Web Hosting - How To Choose The Right Provider For You

Thousands of companies, tens of thousands of different plans and only a few of them are really suitable for your web site and for your online needs. This is what you are confronted with when choosing a web-hosting provider.

Nowadays being part of the informational revolution that the Internet has brought along, it is compulsory for a business and also for individuals. No need to explain here why having a web site out there on the World Wide Web is such a must, instead we're only going to point out a few things related to choosing an adequate web host for your web site. As complicated this entire business might seem, once you know what to look for, it's really easier to find it.

Analyze your requirements and stick to them

When evaluating their needs in terms of space and bandwidth many inexperienced web owners often buy more than they will ever need. As this is unbelievably common, many web-hosting providers size their web servers taking this into account and actually over sell the space and bandwidth thinking that customers will never make full use of it. To avoid web hosts that result to just that or crowed their web servers to get an extra profit per customer, simply ask them their client per server ration. As a diligent buyer, you should do this with all the other companies you find interesting to do business with and are eligible to host your web site.

A web site is almost like a living creature. It grows. So try to leave some room for it, don't just buy a web-hosting plan that will fit your needs just perfectly. Buy a little more so when the time comes to expand you would have the resources available. Think of the possibility that your initial bandwidth evaluation proves itself insufficient. You might find yourself in the position not to be able to use your web site because you have exceeded your bandwidth. So leave margin for error too.

Most web hosting plans come packed with features and some even offer pre-installed scripts and programs that might come handy for both knowledgeable and less knowledgeable web owners.

As you could consider any extra feature a plus, don't forget to look for the things you actually need like the OS (Operating System) or the PHP support. You decide what you need, don't let the provider talk you into something you don't want or is less than you have expected.

Support ? can you get enough of it?

Support is something you might overlook when you consider an offer that suits you in terms of space and bandwidth and is packed with all the other features you will ever going to need. It might be good to understand that the road to all those features goes through Support city. If the web-hosting provider is careless about the support he offers to his customers, any technical problem concerning your web site could be solved only after long hours of waiting and making plenty of irritating support calls.

To test the quality and the responsiveness of the support personnel, e-mail them some pre-sales questions. Is the response fact enough for you? Imagine that your web site is down and your company is just attending a congress? many clicks are expected, but is your web site online to get them? Is the response you are getting from the support team thorough or is it merely scratching the surface? Is the response easy to understand for you?

A provider concerned about the quality of his support, would make available as many as possible ways to communicate with its clients. So find out as much as you can about its online support staff, help desk, message boards etc.

Information on the reputation of a web-hosting provider is something you might find on forums or discussion boards. Any disgruntled customers there? Would you like to be one?

Reliability is another aspect of the problem. Ask for the uptime of the company's web servers. Some hosts offer an uptime guarantee, usually 99.9% (100% is not a realistic figure in the computer world). The guarantee means that if your web site is not available 99.9% of the time, you will be refunded the money for that month or you will receive free web hosting for a month as compensation for your web site being unavailable.

Price

Well, true it's paid web hosting and this means you have to pay for it. My advice would be don't try too hard to find the cheapest possible web host. You will probably end-up wasting an incredible amount of time and is very likely that within two weeks after you have bought it, you will stumble upon a better deal. Apart from the irony of it and the loss of time, cheaper is not always better.

The other extreme, paying big money to get what you could have gotten for less is equally bad. At $50 for 200 MB of space with 2 GB of bandwidth you are definitely getting robbed, but the same service for $5 or $10 is a good deal.

The thin line between a profitable and, why not, enjoyable web presence and a nightmare with slow server response, unreachable support and irritating server downtime is drawn by you. By you choosing the web-hosting provider. Choose carefully: there can be only one a few that will live up to their promises and deliver for you good quality web hosting!

Calin Indre is editor at HostPinPin (http://www.hostpinpin.com), a Cheap Web Hosting Directory Resource.

HostPinPin.com is a resource for webmasters and consumers looking to find a web hosting company. Providing web hosting reviews, articles, tips.

This article may be reprinted or published without the authors consent as long as the "About" and "weblinks" are kept intact.

---

How To Choose The Best Web Host For You

Web Hosting is a service. Auto mechanics also provide a... Read More

The Problem with Free Web Hosting Plans

In my opinion, free web hosting is one of the... Read More

Web Hosting: Shared or Dedicated - Which Should You Choose?

Before you begin your search for a web host you... Read More

Managed Hosting

Managed hosting is a dedicated server that is accompanied by... Read More

Dedicated Web Hosting Is Easy When You Know These 3 Timesaving Secrets

Dedicated web hosting has its difficulties and problems from time... Read More

Uptime Guarantee ? Good Idea?

When looking for a Web Host there are lots of... Read More

Tips on Finding a Hosting Service for Your Business Website

There are so many hosting companies offering to host your... Read More

Five Quick Ways to Determine One Hosting Company From Another

These days, web hosting companies are popping up faster than... Read More

Web Hosts - Not All Are Created Equal

Many people think that all web hosts offer the same... Read More

Use Your Hobby To Launch A Successful Website

When you study the really successful websites, you will quickly... Read More

Dedicated Web Hosting Explained

Why is dedicated hosting such a big hit on the... Read More

Effectiveness of Web Hosting Directories (WHDs)

John is very happy today, for the first time in... Read More

Sender Policy Framework (SPF) ? How to use it to Fight Email Forgery

Spam is a real problem today. Forged email is a... Read More

What is a Web Host Reseller Account?

A web host reseller account is a web hosting account... Read More

Nine Things To Know Before Selecting The Web Host For Your Business

It may seem simple yet it is often times overlooked.... Read More

How To Choose A Web Host That Meets Your Needs

One of the most difficult choices you have to make... Read More

Great Web Hosting - What to Look For!

Web hosting can best be described as a modern-day marriage:... Read More

The Web Hosting Industry 2005

For the "big things" to be build it was certainly... Read More

Finding the Right Web Host

Choosing the right Web Hosting service for your website can... Read More

Top 6 Ways to Promote Your Web Hosting Business Part 1

Promoting a new company in the crowded industry of web... Read More

Dedicated Server vs. Co-location Web Hosting

So - you know shared hosting no longer cuts it,... Read More

Top 6 Ways to Promote Your Web Hosting Business Part 2

Here are the following three methods that can help you... Read More

In Search of Webhosting: First Understand the Industry

In search of a webhosting company for personal or small... Read More

Cheap Internet Hosting - Get The Most For Your Money With a Cheap Web Hosting Package

With so many web hosting companies competing for your web... Read More

Setting Up Your First Web Hosting Account

The BasicsSetting up a web hosting account for the first... Read More

10 Helpful Tips to Follow When Switching Web Hosts

You've made your decision to move from your website from... Read More

Bound To Your Old Expensive Web Host by Fear?

You're not alone! Many people are bound to the old... Read More

A Beginners Guide to Web Hosting

What is web hosting? Whenever you visit a website, what... Read More

Monitor Your Web Site for Downtime

For those in the Internet business the availability of their... Read More

How VOIP Has Helped Change Web Hosting

There is really no stopping VOIP (voice over internet protocol)... Read More

What Is Web Hosting?

The best way to explain this is by comparing it... Read More

Handling Your Email Addresses

--Company Email Addresses--Web hosting companies should provide company email accounts... Read More

How Much Bandwidth Does Your Web Site Need?

One of the most common concerns people have when deciding... Read More