Any company cannot function much better than their weakest, namely a third party host or your own web server. If you’re not a programmer by nature, all of the fancy words and directories can get confusing at times. Many people cave in when confronted with a decision and just take what comes first. While that may be the easy way out, this article can help you make an informed decision.
What types of sites does your hosting site offer? Most free hosting services offer only pages that are static, you are not given the option to use your own programming language and scripts. If you need dynamic scripting for your website, you may have to choose a paid host instead.
You should ask about any security measures that are in place when choosing a web host. These days, attacks are often launched against websites, and many threats are always present. Be sure that the web host you choose has ways to deal with common threats like DDoS attacks. You should know what is the risk for your site in case your host is attacked.
A high-quality hosting service should provide you with a wide range of useful site statistics, such as how much traffic your site is receiving. Put a counter on your site, and make sure it matches your web host’s numbers. You should make good use of this information to measure the performance of your website.
If you can, get a hosting service with a guarantee for your money back. During the first 30 days of service, you should be afforded the right to cancellation and a refund based upon your relative satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Many webhosts advertise themselves better than they are.
Customer Reviews
When doing your research, look beyond the website of a web host and their advertising materials to find the real scoop on their reputation. Customer reviews on independent websites or blogs will give you a much more accurate picture of your host’s abilities. Independent customer reviews will be a good indicator of quality.
It should now be possible to decipher the strange language of website hosting plans, and choose one that works for you. Even if you are already locked into a website hosting agreement, you can inform your IT person and prepare to move your site to a better hosting service once your current contract expires.