Many people mistakenly believe that all web hosting companies are equal. As with many things, choosing the wrong hosting provider can cause you many problems. This article provides several useful tips, that can help you avoid some of the more common mistakes associated with selecting a web host.
The majority of web hosting providers offer a variety of service packages and features, which may differ significantly from one server to another. When you are comparing web hosts, ensure that the service you are looking at includes any specific features you need. For instance, you may find that the lowest-priced provider no longer holds a cost advantage and you must choose a higher-priced package for the feature that you need.
The features that hosting companies offer varies widely. When comparing web hosting services, you should make certain that you are making comparisons based on the specific features required by your website. One company may offer lower prices, but you might have to pay extra to get the features another host gives as part of their package.
Find out each potential web host’s uptime–the percentage of time the server is up and working correctly–and avoid web hosts that have a lot of outages. Companies with many outages generally make excuses, and show that they aren’t reliable, since they don’t do anything about them and don’t intend to. A lot of downtime shows that they are not reliable and professional; therefore, you should steer clear of them.
Shared or dedicated hosting, which one fits your needs? If this is your first website and it’s relatively small, a virtual shared server is probably good for now. If you’re moving a large website which already gets thousands or millions of views, shared probably won’t cut it. In a case such as this, consider a dedicated host to best meet your needs.
Before you commit to a web hosting service, you should first create a detailed list of your wants and needs. If you have a clear idea of what you want and need, it will be easier to compare your available options. This helps you make a decision based on many factors, including price and quality of service, instead of just relying on a cheap company.
As you have read, web hosts all have different features and things that they can offer. Use these ideas to decide which options matter the most to you. Look at a variety of companies to find one that will provide you with the services you need at a price you can afford. What more could you possibly want for your website?
