Web Hosting Buying Guide
How to select a Web Host
Choosing a Web hosting Service is as good as choosing a place for your office. The choices can be easier than you think. There are certain things to be considered though before making any decisions. Once they are clear, you should be on your way to hosting a website that can compete with the big boys.
You should know exactly what you want to use your website for in order to get the best services. For example, if you are planning to host a web store, you will need services that will check and clear credit cards etc., as well as provide you with basic web store formatting. As long as your server can support your store's needs, you should be just fine.
Tips for choosing your web hosting services
1. You must know how much space you think that your website is going to take up. It is best to design your website before you even consider searching for hosting services so that you will know exactly how many MB's your website is using. Be sure to account for some extra space so that you can make changes without penalties or extra fees.
2. Choose a server that will offer good value for as many services as possible such as email addresses, web space, and domain name registration.
3. Avoid servers that force you to split up your services across multiple accounts in order to use them because it is just a ploy to hike up the fees.
4. If you need it, use servers that will offer you technical support whenever you need it without charging you.
5. The best advice that is to be sure to choose a server that will maintain your site for you. This means that they will do the work needed to keep your web page always available so that you don't have to. They should also correct the service bugs for you and not expect you to do it.
Knowing what web hosting services are out there
Right now, most servers offer you combination of services because they all want to be your only source for all your web hosting needs. Some of these services include:
- Your own domain name (www.yourname.com)
- Your own True POP email account - name@yourdomain.com
- Fast, low overhead, Multi-T3 access
- Your own unrestricted cgi-bin
- Access to SSL Encryption for secure transactions
- Java, C, C++, Tcl support
- Auto responders
- htaccess Password Protection for your files or
directories
- At least 1 GIGABYTE (1024 MB) of Daily Transfer
- Design (and upload to) your site using Netscape or
other HTML editing software
- Microsoft FrontPage (98) Server Extensions for those
utilizing FrontPage
- Unlimited free access to your server via Telnet/FTP
- Online invoices, account tracking, and payment
history to enable you to check your account balance,
monthly invoices, past payments, etc.
- Complete daily server backup
- Easy access to your log files
- Statistics on visits to your site
- Free Debugging
- Basic Web Hosting maintenance
- Web Store Capabilities
Every web server host will offer you different services. Some will not offer you these services and some will offer you much more. It really depends on what you think you will need to decide where you should go. You can get many of these services for free, cheap, and for a price. I would not recommend free services if you are planning to use your website as a part of a major marketing strategy, but if your website is merely for fun, the free services are just fine.
If you're serious about your business and you have a sincere desire to succeed, having your own domain name is a must. It's not a luxury; it's a necessity. Businesses using the free services are not taken seriously. Having your own domain name is just as important if not more important than a professional looking web site. They go hand-in-hand.
Web hosting prices vary greatly. When selecting your host, make sure you're getting exactly what you're paying for. Keep in mind, a lower monthly rate will not benefit you if your site is down a lot, slow, or customer service is poor.
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