You may have recently purchased a web domain, but are at a loss as to where to host your content. If you’re like many people in this situation, you might not know much the process. What should you look for? Which hosts can you really trust? This article can help you understand what to look for with website hosting.
Compare the features which are available on each host when choosing between them. As you compare your options, you should also take into consideration the expected service levels and support for each of the most important features. A cheaper host may not have the same level of features as one that costs a bit more but has a more robust plan.
Frequent Outages
When selecting a hosting service, opt for the provider that has a favorable track record for outages and downtime. If a company faces frequent outages and is constantly making excuses, it is a red flag that they are unreliable, or they would have made plans to remedy the situation. Frequent outages are unprofessional. It would be unwise to give such a company your business.
If you are unable to find a provider that fully meets your needs, you may wish to select a backup hosting site. If you decide you can’t handle the problems with your service, you can easily switch to one of the services you’ve researched and won’t have to risk your website being down altogether while you figure out a new plan.
Domain Registration
Use a separate company for domain registration rather than registering it via your web hosting company. This way, you will retain control of the domain name if you decide to switch web page hosting companies for any reason. You will have no control over your domain registration but your host will.
Web hosting facilities can be anywhere, but you should choose one that is located in the same country as your site’s audience. For example, if your audience is located in the U.K., ensure that your hosting provider has a data center in the U.K. as well.
Choose a web hosting service that will accommodate your site’s eventual growth. A single HTML page requires very little space, but images and videos up the ante considerably. Having access to about 100MB of space for storage can give you adequate room for your site to expand.
Web page hosting services may charge you based on how much bandwidth you use. Learn how your host bills customers. Some companies charge flat rates for service along a scale, wherein your site moves up a category as you pull in more traffic. Other hosts simply adjust your monthly rate depending upon how much traffic you experienced.
Do not go with a free web host just because the service is free. Most free hosting services post banner ads on all the websites they host. You won’t be able to choose which ads show on your site, or the types of advertising that will pop up. Additionally, ads that have no bearing on your services or product will appear odd and unprofessional.
Many web hosts rely on other major hosts. These companies are in the business of buying bulk server space from a large host, and making money by leasing it to end-users. Find out the true location of your host and then shop around to make sure you negotiate the best price offered for using that server.
Programming Languages
The hosting company that you choose should be able to support all programming languages you use, or plan to sometime use on your site. You simply cannot create a streamlined user experience with insufficient support for your content. Also, you are not going to have the support you need in the future if you choose to start using one of the programming languages that your host does not accommodate. Switching web hosts can be extremely tedious.
Some web hosts use Windows, while others choose Linux. Depending on which host you choose, you may have to familiarize yourself with one or the other. Linux is usually much cheaper to use than Windows, and could result in lower monthly rates for your site.
It is important to look into a hosting company’s security features and services before committing to a plan from them. What protection do they provide from hackers? Good hosts will back up their servers frequently.
Before you choose a plan for hosting, go over their website carefully. Any decent web host will have a wealth of resources for new website owners. You can take time to familiarize yourself with the features available before you commit to a plan. Do your research and discover what benefits you will receive as a client, including additional resources and tutorials.
As is obvious by now, getting a website up and running takes more than just choosing a catchy domain name, you need a good web hosting company, for starters. Knowing where to start and what to watch out for in choosing a hosting provider is a great first step towards getting your site up and running. Use what you’ve read here and you’ll be well on your way to reaching your goals!