Choosing a web host for your website can be quite difficult. There are many web hosting services to select from, and each service tends to have several packages available. It is also a very important decision due to the fact that your web host directly influences your website’s up-time.
Use the following tips to make the best decision.
Go for Linux hosting unless you need to use certain applications or server-side languages. Linux hosting has a better reputation for uptime, stability, and resource use. Shared hosting that runs on Linux tends to be somewhat cheaper, as well. There are, however, certain applications that need Windows hosting, including Plesk, Microsoft Access, Silverlight, MSSQL, and ASP.net.
If you are going to have a website that mentions products and services that you offer, you need to have e-commerce hosting available in order for the customers to make purchases. You do not want to push your customers, but at every opportunity, they need to have the ability to make a purchase at their disposal.
You should keep a backup of your site on your computer or on a flashdrive. In case your web host is encountering major issues and you cannot have access to your data, you will be able to switch to another host by simply uploading your site to a different server.
If you want to use a shopping cart software, make sure it is compatible with your web host. A good web host should support certain features such as Web scripting, dynamic content or executable files. These features will allow you to add different ways for your visitors to interact with your website, for instance by leaving feedback.
A good web hosting provider should have good, responsive customer service, so be sure to consider this when choosing a host. Find out how quickly they respond to problems or complaints that their customers have. You want to choose a host that will work to quickly and professionally resolve any problems you encounter.
Take email needs into account when choosing a web hosting plan. Most plans will include some basic email services, but if you need additional mailboxes or storage, you may have to purchase an extra package or select another tier of service. Some inexpensive plans may also limit the number of emails you can send in a day.
Consider how much downtime the web host will have when looking for one. These downtimes vary from 10% to .000001%. This means that there could be hours of downtime per week or as little as seconds. Select a host with the lowest amount of downtime that you can find.
Good customer support is essential to any web host. If something goes wrong or your website is not working, it’s important that you have someone to contact who can help you with the problems immediately and get them taken care of. Inquire about the host’s company support options before shelling out any money.
Check to see if your web hosting service gives you an easy method to submit your pages to search engines. You will also want to know how much control you have over search engine optimization and keywords, as well as how often you can send updates for no charge.
Due to the large number of web hosting companies to choose from, along with the wide variety of packages offered by these companies, it can be difficult to decide on a web host. In addition, it is important to make the best choice because your web host directly affects your website’s up-time.
Follow the advice provided in this article, and you should not have any problems selecting a web host that fulfills your needs.