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How to Find a Dependable Web Host
Your new website is ready to upload, and now you need a web host. Or perhaps you already have a web host, but uptime and support are lacking. Of the thousands of web hosts to choose from, how do you find one that you can depend on? Know what can go wrong and what to watch out for, and research prospective web hosts carefully. What can go wrong with web hosting Too much downtime Problems happen, and even when they don't, server maintenance results in a minimal amount of downtime. A dependable web host not only maintains servers well, but also monitors the servers and fixes problems immediately. With the type of web host you want to avoid, however, your site may be down for days. Features that don't work When your email doesn't work, your business shuts down. Problems with databases and other features can also slow down or stop your business. Most web hosts understand this, but some don't place a high priority on keeping not only your site online but everything working as well. Poor support Dependable web hosts answer tech support questions within hours. Other web hosts, however, have been known to take days. And when those responses come, sometimes they're canned responses that don't address the issue. Poor communication Support people with good communication skills help keep problems from becoming bigger problems. Being told, "Everything looks fine here, so the problem is solved," leads to frustration. So is having your site shut down because it used too many resources rather than the web host contacting you about the problem first. Billing problems Even after you cancel your account, problems may continue. Some less-than-dependable web hosts don't honor their refund policy. Others don't stop automatic billing after the account is cancelled. What to watch out for When you see the following at web host websites, consider them red flags to warn you of possible problems. Unsustainable pricing If the pricing looks too good to be true, it probably is. Is it enough to pay for server maintenance and tech support? You get what you pay for. Unlimited bandwidth Nothing is really unlimited. If you sign up for an account offering unlimited bandwidth and then use a lot of bandwidth, expect to have the plug pulled on your site. The web host may find another explanation for discontinuing your account, but "unlimited" typically means "as long as you don't use a lot." An unprofessional-looking website Consider how much effort the web host put into providing a usable website with informative content. Does it give you confidence in the web host, or is it full of unsubstantiated statements and grammar and spelling mistakes? A web host doesn't need to be a spelling expert, of course. But if the company hasn't put much effort into telling you about their services, will they be conscientious about meeting clients' needs? How to research web hosts Finding web hosts is easy enough. Search engines can take you to the websites of thousands of web hosts. But after you've narrowed down your list by features and price, how do you find out which web hosts are dependable? Read web host package details and TOS If the hosting packages offer huge amounts of disk space and bandwidth for very low prices, consider yourself warned. Don't expect the company to have enough money for maintenance and support. If you want to be sure that you can get a refund if you want one, check what the Terms of Service (TOS) says about refunds. Read the web host forum What is the ambience in the forum? Are clients' questions answered satisfactorily? Don't be concerned if you see problems; instead, be concerned if you don't see any problems. Some web hosts remove posts that don't show their company in a positive light. If posts about problems remain in the forum, you can observe how the host handles problems. Read web host reviews Client feedback at the web host's site may or may not be valid. It's possible for hosts to make up feedback, and some have even copied feedback from other sites. Look for feedback with links to the clients' sites, and check via http://www.Whois.sc to see if the particular web host actually hosts that site. Numerous forums allow people to post web host reviews. When you read reviews, consider the poster's credibility. Some people bash their hosts just because they're unhappy about something. If the host posts in response to a problem, observe how the host tries to resolve it. Check the company background The "About Us" or "Company Background" page at the web host's site should answer these questions. How long has the company been in business? A new company may be excellent, but it's good to keep in mind that a lot of businesses fail within the first year. Does the company publish a privacy policy? Does this policy clearly protect clients' privacy? Where are the servers located? Ideally, they should be in a datacenter, and not in someone's basement. What are the server uptime statistics? If the web host doesn't publish a link to a server uptime monitor, ask for a link to one. Uptime of about 99.7 percent or higher is generally considered good. Does the company publish an address? You may never need it, but when you're placing your company website in another company's hands, you want to know that the company is legitimate and accessible. Email pre-sales questions Answers to your pre-sales questions tell you a lot about the web host. You'll see how fast the company responds and how well they communicate. Ask questions about any of the above points as well as questions specific to your needs. ~~~~~ Finding a dependable web host takes time, but dealing with problems and moving your site takes more time. The time spent looking for a dependable web host is a worthwhile investment. About the author: Lois S. is a Technical Executive Writer for Website Source, Inc. http://www.websitesource.com. Her established writing skills coupled with experience in the website hosting industry have provided internet professionals with marketing, product and service ideas for many years.
MORE RESOURCES:  Yahoo! News Search Results for URL Yahoo! News Search Results for URL • AdWords URL Longer Than 35 Characters Need Exception (Search Engine Roundtable) We discussed the Google AdWords policy on a max URL character space of 35 in the past. They recently started enforcing this rule back in June of this year. A new Google Groups thread has an issue where on advertiser needs to have a display URL that is longer than 35 characters. So what can he/she do? AdWordsPro Sarah says that you can submit an exception. In short, make your display ... • YouTube videos go HD with a simple hack (CNET) Want to host high-definition videos on YouTube? No problem. Just get your copy-and-paste skills ready because all it requires is changing the video's URL! • High-definition videos sneaking onto YouTube (Ars Technica) YouTube is experimenting with high-definition videos on its site, and you can access the capability using a handy URL trick. If YouTube manages to score enough movie and TV content from its owners, then it might eventually give Hulu some competition. Read More... • The Sound of Personal Branding (Fast Company Magazine) Some websites need to be arrested for audial assault. You know the ones I mean. No sooner do you click on a URL but the site blasts out some atrocious music that has absolutely nothing to do with the brand. If marketer and music extraordinaire ... • Sorry: The requested page could not be found (Kerrville Daily Times) You may have received this message in error. Please try loading the page you were trying to access again. If you got here by typing a URL, or web address, please make sure the spelling, capitalization, and punctuation are correct. • Why Firefox Rocks: Great Firefox Tricks, Part IV (LinuxPlanet) Today I have a useful tip that used to be enabled only on Linux, but now is available for everyone. Have you ever had somebody send you a URL to a web site, only it's so long that the mail system has broken it into several lines? • Mobispine making Telia MMS app for iPhone? (MacNN) The identity of TeliaSonera's MMS application for the iPhone may have already been revealed, an announcement hints. Mobispine has announced the creation of what it calls the "world's first true MMS for the iPhone;" critically, the software relies on the actual MMS protocol instead of a substitute, such as a text message with an embedded URL. The company is also based in Sweden like Telia, and ... • Site of the Day (AskMen) Don't be fooled by the URL, this isn't just a blog for rail-thin fashionites. • CORRECTING and REPLACING China Energy Recovery Board Member, Roger Ballentine... SHANGHAI, China----URL in second graph, second sentence of release should read: www.eenews.net/tv/ • Giz Explains: Every Video Format You Need to Know [Giz Explains] (Gizmodo) digg_skin = 'compact'; digg_bgcolor = '#f1f8fa'; digg_url = 'http://digg.com/tech_news/Giz_Explains_Every_Video_Format_You_Need_to_Know'; Once upon time, video codecs and formats were really only... |
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