A company is only as good as its weakest link, something that is often its web server. So if you’re not familiar with a lot of the jargon, when it comes to web hosting, you can get confused and make a mistake by picking the wrong type of service. Often, rather than dive into the problem, people just go with whatever seems to work. Although this might sound confusing, this article can help clear some of the confusion.
Almost every web host has additional features available in their packages, although the exact add-ons may vary from host to host. When looking at different hosts, make sure you’re comparing the level of service that includes the specific feature you require. For instance, you may find that the lowest-priced provider no longer holds a cost advantage and you must choose a higher-priced package for the feature that you need.
Hosting Service
Before committing to a single web page hosting service, explore all of your options. If you rely on the recommendation of only one or two people, your chances for making a mistake are much greater. Perhaps those people have limited experience with websites and hosting or they have some kind of affiliation with the web page hosting service they are recommending.
Which do you need, shared or dedicated hosting? If you have a huge and complicated site that receives tons of visitors, you may discover that shared hosting is curtailing your advancement and limiting your ability to serve your customers. It’s a wise idea to find a dedicated host.
Your web host should provide you with live statistics on your visitors. You should add a visitor counter to your site, and compare it to the numbers your web host is giving you. When you run an online business, this data will help you customize your strategy in reaching out to your audience.
Want to save cash? Look into hosting for free. Using a free web host means that there will be advertising on your site. Also, you won’t have as much space for your site’s storage. If you want a better site, steer clear of free hosts.
Many hosting services rely on the services of larger companies. These companies buy mass quantities of server space and “rent” it to smaller web hosts in order to turn a profit. Determine where your site will actually be hosted, and make sure that you receive the best possible price of the two companies using the same servers.
A control panel (cPanel) is of utmost importance if you are choosing a web host. A cPanel allows you to add common applications to your site easily. These applications are usually very intuitive and user-friendly to install. Not to mention, it will help remove a lot of the excess clutter that might go by unnoticed to the non-machine eye and help your website function with less memory and higher speeds.
Web Host
If you have the ability to talk with other customers that use the web host you are looking at, make sure to do so, either on forums, message boards, or direct conversations. You can narrow down your choice for hosting services by the ability to question those on staff, and by how capable they are of meeting your needs. These discussions will also make you more confident that you have chosen the proper host once you finally settle on one. Customers who are already using the web host will give the best advice possible.
Solid web hosts will have impressive reputations. Look for articles or reviews on potential web hosts. You want to choose a host with a good reputation that is well-known and well-supported. Companies that do not do enough for their customers should be easily found out.
Decide if your site requirements include a dedicated server. Your site may have high bandwidth or space requirements that can make a dedicated server a better choice. This can give your customers a better experience on your site. Keep in mind that a happy customer is one that will probably come back.
If you are still connecting to the Internet with dial-up, then don’t try to host your site yourself. If you want your site to be up and running at all times, it needs a secure, fast connection to the Internet. If this isn’t the case, you will have times where your site will be offline.
Do not just choose a website host based on price comparisons. Make sure you look at all the different options and choices. Look at all factors before choosing your host and then pick a plan which is within your budget. Your final choice should meet ALL of your needs, not just price.
Be very cautious if you are going to use an inexpensive web host. A cheap one may be tempting, but they may be cheap for a particular reason. They may have a business model that is risky, or worse, could be cutting corners, leaving you and your site at risk.
Ask your host how many Internet connections they have. A host with just one route to the Internet is a dangerous choice, because if their connection fails, your website will necessarily be down, as well. Make sure they’re redundant connections and make sure each has enough bandwidth for your site.
Hopefully this article has cleared up some of the confusion, and educated you on the industry jargon of web hosting. Even if you are already locked into a hosting agreement, you can inform your IT person and prepare to move your site to a better hosting service once your current contract expires.
