If you are choosing a web host it is important to make sure that you are making the right choice. Below are eight common questions asked about web hosts and the reasons why it is important to know this information. Hopefully thinking about these should enable you to make the right choose when you are choosing a web host.
What Host to Choose?
The first question you will have is what host to choose. It is important to think about what you want from the web host so that you can find one that matches those criteria. The questions below should help you to think more about the features that you will need to consider. Have a check list ready and then when you look at different hosts you will be able to easily work through the list to make sure that they fit the mark.
How Much to Pay?
Cost can be a really important factor for a lot of people. However, it is important not to pay too little for a poor service. Therefore think more about value for money than cost. If you have high expectations of your web hosting company then you will have to be prepared to pay for it. Compare companies on cost, but look at what you are getting for the money that you will pay to get a better idea of which will be offering you the best value for money.
What Customer Service Might I need?
It is worth considering what sort of help and support you may need from the customer service department. If you are new to owning a website then it is more likely that you will need help than if you are an expert. If you think that you will need help then you will need to make sure that you choose a company that have a good customer services department. You will be able to find out if you contact them before you buy anything form them. You can ask them some questions to find out how friendly and capable they are and how long it takes them to provide answers to your questions. Consider whether you would rather have a phone number to call or deal with email and whether this might affect the speed of response.
What Security do I need?
It is important to consider how secure your site needs to be. If you have a blog then you will need less security than an ecommerce website. However, consider how your needs may change in the future and whether your hosting company can provide the security that you need now and that you may need in the future.
What Speed do I need?
It is worth thinking about what speeds you will need for your site. If you have a simple text based site then this is unlikely to be an issue, but if you have a lot of video and photo content then this could slow the speed of the site and so you will need to make sure that your host can provide you with enough to make the site usable.
Should I be concerned about downtime?
It is worth finding out about how much downtime the web hosting companies tend to have. It is likely to have a detrimental effect on your business if your website is not up as much as possible. Therefore compare the hosts on their downtime and consider which you are prepared to go with based on this.
How often does the site need to be backed up?
It is worth thinking about how often your site needs to be backed up. If you change content very rarely then this may not be an issue. However if you change content daily or add new content regularly, perhaps to a blog, then this could be a big issue for you. Find out how often the web host will back up your site and decide whether you think that this will be enough for you.
What Experience does the hosting company have?
It can also be wise to look at what experience the company has. Find out how long they have been in business and what other companies they have worked with. See if you can find any testimonials or reviews. See if you can find out the qualifications of the staff working there as well as their experience. This should help you to decide whether you feel that they have enough experience for you to trust them with hosting your web site.
So it is worth considering all of these factors when you are choosing a web host. It may seem like a big effort, but it could make a huge difference to your web site as to whether you choose the right web hosting company or not. If you want to make the right impression with your visitors, potential customers and search engines, you need to make the right decision with regards to who you choose to host your website.
