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Good Web Hosting - What Is It?
With hundreds of web hosting companies to choose from
today it can be hard to know which ones are actually worth
using. Below is a guide of things to look for in a web host:
1. Services - A lot of times we are sold on the idea that
bigger is better. I like to look at web hosting companies
with a quality over quantity perspective. If lets say you
need a site to just simply host your little guy's minor
league soccer team, do you really need a terabyte of bandwidth?
Are you ever going to make use of all of those gigabytes
of storage space. A lot of webhosting companies will oversell
their servers in this way, and rely on the little sites
that won't reach their limits to keep things running. These
companies are spreading themselves thin, and I wouldn't
recommend getting on board with one of them. Find a host
that is going to meet your sites current needs, and that
also allows room for growth.
2. Prices - I've seen small packages go for expensive sums,
and large packages go for very cheap. This goes back to
the point above, and also the point below. Make sure that
you are actually getting what you pay for! Getting more
than you pay for isn't normally a good thing, as chances
are you aren't with a top quality host as they recognize
that to keep things running they need to charge more. Another
way in which Web Hosting companies will often cut costs
is in their Customer Service. Most hosting companies online
are simply reseller services, and can have terrible response
times and customer support, as they are over extended or
simply don't care.
3. Customer Service - This I feel is the most important
aspect to keep in mind when looking for a good web host.
Don't over look this! Chances are at one point in the life
of your website you are going to have a problem with your
host, or a question, inquiry,etc. What good is it if they
don't answer? Look for hosts that provide 24/7 email support.
Email is the most common although a lot of hosts will also
offer live chat, and some even phone support. Support I
feel is what makes or breaks a host. Datacenters are all
pretty similar, and often times a lot of resellers are at
the same datacenter. Test out a company's response time.
And over a couple days. One my first hosting experiences
I found a site with live chat, got online, asked my questions,
and then joined. A few days later I had some support problems,
and there was no one there, same thing a month later,etc.
Even just to cancel my account took a month. Quality hosts
will be consistent and timely with their support.
Web hosting can be a pleasant experience or it can be a
nightmare. Take your time and test out a company before
you join. A little time now, will save you a lot of time/energy/money
down the road!
Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep the
following caption and author biography in tact with all
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