Key Facts Concerning Website Hosting Selection
Have you just received and domain name, and now you want to find a website host? With so many options, it may seem impossible to figure out where to begin. What are the qualities of a good web host? Do you know how to find out how reliable they are? This article is packed with practical and proven tips that should make it easier to explore all of your options for web hosting services.
Choosing a web host which is physically located in the same country as your visitors will boost the speed of your website dramatically. If your target audience is in the UK, your web host should have their headquaters in the UK, too.
Should you consider dedicated hosting? What about shared hosting? Shared servers are not ideal for websites that enjoy high traffic levels, design-driven layouts and sensitive customer and payment information. It’s a wise idea to find a dedicated host.
Ask about the kind of security precautions a host relies on. Your website will potentially be under constant threat and attack from unscrupulous individuals and malicious viruses. Choose a host with procedures efficient enough against DDoS attacks. You should know what your web host will do if they are attacked through the Internet.
Just like shopping for anything else, making a list of your web host needs before you look is a wise idea. If you know what your wants are in advance, you can check off whether the prospective host offers what you need. Creating this kind of list will assist you from making a decision just on a single factor, such as the price, instead of discovering the very best deal possible.
Invest in an SSL certificate for both your and your customers’ peace of mind. You will be able to add a button to your site and your visitors will be informed they enter a secure zone and will be more likely to trust your site for making transaction or giving their personal information.
Once you choose a web host, pay monthly instead of a lump sum payment. You can’t predict what your business will be or what your host will do in the upcoming months. If you do choose to make a lump payment and decide at some point in the future to switch providers, you might not receive a refund.
Carefully screen the companies you are interested in. The prices range from a couple of bucks to around $50 per month. More expensive monthly service plans may provide more bandwidth, but you may end up with the same amount of server downtime as any cheap host.
Are you looking at free web hosts? 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 there is a system failure or downtime, you may be stuck without any recourse if you site or certain files disappear.
Does the company offer a portion of your money back if you want to end your contract early? A reputable company will give you a refund if you aren’t satisfied with your service in the first 30 days. Some web hosts do not live up to their advertisements.
As you’ve seen, even a fancy site requires web hosting. You will find it is not difficult to do if have a good idea of where you should look and which features you need. Use the guidelines from this article to get the most from your website.
An easy way to find a great web hosting provider, is to look for companies that have received several awards. This provides an easy way for you to judge a web host’s service and support. Although these can be faked occasionally, awards are a good sign that your web host is respected. It’s always a good sign if a host has won a number of voter’s choice awards.
