To get your website published on the web you must have a web hosting account,
unless you use a hosted site construction kit with included hosting.
So, this article is meant to help potential website owners and aspiring
non tech-savvy bloggers choose the right web hosting provider.
In a nutshell:
The provider maintains servers that store your files. Each time a
visitor types your website address these files are displayed in a
browser. If you choose a good host, your site will run smoothly. If not –
it will work with interruptions caused by server-side problems. For
this reason, it’s vital to find a reputable web service with an
excellent track record. Here are some tips to help you do this.
Make a List of Hosting Needs
It’s
wise to make a list of your hosting needs prior to searching for a
host. This list should include various requirements like bandwidth, disk
space needed and other hosting features. Specific features include
support for e-Commerce activities, mailboxes and compatibility with web
authoring tools like FrontPage or Dreamweaver. Don’t fret if these terms
are new to you. Check out http://inexpensivewebhosting.org/ to familiarize yourself with webhosting terms. This website has an impressive knowledgebase.
Assess Pricing
Budget
is undoubtedly one of the defining factors when it comes to choosing a
web host. For this reason many providers try to attract potential
customers with tempting promotions. You’ve definitely come across some
of these. ‘Unlimited bandwidth’, ‘free domain’ and
other special offers simply carry aspiring webmasters away from the
right choice. It’s vital to peruse the Terms of Service before creating
an account, as these may differ dramatically from what you see on the
provider’s advert. If they offer a free domain, ask them who retains the
ownership – you or your host? In many cases, hosting providers give you
a free domain for one year but then charge you with 200% mark-up when
it’s time to renew your domain name.
Make
sure there are no hidden fees. If there are companies offering free
trials – sign up unhesitatingly to evaluate your needs. Based on these
needs, you’ll be able to find the right web hosting plan for your site
at this point. When your site grows, upgrade your account to unlock more
add-ons and increase the limits of your monthly data transfer.
Evaluate Reliability
Require
at least 99% if not 99.5% uptime, refund policy and excellent technical
support. Also, look for a provider who’s prepared for scalability,
since one day you may need to increase your disk space or bandwidth. The
hosting provider should be able to do this.
As
it was already mentioned, technical support is also a crucial aspect to
pay attention to. The web host should have knowledgeable technicians
available 24/7 to help you resolve any hosting-related issues. Ideally,
there should be toll free numbers, live chat, online knowledgebase as
well as helpful FAQs.
Take
the time to evaluate and compare different providers: read unbiased
reviews, search for comparison charts and customer testimonials.
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