Tips on choosing a web hosting service

Choosing the right web hosting service may well be one of the most important decisions you make. Although hosting services may be seen as a cost center, in reality, in many cases it is the very foundation of your business, particularly if you run an exclusively online operation. A good web hosting service can make the difference between small profits and big profits in many cases, and the reliability factor is extremely important. If your host?s data center goes down, then your web site is not producing, and you are losing money.

Online commerce and marketing have pushed the web hosting business into high gear, and more than ever, smaller businesses are looking for new ways to promote themselves and establish a solid presence in the online world.

It is usually difficult for first time users to choose the right web hosting service. The internet is full of information on how to choose the perfect website service. However, all the information that you read may not always take you in the right direction. Many website owners have had bitter experiences with web hosting services that could not deliver the desired results, and may have even resulted in lost data or missed sales. This makes it all the more important for website owners to carefully choose web hosting services that fulfill all their requirements, and deliver robust and secure guaranteed service.

Here are some tips on choosing the right web hosting service to suit your business:

1. One of the most crucial factors to consider when choosing a web hosting service is the uptime record. Hosting uptime refers to the amount of time the web hosting service is available online, enabling you and other users to access your website at any given time. This is important, as downtime means lost visitors and lost sales. It?s the same thing as locking the front door of a brick-and-mortar business during prime business hours. While no hosting service can legitimately claim 100% uptime, the ideal ?gold standard? is the so-called ?five nines,? or 99.999 percent uptime. Determine ahead of time what your tolerance for downtime may be. If you have a transaction-oriented web site, downtime may mean a direct loss of productivity or business, and you need the highest uptime possible, and may be willing to pay more for the privilege. If your web site is informational only, you may have a slightly greater tolerance for downtime.
2. The control panel provides an important interface between the files hosted on your provider?s server, and you. This is how you control your web site, upload files, and manage your data. The control panel needs to be conveniently designed for you to easily access your stored information, while also providing for security through adequate authentication procedures.
3. Another important factor to consider when choosing a web hosting service is the available disk space you are allocated for storing your files, including text, graphics, audio, and video. This space is usually measured in gigabytes. A simple, static, informational site may require only a few megabytes, and the minimum allocation will usually be more than adequate. Some web hosting service providers offer an impressive amount of disk space at an amazingly low rate. As a new business, you need to ask whether you really require that much of space. Some overprovisioning is necessary to allow for future growth, however. Companies with rapidly growing web sites may prefer to take advantage of the services of a web host that offers dynamic storage space, which is usually achieved through storage virtualization. This automatically allocates storage space on an as-needed basis, so overprovisioning becomes less necessary, and you still have all the storage you need at any time.
4. Looking at the amount of bandwidth is crucial when choosing a web hosting service, and this determines the amount of traffic that can take place on your site. A hosting service that delivers inadequate bandwidth allowance will result in a slow and frustrating experience for your visitors. Web hosting service providers define bandwidth as the overall percentage of data that can be accessed over a given period of time, usually a month, usually measured in gigabytes. As a website owner eager to launch an online business you would naturally be expecting your site to attract as many visitors as possible on a daily basis. The important thing to note here is that not all websites require a high amount of bandwidth, unless you plan to set up a bandwidth-intensive site such as an online image gallery or a software download site. If you have a small or medium sized business with a basic informational site, a bandwidth allowance measuring up to ten gigabytes should be good enough.
5. Choosing a reliable web hosting service provider that has been in the business for years is a good way to start. Besides choosing a provider that is known and established, choose one that provides service to reputable companies. Make sure that the information that you receive along with your web hosting package is clear and comprehensive. Most times the information that comes with some web hosting packages could leave you feeling completely lost and confused. The idea is to understand what you are getting into and the information needs to be as simple and easy to understand as possible.
6. The technical support that is provided by the web hosting service provider is another feature to look for. How easy is it for you to contact your web hosting provider for technical support? A reliable web hosting service provider usually provides a dedicated online support group for your convenience, as well as a 24/7 toll free telephone number for support issues.
7. The service level agreement (SLA) is also an important aspect to consider, and it should be reviewed carefully. The SLA should lay out service expectations in very specific and quantifiable terms, and should also specify what actions will be taken should those terms not be met for any reason. A web hosting SLA generally covers three domains:
• Server availability--a minimum of 99.0% uptime is required from the web hosting service provider. Although a 100% uptime is the desirable figure, it is not very realistic.
• Server administration--this area deals with the web hosting service provider?s management as well as maintenance responsibilities.
• Data backup and storage media handling--deals with issues such as data backups and overall disaster recovery plan testing.
8. Avoid free web hosting services. These may be of some value to those who simply wish to put up a basic, personal web site, but a free web hosting service is of very little value to most businesses for several reasons. The main problem that comes with a free web hosting service is the endless numbers of advertisements and pop-ups that plague your website. This is bound to annoy potential visitors to your site who might just move on to the next site after a few seconds. Compared with paid web hosting services, free web hosting services provide lower bandwidth, fewer services, and no service level agreement. A paid web hosting service provides with many support facilities and greater freedom to develop your online business.

Choosing the perfect web hosting service can make or break your online business. As a start up business you need to look out for a web hosting service that provides adequate amount of services for you to fulfill your business goals, is reputable, and guarantees robust service.

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