Don’t Understand Website Hosting? Keep Reading For Help
Posted by Oliver Bradshaw on February, 9th 2013
Congratulations! You now have a domain name, next step is a website host. Where is it that you should start? What features should a web host provide for your site and at what cost? How do you determine if a web host is reliable? This article will give you the necessary information you need to understand web page hosting and find a host that will serve your needs.
Look for web hosts that have cPanel. This is a graphical interface that makes it easy and quick to add applications to your site. They are very easy to install and understand. In addition, it makes the management of your website a lot more efficient.
Before committing to a single web page hosting service, explore all of your options. When you only rely on a few reviews, there is a greater chance of there being an error in your decision. One reviewer may rate a company poorly when it is their own inexperience at fault, or another may favorably review a company that they are affiliated with.
Stick with companies that have excellent reputations. This provides an easy way for you to judge a web host’s service and support. Having an award is a good indication that the web hosting company is reliable and has many satisfied customers. Awards which are voted on by customers are the ones you should focus on, as they really represent quality of service.
Make certain your use a reliable web hosting company. You could read on customer reviews and find out if they have any kind of guarantee in terms of returning your money if you are not satisfied. An unreliable host may cause downtime for your site and be slow in resolving issues or help requests. This is unacceptable, so choose your web host wisely.
Web Host
When deciding on a web host, choose a provider that tracks your traffic statistics for you. Get a visitor counter on your site, and compare this number to the statistics given to you by your web host. You can benefit greatly from this information as a business owner, because it allows you to adjust your approach and tweak your site to maximize traffic.
Before you sign up for any web hosting company’s services, make sure that their web security features are solid. What protection do they provide from hackers? A good web hosting service will regularly back up the servers.
Some web page hosting services rent space from other, larger hosts. These companies buy mass quantities of server space and “rent” it to smaller web hosts in order to turn a profit. Find out the company that will ultimately host your site so you can get the best price.
Always register your business’ domain name on your own, outside of your hosting site. This way, if a shutdown or argument ensues, your valuable domain name will remain protected. If you don’t do this, you could risk losing your domain name to your host.
When the company that is hosting your site is not keep your site online, you need to work with them to ensure that it stays up and running most of the time. When your site isn’t working right, you’re losing traffic.
If your website experiences growth, you will most likely need to upgrade services from your host provider. You should inquire as to whether there are procedures in place to ensure that these upgrades happen quickly and smoothly. You should be able to quickly upgrade your site’s bandwidth. If you have a shared server, you should have the ability to switch to a dedicated one with ease.
Consider choosing a web host who allows a variety of payment options. Using PayPal means you will not be charged any hidden fees, and you will be able to see the bill before paying it.
Read the forums on a web hosting company’s site. If you see a lot of webmasters posting actively, this means the host is a reliable company with satisfied clients. If their forum is mostly empty, or there are no replies from staff to customers, this is not the host you want to use.
Customer Service
Get in touch with the customer service before subscribing to a web host. You need to ensure that they offer reliable assistance. If you know what you can expect from customer service from your web host, that can save you headaches and worry down the line.
Choose monthly payments instead of subscribing for a whole year. You cannot predict what will happen with your web host or your business in the coming months. The services provided by your web host could degrade, your website may require services that are beyond the capabilities of your web host or your account could even be closed for some unforeseeable reason. In each of these cases, it is possible that you will not be able to obtain a refund on the months that you have pre-paid.
The type and number of features offered may vary between hosts, so keep a keen eye open for differences. When looking at different hosts, make sure you’re comparing the level of service that includes the specific feature you require. A cheaper host may not have the same level of features as one that costs a bit more but has a more robust plan.
As stated from above, now that you have selected a domain name and are about to set up your site, you will need to find a place to have it hosted. The more you know about the features and benefits of different web page hosting options, the easier it will be to operate your website efficiently. The above advice will help you understand your options in hosting, enabling you to build your web presence immediately.
Make a priority list before shopping for a web host. Know what your needs and preferences are in advance, so you can judge which web host will satisfy those points. This way, your decision won’t mistakenly be made based only on price; you will know that all your needs are being met.