How to Choose a Good Web Host

Good web hosts don’t necessarily come cheap; and cheap web hosts are not always good.  A good web host should provide reliable quality service, not merely cheap services.

Many new website owners just starting out have made the mistake of picking the least expensive web hosting package available having the potential for a variety of technical problems and website downtime eventually requiring moving the website over to a different web host.

Choosing a good web hosting provider to begin with is important in order to avoid these problems which will take place sooner or later.

Here are a few tips to help you Choose a good web host

Check that the number of users that are being hosted on the server are actually supported by the server.  This is to be sure that the web host’s network is not overpopulated, which can case latency issues and network problems for your website.  Look into the server technology being used and the quality of the equipment that your website will be hosted on.  Good web hosting companies keep their systems updated and well maintained.

A good web host provides 24/7 technical support staffed by qualified personal.  System administrators should be knowledgeable and prompt to react to any technical problems.

The hosting package that you select should have more than one connection to the internet.  This way if one connection goes down, your website does not disappear off the internet, because it can still be connected by rerouting through another connection.

Check the speed of connectivity to the internet.  A T2 or T3 Internet connection being utilized below 50% of the maximum bandwidth is preferred.

When deciding on a hosting package, pick one that best fits your needs.  Signing up for unneeded extra features will only increase clutter (junk) when modifying your website, and also increase your hosting cost.  Try to pick a scalable (upgradeable) hosting plan so that your website’s space, bandwidth, and other options can grow along with your hosting requirements.

Try to find out the opinion of the web hosting community concerning the web host you are intersected in using.  Learn from the past experiences of others that have used this web host.  A good place to search for feedback is the web hosting forums.  Good web hosts build a loyal following, and this can been seen within the hosting community.

Keep track of billing and payment receipts and remember to check your credit card statements if you pay by credit card to be sure that you are not over-billed.

Good web hosts back up your website data on their servers. This will allow your website to be up and running even if a crash happens on the main server network. 

Also, be sure that you own your domain name.  It is not a good idea to let your web host have administrative control over your domain.  It is better to keep hosting and domain name registration separate and at different companies.

In conclusion, a good web host should have all of these features and safe guards taken care of, leaving you to focus on running your website.  A good web host works behind the scenes, supporting your business while letting your website shine.

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Thanks,
-Red

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