The first thing you should do before beginning your
search for a reliable web host, is to make a list
of your specific web hosting needs. How much space
will you need? How much transfer allowance? How many
emails? Will you need a database? Will you need a
shopping cart? Will you need a merchant account? Are
you going to set up a forum or chat feature with your
web site?....etc After all, A Reliable Web host should
first be a web host that meets your specific needs.
But there are some things that every web host should
have in order for you to consider using there services,
and they are listed below.
Up Time and Reliability You'll want to make sure
that your web site is accessible. Ask your web host
whether he quarantees a certain percentage of uptime.
Many web hosts will guarantee your web site to be
available 99.5% of the time. Ask about the hardware
used, the connection, and what safequards are in place
to minimize downtimes.
Reasonable Price Your web hosting company should
offer you a reasonable price for services and flexibility
in payment methods and schedules. Look for hidden
costs when comparing prices. You will find that some
web hosts charge a setup fee. Don't rule out a web
hosting company just because of this expense. Some
of the best companies charge a setup fee to help in
covering the cost of having high quality technical
support available.
Bandwidth Some services give you a small limit on
the amount of material that can be downloaded from
your site each month and charge you large amounts
when that limit is exceeded. Some offer huge traffic
allowances for the same price. You may not need more
than a hundred MB a month now, but why put yourself
in a position where you have to move when your traffic
takes off? Plan ahead and allow for growth. Make sure
you have at least 1 GB of data transfer. Always stay
away from web hosts that say that they offer Unlimited
Bandwidth Because there is NO SUCH thing called unlimited
bandwidth
Disk Storage Space Look for a web host that offers
sites of 100 MB or more. This may sound like a lot,
but will give you room to grow. Some web hosts offer
20 to 50 MB of space and charge as much as hosts offering
100 MB or more. They then charge you $5 to $10 more
a month for every 10 MB you add on when you discover
you need more space. This doesn't necessarily make
them a bad web hosting service, but it is something
to consider when comparing prices.
Server Speed You want a server that is reliable and
fast. There is a free tool available that allows you
to evaluate this before making a decision. Net Mechanic
will measure the speed of access for all facets of
access (network speed, DNS lookup, connect time, download
time, and absence of timeouts). The download time
statistic is the most important single item to compare.
Collect your list of candidate hosting services and
run side-by-side tests of all the candidates. Sample
during peak and non-peak times for optimal comparison.
Basic Features Lots of features is another measure
of a good web host. Some web web hosts will offer
only minimal features and then charge a monthly fee
to add on any new features.
Multiple Domain Names If you have more than one domain
name,You can host them using one web hosting account.Some
web hosting companies may charge you extra cash for
this kind of service.Others will not charge you. You
only need this, if you have more than one domain name.
Mail Forwarding Accounts And Email Autoresponders
Make sure the Web hosting company allows you to set
up mail forwarding -- the ability to forward you email
somewhere else. I have several web sites and have
all my email forwarded to my ISP service so I can
read it all at once. It would take me a long time
to downloard all my mail from each of my accounts.
It's a great time-saver.As for autoresponder,its a
program that automatically sends your pre-written
message to people who email you. An example: If someone
sends an e-mail to WebhostsResource@yahoo.com, a message
from me will automatically be sent to them. This is
a very useful tool in marketing your business as people
are sent information immediately and without you doing
a thing.
Mailing Lists A mailing list is a discussion group
that is email-based. They are useful as a promotional
tool. You can also use a mailing-list program to distribute
your ezine.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) It allows you to transfer
files to and from your Web site quickly and easily.
This service should be provided. Only some free web
hosting services don't offer FTP. I would be really
be worried if a web hosting service doesn't offer
this basic service.
Anonymous FTP Accounts This function allows you to
set up an FTP site that people can access to download
files. If you are distributing software or giving
away free ebooks, this is a great tool. You can also
have files transfered directly from your Web site,
but it's sometimes handy to have an FTP site as well.
FTP sites can resume interrupted downloads. If someone
is transfering a file, and their ISP or phone company
cuts them off half way through, they can come back
and continue the transfer where they left of. This
works great for large downloads.
A Secure Server - Referred To As SSL Server This
is a must if you plan to take orders online or transfer
sensitive information. The secure server allows redit-card
information typed into a form to be encrypted before
being sent from the user's Web browser to the server.
You may have to pay an additional fee to use the secure
server. You don't have to have a secure server to
take orders online, but you may lose a lot of orders
if you don't provide this for your customers.
CGI Scripts You can use CGI to take information from
a form and send it to your email account and some
shopping cart programs use it as well. A good Web
hosting service will have a library of CGI scripts
you can use. Find out if you can add your own CGI
scripts. Don't get a service that won't allow you
to do this. You may regret it in the future even if
you don't use them now.
Advanced Features Does The Web Host Provide Advanced
Features Such As Database Access, Java Applets, RealAudio/Video,
PHP,Password Protection...etc If You Need Them !?
Backups A good web host will backup your web directory
daily. This is pretty standard throughout the industry.
If a web host doesn't provide this service, don't
even consider using them. Some web hosts will even
do redundant backups to insure your web site is not
lost.
A Guarantee With so many web hosting services out
there, make sure you choose one that offers a guarantee.
Services that offer a moneyback guarantee are confident
that you'll be satisfied with their service. Look
for at least a basic 30 day money back guarantee.
Flexibility The ideal web hosting service will have
lots of options and upgrades to accomodate future
growth of your web site. You may need to add ecommerce
to your web site (shopping cart, storefront, merchant
account), or more web space, a forum, or you might
just need to have your own dedicated server. A good
web hosting company will have all these resources
available to you if you need them.
