Make a list of your entire specific web hosting needs before you start searching for a reliable web hosting company. Make a mental note of things like the number of emails, the amount of space required, whether you will need a database or a shopping cart and how much you would allocate for transfers. Think about if you might want chat features, need a merchant account or set up a forum. If a web host caters to your specific needs, then only will it be considered reliable. Thus, making a list of your requirements is necessary. Following are some of the things that every web host should have:
Dependability and Uptime
As greater Uptime translates into greater accessibility, find out how much Uptime your web host guarantees for your site. Nearly 99.5% Uptimes are guaranteed by certain web host! Enquire about the things that minimize downtime like the connection stability, hardware and safeguards.
Pricing
You should be charged a reasonable rate and be offered flexible manners of making payment by your web host. Carefully look through for setup fees, hidden costs etc. To cover their costs for having quality technical support, most companies nowadays charge setup fees.
Bandwidth- Correct Bandwidth
An essential factor that can either advance or curb the growth of your business is bandwidth. You may have to pay extra to a few web hosts offering you small bandwidth if you cross the data transfer or download limit. However, in approximately the same price range others offer greater bandwidth. Select carefully and cautiously. There is no such thing as the tempting 'Unlimited Bandwidth'. Don't fall into it. When your site becomes a hit, then having a minimum of 1 GB of data transfer set for your website allows for greater traffic.
Storage Space of Disk
Space is another crucial factor as far as growth is concerned. You will find web hosts offering you 20 to 50 MB space while others offering 100 MB space, at again roughly a similar price. Go for the ones offering 100 MB and greater, for otherwise you will end up paying $5 to $10 more for every 10 MB additional space.
Server Speed-Velocity of the Server
Before zeroing on your web host, check the server speed. Use a free tool like Net Mechanic to gauge the access speed for all facets of access like connect time, download time, DNS lookup, network speed and absence of timeouts. The download time figures will tell you how fast or reliable the server is. Run a speed check on all the prospective web hosts that you decide, both in peak hours and non-peak hours.
The Basic Features
Select a host that will give a range of characteristics right from the start. Certain hosts can give more characteristics at higher prices that they come up with each month.
Multiple Domain Names
If in case you use more than one domain name, find out if your web hosting account will allow multiple hosting and if they will charge more for this service. Some web hosts do not charge anything extra for multiple domain names.
Email Autoresponders and Accounts for Mail Forwarding
Make sure that your web hosting account permits forwarding of emails. It becomes extremely efficient and easy if all your emails from many of your websites are forwarded to your ISP service. Without logging into each and every one of your accounts, you can simultaneously read all the mail. Autoresponder is another time saving device that also acts as a great marketing tool. It is a program that sends any of your wanted pre-written messages to anyone who mails you. You can stay connected and increase your publicity while drastically reducing your own workload with this program.
Mailing List-Mail lists
Check whether the web hosting company allows for mailing lists to be prepared. A mailing list or an online, e-mail based discussion group can come in handy when distributing your ezine and for other promotional events and marketing gigs.
FTP
This is an assistance offered by all hosting corporations. It is a main tool and lets fast and competent file flow from one site to another.
Setting up Anonymous FTP accounts-Making Nameless FTP accounts
This service gives you a FTP website that lets users have accessibility to download the required data and files. These nameless mail accounts can get you good money if people make huge downloads of free e-books or software and so on. The best advantage is that if the Net service or phone corporation drops work while file transfers or downloads, you can still keep downloading from wherever you stopped as soon as you reconnect.
Using a SSL Server or a Secured Server
It is absolutely necessary that you use a secure server if your business involves monetary transactions through your website. You can scare away potential customers without this facility, though you may often have to pay extra web hosting charges for this. A secure server is needed for taking online orders and transference of sensitive and important information like credit card numbers. Also a SSL server permits such information typed into an encrypted form before sending it from the web browser of the user to the server.
CGI Scripts
These are utilized to get data from any and the data is then sent to the email account. Proper web hosting corporations will surely have a range of CGI scripts that is utilized by those who host the website. However, the most efficient web hosts will let you have your chosen CGI scripts for utilization. Choose web-hosting companies that will give you this service. Even if you believe that CGI scripts are not for you, take them. You can require them afterwards.
Advanced Features-Developed Characteristics
See if the web host has developed characteristics like RealAudio/Video, Java Applets, Database Access, Password Protection and PHP so that your site may use them if required.
Backup
A web host will ensure that there is a support system working for your web directory each day. This is a must nowadays. Some hosting companies will go far enough and give redundant and insignificant backups only so that your remains important.
Guarantee
It often becomes difficult to distinguish or even trust the host of available web service providers. You can make a decision with accounts offering a guarantee or schemes like a money back policy within a month, if you are dissatisfied with the services. Those web hosting accounts that offer the money back policy are usually efficient and reliable in their services.
Being Flexible-Making it easy
A stagnant web hosting service can be the worst bane for your website and your business. It too needs to grow along with your website and business. So if you desire to include newer features like ecommerce, it should be able to upgrade and provide you with facilities like shopping cart, storefront or a merchant account. The web host should have constant upgrades an should be ready to provide you services like more web space, or your own dedicated server or even a forum.
Dependability and Uptime
As greater Uptime translates into greater accessibility, find out how much Uptime your web host guarantees for your site. Nearly 99.5% Uptimes are guaranteed by certain web host! Enquire about the things that minimize downtime like the connection stability, hardware and safeguards.
Pricing
You should be charged a reasonable rate and be offered flexible manners of making payment by your web host. Carefully look through for setup fees, hidden costs etc. To cover their costs for having quality technical support, most companies nowadays charge setup fees.
Bandwidth- Correct Bandwidth
An essential factor that can either advance or curb the growth of your business is bandwidth. You may have to pay extra to a few web hosts offering you small bandwidth if you cross the data transfer or download limit. However, in approximately the same price range others offer greater bandwidth. Select carefully and cautiously. There is no such thing as the tempting 'Unlimited Bandwidth'. Don't fall into it. When your site becomes a hit, then having a minimum of 1 GB of data transfer set for your website allows for greater traffic.
Storage Space of Disk
Space is another crucial factor as far as growth is concerned. You will find web hosts offering you 20 to 50 MB space while others offering 100 MB space, at again roughly a similar price. Go for the ones offering 100 MB and greater, for otherwise you will end up paying $5 to $10 more for every 10 MB additional space.
Server Speed-Velocity of the Server
Before zeroing on your web host, check the server speed. Use a free tool like Net Mechanic to gauge the access speed for all facets of access like connect time, download time, DNS lookup, network speed and absence of timeouts. The download time figures will tell you how fast or reliable the server is. Run a speed check on all the prospective web hosts that you decide, both in peak hours and non-peak hours.
The Basic Features
Select a host that will give a range of characteristics right from the start. Certain hosts can give more characteristics at higher prices that they come up with each month.
Multiple Domain Names
If in case you use more than one domain name, find out if your web hosting account will allow multiple hosting and if they will charge more for this service. Some web hosts do not charge anything extra for multiple domain names.
Email Autoresponders and Accounts for Mail Forwarding
Make sure that your web hosting account permits forwarding of emails. It becomes extremely efficient and easy if all your emails from many of your websites are forwarded to your ISP service. Without logging into each and every one of your accounts, you can simultaneously read all the mail. Autoresponder is another time saving device that also acts as a great marketing tool. It is a program that sends any of your wanted pre-written messages to anyone who mails you. You can stay connected and increase your publicity while drastically reducing your own workload with this program.
Mailing List-Mail lists
Check whether the web hosting company allows for mailing lists to be prepared. A mailing list or an online, e-mail based discussion group can come in handy when distributing your ezine and for other promotional events and marketing gigs.
FTP
This is an assistance offered by all hosting corporations. It is a main tool and lets fast and competent file flow from one site to another.
Setting up Anonymous FTP accounts-Making Nameless FTP accounts
This service gives you a FTP website that lets users have accessibility to download the required data and files. These nameless mail accounts can get you good money if people make huge downloads of free e-books or software and so on. The best advantage is that if the Net service or phone corporation drops work while file transfers or downloads, you can still keep downloading from wherever you stopped as soon as you reconnect.
Using a SSL Server or a Secured Server
It is absolutely necessary that you use a secure server if your business involves monetary transactions through your website. You can scare away potential customers without this facility, though you may often have to pay extra web hosting charges for this. A secure server is needed for taking online orders and transference of sensitive and important information like credit card numbers. Also a SSL server permits such information typed into an encrypted form before sending it from the web browser of the user to the server.
CGI Scripts
These are utilized to get data from any and the data is then sent to the email account. Proper web hosting corporations will surely have a range of CGI scripts that is utilized by those who host the website. However, the most efficient web hosts will let you have your chosen CGI scripts for utilization. Choose web-hosting companies that will give you this service. Even if you believe that CGI scripts are not for you, take them. You can require them afterwards.
Advanced Features-Developed Characteristics
See if the web host has developed characteristics like RealAudio/Video, Java Applets, Database Access, Password Protection and PHP so that your site may use them if required.
Backup
A web host will ensure that there is a support system working for your web directory each day. This is a must nowadays. Some hosting companies will go far enough and give redundant and insignificant backups only so that your remains important.
Guarantee
It often becomes difficult to distinguish or even trust the host of available web service providers. You can make a decision with accounts offering a guarantee or schemes like a money back policy within a month, if you are dissatisfied with the services. Those web hosting accounts that offer the money back policy are usually efficient and reliable in their services.
Being Flexible-Making it easy
A stagnant web hosting service can be the worst bane for your website and your business. It too needs to grow along with your website and business. So if you desire to include newer features like ecommerce, it should be able to upgrade and provide you with facilities like shopping cart, storefront or a merchant account. The web host should have constant upgrades an should be ready to provide you services like more web space, or your own dedicated server or even a forum.
About the Author:
About the author: Sick and tired of over-hyped web hosting companies that have horrible uptime? Get the uptime reports and real user reviews for the top hosting companies at www.webhostingmadness.com.
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