As more people find ways to make money online, websites have become increasingly popular. Although there are a million reasons for wanting to do this, every single one of these sites require a hosting company, so you will need to understand who and what they are. This article will provide you with some basic knowledge about this topic so that you are a bit informed before taking the next step.
Find lots of different recommendations before settling on a host. Seeking out the advice of only a select few may leave you with an incomplete picture of a web host’s abilities. Furthermore, you risk being given information that is bought and paid for!
Shared Hosting
Dedicated or shared hosting, which one is right for you? If your site is large or complex, or you receive a lot of traffic, shared hosting might limit your ability to expand and meet the needs of your customers adequately. Instead, opt for a dedicated server.
Your domain should be registered outside of the web host. This way you can keep the name in case of a disagreement between your host and you, or a shutdown. You won’t be able to control your domain registration, your host will.
Try paying more for secure server certificates for a safer site. Visitors to your site will be informed that it is a secure site and will feel more comfortable making a purchase and entering personal information.
If a hosting package says they offer unlimited services, consider their statements carefully. For instance, if a web host provides infinite disk space, there could be limitations on what file types are allowed. The unlimited bandwidth claims may actually be part of a tiered pricing system. Be sure to read the fine print and know what “unlimited” means in terms of your plan.
One way to save money on website operating costs is to find a free web hosting service. The drawbacks to this kind of hosting includes limited server space, and ads being placed on your site. When it is important that your website is highly professional looking, this kind of hosting may not be an option.
Some web hosts use the services of a larger host to provide their offerings to you. These companies purchase a block of space on the server at a discount, and turn a profit by leasing space to smaller sites. Find out the company that will ultimately host your site so you can get the best price.
Stick with companies that have excellent reputations. These awards tend to be good indicators of the strength of a host’s service and support. Having an award is a good indication that the hosting company is reliable and has many satisfied customers. Awards which are voted on by customers are the ones you should focus on, as they really represent quality of service.
If your website needs email capabilities, ask hosting providers about the email formats they allow. The most popular, and best type, for most people is POP 3. The email addresses share your site’s domain name and you can usually access the mail accounts from any web browsers using the host’s tools.
When choosing a host for a site that needs more traffic, choose a host that has SEO features. Web hosts with this feature will generally register your site with search engines. You may need to register the site yourself as this allows you more control.
First, check out the hosts history. You want to make sure that they have been in business for a while, and that their reputation is sound. They should have at least one year’s operating history before you consider them. These newer services are more likely to disappear within the next months.
Good communication is essential when selecting a host. It should provide consistent updates on service levels, such as when down times for maintenance will occur. They should be available for tech support whenever you encounter problems.
Some hosting services may offer you a refund for the time that your website is down. Usually, you won’t receive but a few cents, but potential sales lost could harm your business. Don’t trade good uptimes for small refunds.
Future growth may require you to upgrade your services with your site’s host. Find out how the service handles upgrades. There should be a specific process for upgrading that minimizes problems and allows upgrades to occur quickly. If you need to ask for more bandwidth, your request should be responded to in a speedy manner. It should also be easy to switch from a shared server to a dedicated server.
It may have seemed at first as if website hosting is something elusive and hard to grasp But hopefully, after you have read this article, your confusion may have been cleared up a bit. The next step, putting this information into action, is up to you. Educating yourself about the nuances of web hosting will help you make good decisions and ensure the success of your site.
