Choosing an Ideal Web Hosting Company

By Ashish Monga
Choosing a reliable web host has always been one of the top priorities of any Webmaster. Reliability refers to the hosts ability to provide high uptime and quick access to the clients website, for the masses on the web. Due to a large number of new websites springing up everyday, surfers have got many alternatives, hence if a web site loads slowly, they usually have no hesitation in looking for another one providing a similar service, which can mean a lost customer or a sale. It is also essential that the host and the hosting package are specifically suited to your hosting needs. For e.g. if you want to host multiple domains on a host it is necessary to ensure that the host provides multiple domain hosting and preferably has features like fantastico installed, which will help setting up the site and make managing different domains much more easier.

Each host has a different focus and provides packages aimed at different target markets. Here are some of the important factors you should consider before choosing a web hosting company.

Pricing : Web hosting in the past few years has become a very competitive business, and hence not only have the prices come down considerably, but a range of different packages with different set of features are available out there, making it much more convenient for web site owners. It is important to compare prices of different hosts providing similar packages before signing up with one. You will also notice a lot of providers providing large amount of data storage for as little as $9 per month, but it is important to realise that data storage is only one aspect of a hosting package, and therefore vital to avoid the tendency to get carried away by the price.

Customer Support : Once again customer support in the past few years has improved manifold, with options like the “Ticket System”, and “Live Customer Support”. Before signing up with a host, verify their customer support by asking a few questions, trying their different support mechanisms, and if you can ask/look for a few references that would be an added bonus.

Speed : Web hosting companies connect to the Internet through different lines such as the T1, T3 and OC (Optical Carrier) lines. T1 and T3 being two of the fastest connections available today. It is important to ensure which lines does the host use and what are his backup options in case there are problems with the primary lines.

Reliability : Reliability covers many different aspects of a robust hosting package, such as, uptime guarantee, back-up systems, ability to handle growth and most importantly security. Most companies guarantee at least 99% uptime these days, with many promising up to 99.5% and 99.8% as well. It is also important to ensure what sort of backup systems does the hosting company have in place. Do they have secondary servers, UPS systems with back-up generators, and multiple routers and switches? Answers to these questions, can save a lot of hassle later. Finally, it is vital to ensure that the company has solid security systems in place with many different layers of security.

Spending some time choosing and evaluating different hosting options can save valuable time later. It is best to make a list of all the features you are looking for in a hosting package, which include, general features as well as site-specific features, and then browse through the different hosts, before choosing the best one for you.

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