Any company, at any given point in time, cannot function better than its weakest link, which is often their web server or third-party hosting company. If you aren’t very tech-savvy, then the particulars of web page hosting can be confusing. When making a decision becomes too complicated, people tend to commit to a random choice in order to move on with their purchase. This article should quell the confusion.
Check the hosting site to find out what kind of sites they can offer. Some free sites do not allow you to add your own scripts to the static pages they offer. A paid host account will entitle you to more flexibility.
Opt for web page hosting service from a provider with a favorable track record for addressing outages. If a company faces frequent outages and is constantly making excuses, it is a red flag that they are unreliable, or they would have made plans to remedy the situation. Frequent outages are a sign of a unprofessional business, so do not make a commitment to such a company.
Are you considering utilizing a web host that is free for the website you are starting? Such companies often don’t back up your information, so remember to back it up yourself. If your site goes down, loses a page, etc., you’re not going to get any help from your host.
Check and see if your host offers the option of having a secure server for your customers. You can add this button to your website so customers feel it is a more trustworthy website to visit.
Web Host
When deciding on a web host, choose a provider that tracks your traffic statistics for you. Try putting a counter on your site to keep track of visits. Compare the information on your counter to the statistics your web host gives you. Use these statistics to help you change aspects of your website to attract more customers.
Some web hosting services rent space from other, larger hosts. Website hosting companies buy a lot of storing space at a low price, and rent it to webmasters. Find out the company that will ultimately host your site so you can get the best price.
If you are new to web design, choose a host that will offer you excellent customer service instead of a lot of extras. You’ll likely have many questions about designing your site. You will have more use for the customer service assistance than fancier features that may not even help you.
If you need to increase the traffic to your site, look for a host with a SEO feature. If you choose this option you can be auto-registered on major search engines. If you are concerned with custom content, though, you may be better suited to add this information manually. Oftentimes, automated SEO services will not allow for personalized descriptions.
There are a few hosting services that will generate a refund for you to offset site downtime. This will not be much of a refund when compared to a loss in sales during the downtime. Stick with companies that have either no or very infrequent down time.
Web Host
Avoid selecting a web host just because they are the cheapest. While you do want to get good value for your money, you don’t want to select your web host based on price alone. There is a good chance that you will sacrifice support, quality or both when choosing based on price.
Find out how long the website hosting company you are considering has been in business. If the company has been around awhile, it will more than likely offer decent support and services. They’ve already seen problems come and go, and have experience in handling them. Standard procedures should be in place for all common complaints or issues. This saves you the grief of dealing with customer service that has no idea what it’s doing.
You should now be able to refer to previous website hosting literature, and have an ability to make sense of confusing terms and services are offered. If you’ve already registered for your hosting plan and are on a contractual agreement, you can still get everything ready for a clean port while you prepare the IT guy.