When it comes to choosing a hosting service it
is important to evaluate your unique needs and choose a provider based upon
their ability to fulfill those needs. There is no one-size-fits-all solution in
the world of web hosting. Here are five tips to help you choose the best
solution for your hosting needs.
1. What Do You Need?
Start by identifying what type of website you
will be hosting. Is it a personal site or a business site? Will you have a lot
of daily visitors? Will you need any specific type of operating system or
programming ability? Will you need e-commerce tools, such as shopping carts,
the ability to create databases or email marketing services? Once you know what
type of capabilities you will need on your site, it’s time to think about cost.
2. How Much Can You Pay?
Sometimes budget is a factor in choosing a
service provider. There are different types of hosting available that range in
price, from free hosting, low-budget virtual or shared hosting solutions on up
to a more expensive dedicated server solution with all the bells and whistles.
Check prices up front, but also ask about upgrading to bigger or better service
options in the future and what that would entail. As your site grows with
visitors and volume, you will most likely want to upgrade to more hosting space
and better tech support.
3. How Reliable is the Service?
If you've spent any time looking at hosting
services you'll see that most say they have a guaranteed 99% up-time. While
today's hosting companies are more reliable than services from just a few years
ago, there are other signs of reliability that you can check for before signing
with a service. Ask questions about tech support availability (hint: it should
be 24/7), as well as turnaround time for maintenance or other services and
security levels for higher-cost hosting such as rack space.
4. What About Customer Service?
How available is the hosting company's
customer service? Try contacting them via email, phone and/or web-based ticket
request to see how quickly the respond. Pay attention to the tone, attitude and
level of helpfulness you receive from the service agent. How they treat you as
a potential customer will reveal much about how you will be treated as an
actual customer.
5. How is the Company's Reputation?
All it takes is a quick Google search to find
out what others are saying about a company's reputation. Social media is also
very helpful. Ask for references when you are considering a company and
actually contact the individuals and find out how they like their service. Ask
colleagues if they have ever worked with the company as well.
There are many options available today in the world of web hosting. It is in
your best interest to make an informed decision and choose the company that can
provide the services you need and the support you deserve at a price you can
afford.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment