Making a catalog of your entire web hosting requirements is the first thing you should do before looking for a trustworthy web-hosting corporation. Check details like the necessary area needed, the total mails received, the space set aside for relocations, if you will need a database or shopping basket. Think about including chat aspects, make a forum or take a commercial account. All this is necessary, as, for a web host to be trustworthy, your requirements have to top the priority list. The following list is about the characteristics that a web host needs to have:
Reliability and Up Time
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
Your web host should charge you a reasonable price and offer you flexible ways of making the payment. Look out for hidden costs, setup fees etc. But setup fees are now charged by most major companies to cover their costs for having quality technical support.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth often becomes an essential factor in either advancing your business' growth or curbing it. Some web hosts offer you small bandwidth, meaning you have to pay extra, if you cross the data transfer or download limit, while others offer greater bandwidth in roughly the same price. Choose prudently. Also never fall for the 'Unlimited Bandwidth' trap, for there is no such thing. Having a minimum of 1 GB of data transfer set for your website, allows for greater traffic when your site becomes a hit.
Disk Storage Space-Limit of Data Space
Another crucial factor for growth is space. Web hosts will offer in more or less the similar price, ranges of 20 to 50 MB space or even 100 MB space. As you will end up paying $5 to $10 for every 10MB additional space, choose the ones offering 100 MB and greater space.
Speed of the Server
Check the speed of the server before deciding your web host. For measuring the access speed of all aspects of access like download time, connect time, network speed, absence of timeouts and DNS lookup, use a free tool like Net Mechanic. The speed and dependability of the server will be told by the download time figures. On all your prospective selected web hosts, run a speed check on both the peak hours and the 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.
More than one Domain Names
If you have multiple domain names see if the web host lets more than one hosting and if they will ask for extra money for the work. Certain hosts do not ask for extra charges for extra domain identification.
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.
List for Mailing
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.
File Transfer Protocol or FTP
Almost very web hosting company comes with the basic service of File Transfer Protocol or FTP. You can quickly and efficiently transfer files from your website to others and vice versa through FTP.
Setting up Anonymous FTP accounts
Having this facility helps you set up a FTP site which allows other people to access that and download files that they need. Setting such anonymous FTP accounts are profitable if you want people to make large downloads of software or free e-books etc. The best thing about FTP accounts is that while file transference or download, if your internet facility disconnects or the phone company cuts you off, you can always continue the download from where you left, after you reconnect.
Using a SSL Server or a Secured Server-Availing of Secured or SSL Servers
If your business involves monetary transactions through your website, using a secured server is an absolute must. Often you have to pay extra web hosting charges for this facility, but without having a secured server can scare away your potential customers. Taking online orders and transference of sensitive and important information like credit card numbers require a secure server, as a SSL server allows such information typed into a form to be encrypted before sending it from the user's Web browser to the server.
CGI Scripts
CGI scripts are usually used to obtain information from any form and then this information is conveniently sent to your email account. Decent web hosting companies are bound to have a library of CGI scripts which can be used by people hosting their sites. But the best web hosting accounts will allow you to add your own desired CGI scripts and use them. Go for web hosts which allow you this provision, for even though you might think you don't need to use CGI scripts that much, you might need them later.
Advanced Features
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
Everyday, your web directory will most certainly be backed up by almost every web hosting service. It is unthinkable nowadays to not provide this basic service. To ensure that your website is not lost in the confusion, certain web hosts provide you with unnecessary and unimportant backups.
Guarantee-Warranty
Since there are many web hosts present it can be problematic choosing and believing in the right one. Services that give plans like a money back strategy can be helpful if you are displeased with the functioning. Hosts giving out such plans are also more competent and trustworthy.
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.
Reliability and Up Time
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
Your web host should charge you a reasonable price and offer you flexible ways of making the payment. Look out for hidden costs, setup fees etc. But setup fees are now charged by most major companies to cover their costs for having quality technical support.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth often becomes an essential factor in either advancing your business' growth or curbing it. Some web hosts offer you small bandwidth, meaning you have to pay extra, if you cross the data transfer or download limit, while others offer greater bandwidth in roughly the same price. Choose prudently. Also never fall for the 'Unlimited Bandwidth' trap, for there is no such thing. Having a minimum of 1 GB of data transfer set for your website, allows for greater traffic when your site becomes a hit.
Disk Storage Space-Limit of Data Space
Another crucial factor for growth is space. Web hosts will offer in more or less the similar price, ranges of 20 to 50 MB space or even 100 MB space. As you will end up paying $5 to $10 for every 10MB additional space, choose the ones offering 100 MB and greater space.
Speed of the Server
Check the speed of the server before deciding your web host. For measuring the access speed of all aspects of access like download time, connect time, network speed, absence of timeouts and DNS lookup, use a free tool like Net Mechanic. The speed and dependability of the server will be told by the download time figures. On all your prospective selected web hosts, run a speed check on both the peak hours and the 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.
More than one Domain Names
If you have multiple domain names see if the web host lets more than one hosting and if they will ask for extra money for the work. Certain hosts do not ask for extra charges for extra domain identification.
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.
List for Mailing
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.
File Transfer Protocol or FTP
Almost very web hosting company comes with the basic service of File Transfer Protocol or FTP. You can quickly and efficiently transfer files from your website to others and vice versa through FTP.
Setting up Anonymous FTP accounts
Having this facility helps you set up a FTP site which allows other people to access that and download files that they need. Setting such anonymous FTP accounts are profitable if you want people to make large downloads of software or free e-books etc. The best thing about FTP accounts is that while file transference or download, if your internet facility disconnects or the phone company cuts you off, you can always continue the download from where you left, after you reconnect.
Using a SSL Server or a Secured Server-Availing of Secured or SSL Servers
If your business involves monetary transactions through your website, using a secured server is an absolute must. Often you have to pay extra web hosting charges for this facility, but without having a secured server can scare away your potential customers. Taking online orders and transference of sensitive and important information like credit card numbers require a secure server, as a SSL server allows such information typed into a form to be encrypted before sending it from the user's Web browser to the server.
CGI Scripts
CGI scripts are usually used to obtain information from any form and then this information is conveniently sent to your email account. Decent web hosting companies are bound to have a library of CGI scripts which can be used by people hosting their sites. But the best web hosting accounts will allow you to add your own desired CGI scripts and use them. Go for web hosts which allow you this provision, for even though you might think you don't need to use CGI scripts that much, you might need them later.
Advanced Features
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
Everyday, your web directory will most certainly be backed up by almost every web hosting service. It is unthinkable nowadays to not provide this basic service. To ensure that your website is not lost in the confusion, certain web hosts provide you with unnecessary and unimportant backups.
Guarantee-Warranty
Since there are many web hosts present it can be problematic choosing and believing in the right one. Services that give plans like a money back strategy can be helpful if you are displeased with the functioning. Hosts giving out such plans are also more competent and trustworthy.
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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