SolveYourProblem
Article Series: Web Hosting
Teach Me Web Hosting Essentials
How
To Choose the Right Web Host
Making the decision to expand your world into
that of the Internet is an important one. You already know
what you want to put on your website and now all you need is
a web host to house it. A web host is an Internet Service Provider
(ISP) that will house your website and the many megabytes it
will take up. ISPs vary wildly in the amenities that they offer
so it is important to find the Web Host that offers everything
that your website does and will need. This article enumerates
five tips to choosing the right web host for you.
Free or Paid
The first step is to decide whether or not you should look
for a free or a paid website. While free sounds nice, it is
really only an option for those starting personal sites. If
you plan on running your business through or from this website
then free ISPs are more trouble than they are worth. When ISPs
offer their space at no cost to you it means that they are
gaining their revenue from that site elsewhere - by plastering
your site with banner ads and pop ups. If you are running a
business website, not only does this look unprofessional, it
can run off potential customers who are sick of closing a pop
up window after they click on any icon on your page.
Business sites need the reliability and services of commercial
web hosts. So how much will you have to invest in your new
website? Well, there are really three categories of web hosts:
free, cheap, and good and with web hosts, you get what you
pay for. The cost can range anywhere from $3-$50 per month.
Why should you shell out $50 a month when you could get a site
for free? Paid sites offer you more control over your website
and more security to your customers.
Know What You Need
If you have already started searching for a web host, you
have seen that there are thousands of choices even after you
have narrowed it down to paid or free. How do you choose wisely?
Be clear on what your needs will be and choose a web host accordingly.
Create an outline for your future site. What are you going
to sell? How do you want your customers to pay? What sort of
media or pictures would you like to include? Don’t forget to
plan for the future. How much growth do you expect over the
next year? The next three years? Storage space varies from
provider to provider and determines the number of images, music
and video files you will be able to fit on your website. If
you plan on having a lot of media on your site you need to
look for a provider who allows you ample amounts of space.
Narrow it Down
You now know what your website will require so its time to
start looking at the different packages that web hosts offer.
But don’t let your eyes get bigger than your stomach. You might
want a package that has all the trimmings because it looks
cool, but go with a package that fits your needs. Opt for an
ISP that allows you the option for expansion. Pick 10 to 20
good fits and send out proposal requests to all of them. Set
a deadline and sit back and wait for responses. Most of the
web hosts will not respond by this deadline. Ignore them. It
is a reflection of how valuable they think that you are as
a customer.
Ask for References
Once you have obtained your short list of possible ISPs, ask
them for references. Ask them for the contact information of
some of their clients. Make sure you cover the spectrum. Ask
about large clients as well as small ones. You want to see
how customers are treated on both ends of the spectrum. Don’t
forget to ask them how good the host is at keeping the site
available online.
Check Out Their Customer Support
One of the most frequent complaints that customers have about
their web host is the lack of prompt, effective customer support.
Test their customer service. Call them at three in the morning
and see if a live person answers the call. Send them a customer
support email and see how quickly they respond. Make sure that
your web host won’t leave you hanging when you are losing business
because your web page has been temporarily out of service for
days.
These five tips to choosing the right Web host for you will
make this decision an easy one. Remember to be as knowledgeable
as possible about your options before you sign up with a web
host. Having the right ISP can make the difference between
success and failure for your online venture.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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