I came, I saw, I cocked it up…and I started again!
Making decisions about a web host is always a challenge, but knowing a little bit about what’s involved can make the task easier. The more you know about web page hosting, the easier it will be to find one that works for you. These tips can help you out.
Find out what kind of sites a service hosts. Some free sites do not allow you to add your own scripts to the static pages they offer. If the nature of your website requires dynamic scripting capabilities, it may be in your best interest to opt for hosting on a paid server.
Deciding between a dedicated and shared server can prove challenging. If your site is very large, or visited by a mass amount of individuals, then a shared server might not adequately meet your needs. You may be better off with dedicated hosting.
Avoid a host with a lot of outages. Any web host which has many outages, or makes up lame excuses for their downtime, is not going to be reliable. If the host is frequently reporting downtime, move on.
Your domain name should be registered with an outside company. If you register it with your web host and the company goes under, you could end up losing your name. If you register your domain through the same company that provides your web page hosting, you may lose control of the name in such circumstances.
If a web page hosting provider claims to offer a world of unlimited services and features, beware. For instance, if a web host has unlimited disk space, they might limit the file types they allow. The unlimited bandwidth claims may actually be part of a tiered pricing system. Always obtain all the information and restrictions with these plans, because unlimited is rarely truly unlimited.
Check on whether or not your web host offers some sort of money back guarantee. If at some point during the first 30 days after signing up you become unhappy with the service, there should be some stipulation in the contract that states you can cancel the contract and get your money back. Some web hosts may fail to live up to their advertisements.
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. Scout out some customer reviews or reviews written by watchdog sites to find out how satisfied their past and present clients are. Customers will usually talk about both the highs and lows of a company, making their reviews invaluable in your search.
Many hosting companies are resellers for major hosting companies. Those companies buy large quantities of server space, and then rent it out at a premium to small sites. This can result in additional choices in web hosting, and you could pay less or more for the same server space.
Choose your host based on a range of criteria rather than making your decision based on price alone. Consider a wide range of options and features. You shouldn’t choose a package from a provider who doesn’t meet your needs, even if the price is great. Be certain that the host can supply everything needed.
As you can see, finding the best hosting company for your website doesn’t need to turn into a huge task. Keep your needs in mind, do some comparison shopping, and it’s pretty easy. Utilize the tips in the above article, and you’ll quickly locate an excellent host.
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