my accounts. It's a great time-saver.As
for autoresponder,its a program that automatically sends your
pre-written message to people who email you. An example: If
someone sends an e-mail to WebhostsResource@yahoo.com, a message
from me will automatically be sent to them. This is a very
useful tool in marketing your business as people are sent
information immediately and without you doing a thing.
Mailing Lists A mailing list is a discussion group that is
email-based. They are useful as a promotional tool. You can also
use a mailing-list program to distribute your ezine.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) It allows you to transfer files to
and from your Web site quickly and easily. This service should
be provided. Only some free web hosting services don't offer
FTP. I would be really be worried if a web hosting service
doesn't offer this basic service.
Anonymous FTP Accounts This function allows you to set up an FTP
site that people can access to download files. If you are
distributing software or giving away free ebooks, this is a
great tool. You can also have files transfered directly from
your Web site, but it's sometimes handy to have an FTP site as
well. FTP sites can resume interrupted downloads. If someone is
transfering a file, and their ISP or phone company cuts them off
half way through, they can come back and continue the transfer
where they left of. This works great for large downloads.
A Secure Server - Referred To As SSL Server This is a must if
you plan to take orders online or transfer sensitive
information. The secure server allows redit-card information
typed into a form to be encrypted before being sent from the
user's Web browser to the server. You may have to pay an
additional fee to use the secure server. You don't have to have
a secure server to take orders online, but you may lose a lot of
orders if you don't provide this for your customers.
CGI Scripts You can use CGI to take information from a form and
send it to your email account and some shopping cart programs
use it as well. A good Web hosting service will have a library
of CGI scripts you can use. Find out if you can add your own CGI
scripts. Don't get a service that won't allow you to do this.
You may regret it in the future even if you don't use them now.
Advanced Features Does The Web Host Provide Advanced Features
Such As Database Access, Java Applets, RealAudio/Video,
PHP,Password Protection...etc If You Need Them !?
Backups A good web host will backup your web directory daily.
This is pretty standard throughout the industry. If a web host
doesn't provide this service, don't even consider using them.
Some web hosts will even do redundant backups to insure your web
site is not lost.
A Guarantee With so many web hosting services out there, make
sure you choose one that offers a guarantee. Services that offer
a moneyback guarantee are confident that you'll be satisfied
with their service. Look for at least a basic 30 day money back
guarantee.
Flexibility The ideal web hosting service will have lots of
options and upgrades to accomodate future growth of your web
site. You may need to add ecommerce to your web site (shopping
cart, storefront, merchant account), or more web space, a forum,
or you might just need to have your own dedicated server. A good
web hosting company will have all these resources available to
you if you need them.
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