Monday, February 18, 2013

Guidelines To A Successful Web Hosting Program

By Adam Stossel


The weakest link of a company is always what drags it down; this is why you want a web host that is good as opposed to one that is weak. If you know nothing about programming, the terminology and numerous directories can be very confusing. Many people cave in when confronted with a decision and just take what comes first. Read on to find better ideas for finding the best web host for your needs.

Create a list of priorities before you ever start your search for a hosting service. Match your 'must have' list with services offered by the companies that you are considering. This list can help you avoid bad decisions that you might base on just one or two criteria.

Don't forget the importance of security and safety when it comes to picking a web host. You want to be sure that hackers cannot get into your site. Good hosting sites consistently back up their servers.

Make sure that your hosting provider is good at communicating with its customers. You want to choose a company which talks to users through forums, a blog or a ticket system. They should also have a server information page which tells of updates, maintenance and downtime. Make sure you have a way to stay in contact.

Join a forum that keeps track of outages on web hosts. If other users report downtime, you can determine that the issue is not limited to your own server; this allows you to establish the next course of action. If the host is down over 24 hours, stay active on that forum to see why and to draw attention to the issue.

Find out how many outages a particular web hosting company experiences. Don't allow a company to make excuses for outages--only deal with companies that have high uptime rates and are willing to resolve problems as they occur. Some hosting services could use electrical outages as an excuse, or they could come up with other reasons. However, the great services find methods of keeping your site up and running. Even if your service is cheap, do not let them keep your site offline without a good reason.

Before signing a contract, pay close attention to all terms and clauses. Oftentimes, hidden fees are buried within the fine lines of a contract, so keep your eyes peeled. You could be charged fees for setting up your site, and you may be on the hook for penalties if you do not honor the full length of your contract, so it's essential that you know what you are signing up for.

Know what a web host company's reputation is before you do any business with them. Some companies make promises they cannot deliver. Research web hosts ahead of time so that you don't fall for scams or pay for inferior hosting.

Do not purchase a web hosting package unless you can pay with a popular payment method. Paypal and direct payment by major credit card give you layers of consumer protection that paying by check or money order may not provide. Also, PayPal doesn't allow web hosting providers to automatically debit your account without prior authorization.

Shopping for a web hosting service is just like shopping for anything else. You need to realize what you need and are looking for, and also what you are able to afford. Now that you have read the ideas and insights presented in this article, you should be able to do just that.




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1 comment:

  1. Hi,

    According to me, web hosting is a bone of any online business and plays a very important role in the success of a business. So you should always go with reliable web hosting service provider that offers minimum 99.9% uptime guarantee otherwise downtime of the website can harm your online business.

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