Website Hosting Basics: What To Do And How To Do It
A company, no matter how large, is only ever as strong as its weakest link. Now, in most cases, a company’s weakest link is its web server or its website hosting provider. If you aren’t very tech-savvy, then the particulars of hosting can be confusing. When making a decision becomes too complicated, people tend to commit to a random choice in order to move on with their purchase. This article can help you cut through the confusion, gain a better understanding of web hosting, and find the provider that best meets your needs.
When selecting a web hosting service, opt for the provider that has a favorable track record for outages and downtime. Any web host which has many outages, or makes up lame excuses for their downtime, is not going to be reliable. Recurrent outages are indicative of incompetence, unprofessionalism, and unpreparedness.
Ensure you pick a web page hosting provider that has a very minimal down time and no outages. Choose a provider who has specific plans for dealing with an outage and one who does not shirk the blame onto someone else. Beware of those companies who have a lot of downtime. Refrain from long contracts with them, if any at all.
Choose a web hosting company that provides the space you need for your website to grow. One page of HTML doesn’t require much space, but as you make your site more complex by adding images and video, your space requirement will grow rapidly. For hosting files alone, around 100MB – 1 GB should offer a good starting platform for your domain.
Web Host
As you shop for web hosting service, look for providers that offer a variety of site analytical tools and traffic monitoring. Try putting a counter on your site to keep track of visits. Compare the information on your counter to the statistics your web host gives you. It is in your best interest as a business owner to closely monitor and manage this data.
Lump-sum payments can save you money at a web host, but monthly payments give you more flexibility. You cannot predict what will happen with your web host or your business in the coming 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.
If you want to save some money, try out a free host. While the cost is obviously less, you will have other people’s ads on your site, and you’ll only have limited storage space. A professional website requires paid hosting.
Follow the guidelines that most hosting companies have and make your own backup of your data. It’s vital to follow this rule so that you don’t lose data if something happens. If the server is somehow compromised, you are still able to retain your data.
As you make the decision about who will host your website, do not rely entirely on the provider’s own marketing efforts, but check around to see what others have to say. Check out reviews of the hosting company on other websites such as forums in order to get customer feedback and truly find out how good the web host is. Outside reviews from the customers show how good the host’s quality is.
Your web host should provide you with live statistics on your visitors. Add an automatic counter to the site so that you have something to compare with the numbers your host provides you. Use this information to tweak the way that you reach out to the intended market for your business.
Look for a web host that provides a cPanel. The cPanel program lets you put popular apps on your site without complicated coding. The most popular applications are often quite intuitive, and they don’t take much time or effort to install. It also makes your website’s management much more efficient.
Be cautious with packages for web page hosting that allow unlimited services. For instance, if a web host provides unlimited disk space, it might impose limits on the types of files that are permitted. In addition, sometimes payment plans are tiered when unlimited options are involved, meaning you might end up spending more than you had hoped to. By knowing what these plans are really giving you, you can determine if they’re worth the money or if you even need them at all.
Find out what format your host uses for their email service. You will probably want POP 3. This email service can be linked to your domain name, and accessed from multiple vantage points on the Internet.
Generally, web hosts with many well-recognized hosting awards are reputable. This is a great method for evaluating the available service and support. Be wary of fake awards, looking instead for awards you can identify as being backed by a valid voting process. If you question an award’s validity, check with the site that issues the awards to be sure. Try to choose a host that has a number of fan-voted awards.
Choosing a host which offers SEO options can help to boost your traffic. This will mean that the host registers its sites with the relevant search engines. However, it doesn’t hurt to register your website on your own time; this allows you to include detailed information and descriptions about the site and its intended purpose.
You should now be able to refer to previous web page hosting literature, and have an ability to make sense of confusing terms and services are offered. When you register for a hosting plan and it’s contractual, you can prepare everything for the IT guy.
Be cautious of scammers and hidden fees. Many web hosts advertise low prices, without mentioning extra, hidden fees. This is why you should find out what your hosting plan includes and what features you are going to need. Select a web hosting plan that provides you with everything you need, at an affordable price.
