OK, you have your web site built
and are now confused as to all the choices you have in order to
find a home for your site.
It is good to make a right choice the first time, because if you
have to move to another hosting service, it will cost you time
and you will lose some of your valued customers due to the downtime
setting up with another host.
You will also have to pay set up and hosting fees for a new account.
Here are
some basic things to consider when choosing a Web Hosting Service:
1. Speed and reliability of the
servers and hardware
Make sure they have a high-speed connection
(preferably T3 or higher) to the Internet.
*Effective Bandwidth Management
opt for unlimited bandwidth for your site.
*Backup Systems good hosts will have back
up systems in place to guard against power failures,
which will cause you to lose data and customers.
There is a free tool available that allows
you to evaluate server performance 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.
2. Space
How much space do you expect to eventually want for your web
site? Planing ahead can save you lots of money later. If you expect
to grow, look for a place that offers sites of 100 MB or more.
Some services offer 500 MB sites for less money than others that
offer only 30 MB.
3. Features
Compatibility with existing Software and Skills
Is your hosts server, software and support services compatible
with the skills and software you are using? For example
if you are using FrontPage to create your site, make sure they
have FrontPage extensions installed on their server.
Some of the basic features of a hosting
service should include:
- Domain name registration
- At least 20MB of allocated space
- Unmetered bandwidth
- Free Technical Support
- POP3 E-Mail Accounts
- Email Forwarding
- Email Auto-responders
- Email Aliases
- FTP Access
- FrontPage Support
- Own CGI-Bin Access
- Free Perl, CGI
- Server Side Includes (SSI)
- Password Protection
- Reseller/referral program
Flexibility and room for growth
Keep in mind the future needs of your web site. If the traffic
to your site explodes, or in the future you may need a database
solution then your host must be able to accommodate the changes.
Quality of their support services
- Quality of existing customers ask
for any BIG current customers that are hosting with that service.
- Opinions of existing customers ask
for any testimonies of existing customers to get feedback from
them concerning reliability and support.
- Stability you do not want your hosting
service to go out of business (like what happened to many of
the free hosts) and leave you stranded. Check how many years
they have been in business.
- Support and Responsiveness
Make sure you can contact them 24/7 by phone or email. Test
the quality and efficiency of response by sending them an email
pertaining to some question you may have before you sign up.
Is there
really anybody there? We think that this is the single most
important consideration. Also, check out the quality of their
online documentation.
4. Types of Hosting Services
Free Hosting:
Free sites are for people whose sites are small and do not expect
much traffic.
Pros
Its Free
For small non business sites
Cons
No usage of domain names
Limited technical support
Unreliability of servers, software
Limited web space, technical support
Host may shut down due without notice
Virtual Hosting: (also known as domain or shared hosting)
This is the most popular and cost effective form of hosting.
Pros
Low cost
Great for the average business sites
Good technical support
Cons
Multiple sites on server
Sometimes slow updates
Limited security and control due to the large number of sites
on 1 server
Use your own domain name (www.yoursite.com)
What can you expect to pay?
Expect to pay Rs.2,500 - Rs.6,000 ($5 - $50/month) for a small
web hosting package of 20-50MB of allocated space for your site.
This will be enough for up to 100 pages with a few graphics on
each page.
- Look for hidden costs when comparing
price.
- Do they expect you to pay for a long
term in advance to get a good price? Choose one that doesn't
bait you with a low price that's only available if you make
a long-term commitment.
- Will they handle the registration
of your domain for free?
- If you're transferring an existing
domain, will they submit the domain change to InterNIC for free?
If you follow these basic guidelines,
you will have a reliable, efficient and satisfying hosting service
that will contribute to the success of your business for many
years to come.
Choosing an excellent service to host
your web site doesn't have to require luck. Knowing what to look
for makes selection simple.
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