While a web host is the most important part of getting your site online, most people have no idea where to begin. It can be disconcerting to imagine your website residing on a server in a remote part of the world; however, in order to run a website, some knowledge of website hosting is required. Learn how to find appropriate web hosts by reading this article.
Use a separate company for domain registration rather than registering it via your hosting company. This way, you will retain control of the domain name if you decide to switch web page hosting companies for any reason. Your host will have more domain control than you will if you fail to do this.
Target Audience
As you shop for prospective web page hosting services, it is in your best interest to go with a company that is headquartered in your target audience’s country. If your target audience is in the UK, your web host should have their headquaters in the UK, too.
When considering a prospective hosting service, ask multiple questions about the quality of security, and privacy measures. In today’s online environment, security risks are rampant and websites are often vulnerable to attacks. You need to be sure that your host has the ability to deal with threats, such as viruses and DDoS attacks. Always find out what risks your website faces, should your web host come under attack.
Once you choose a web host, pay monthly instead of a lump sum payment. It is impossible to know how good business will be in the later months. Furthermore, there are practical reasons why a host may no longer suit your needs. Suppose your business outpaces the offerings of your current host. Do not lose the sum of your lump payment; opt instead for monthly payments.
Are you considering a free web-hosting company for a website? Back up everything on your site, since many free hosts don’t have backup services. You get exactly what you have paid for in this case. If they lose your data and you have no backups, you’ve lost everything.
Many web hosts require you to back up your own information. There are two reasons you should create a backup. First, to comply with the web host’s terms of use, and second, to ensure all your date is safely backed up. In the worst-case scenario, since you have a copy of your data, you’ll know that you won’t be starting from scratch.
When doing your research, look beyond the website of a web host and their advertising materials to find the real scoop on their reputation. Go to sites that are independent and have no connection to your provider, then read user reviews there. Outside reviews by customers of the host will offer the best indication of the host’s quality.
Free Web
There are free web hosts, but you may “pay” for them in other ways. Free web hosting services usually require you to display ad banners on your website. Moreover, you usually have no input as to the advertisements that will appear. If you use random ads, your websites reputation will suffer.
The host you decide to choose should provide support for all programming languages you are currently utilizing, and plan on using in the future. If your host doesn’t support your languages, it could mean a costly rebuild of your site. You may run into the same problem if you use an unsupported language down the road. It can be time consuming and frustrating to change web hosts.
As you website grows, consider paying a little extra for a dedicated server. This type of server can offer you additional bandwidth, more storage and extra website security. This will give your customers the optimal experience on your site. Keep in mind that satisfied clients are likely to come back.
Look for hidden costs and scams. Many hosts will advertise low prices, but leave out the fact that there are additional fees. Make sure you take the time to find out exactly what the hosting plan would include, and be aware of what features you need for your own personal site to run. Select a provider who can meet your service needs at a price you can afford.
Find out if your web host offers Windows or Linux hosting platforms. Each platform comes with it’s own features and requirements. Generally speaking, a Linux server will be more cost effective for you on a monthly basis, compared to Windows.
Be wary of cheap web hosts. While you’ll no doubt be tempted by their low prices, you should also realize that they often translate to low quality services. Either they do not understand business pricing well, or they will not end up providing the quality of service that you want for your website.
Ensure you are able to contact your host in the case of a problem. If you can talk to their support team instantly online, via email or by phone 24/7, then you know they are proactive about handling problems. You will be able to solve your problems quickly.
If you are thinking about a particular web page hosting provider, check and see how long they have been doing business. If the company has been around awhile, it will more than likely offer decent support and services. And when a problem does occur, chances are the web hosting company will have dealt with it before, thus providing the experience you need. For the most common issues, experienced companies generally have standardized ways of handling them. This means you save time, money and stress working with customer support personnel who are unfamiliar with the issue at hand just because their company is new to the game.
Website Hosting
You probably weren’t very familiar with website hosting when you first decided to build your own site. This article, however, should have drastically increased your knowledge of the website hosting business. Refer back to the information included here to ensure that you are successful in your hunt for a web host.