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What To Look For In A
Web Hosting Firm
By John Bates
Friday, August 04, 2006
You've decided to get a website
but now you need to host it somewhere. Who should
you host it with, and why? This article will
help you determine what you should look for
in a web host, what to avoid, and what questions
to ask of potential web hosting firms.
What is a web host?
Simply put, a web host is
where you store the files that make up your
website, in order for said website to accessible
to the public, over the Internet. A web host
is sort of like a library. Your website is a
book, and your book goes in the stacks at the
library so that visitors can then read it.
A web hosting firm owns or
leases servers (specialized computers), manages
those servers, and leases space on those servers
for you to store, and serve up to the public,
the files that make up your website. So, in
our library analogy, a web hosting firm would
be the library. They have staff (librarians)
that manages the servers, and the stacks that
contain the books (websites) are the actual
servers.
What should I look for
in a web host?
All web hosts are not created
equal. There are many factors you should consider
when choosing a web hosting firm and which host
you choose will be highly dependant on your
needs. Web hosts run the gamut from "the
guy next door with a server in his garage"
to "corporate based entities that have
whole buildings full of servers and technicians
dedicated to hosting websites" and of course,
everything in-between.
First, do your research,
in order to find a host that suits your needs.
- What platform does your website
need (UNIX based or Windows based)?
- How much bandwidth will your
website need? Which bandwidth providers do
they utilize?
- How much space will you need
to store the files that make up your website,
including email and databases?
- According to your level of
expertise, what level of support will you
need (24hr phone support, support forums,
email or ticket based only, a comprehensive
knowledge base)?
- Do they offer all the features
you will need (your own control panel, FTP
access, included software programs, stats
programs, subdomains, how many email accounts,
databases, etc.)?
- Do they offer backups
and if so, in what increments (daily, weekly,
monthly, etc.)?
With all the items listed
above, quality is the most important factor.
You should look for a host that has quality
equipment, staff, and support. Again, do your
research! Find out for yourself if their server
equipment is of up-to-date first-rate quality,
and what level of maintenance it receives. Find
out how knowledgeable their support staff is.
Find out how responsive and receptive their
support staff is.
Some other areas you
should be concerned with are:
- Do they provide an easy upgrade
path?
- Can they help port over your
existing website?
- Do they allow the hosting of
websites that contain content that may be
against your standards?
- What are their policies on
spam?
- How easy is it to terminate
your account?
- Do they allow you to own your
own domain name? If not, avoid them like the
plague!
What should I avoid in
a web host?
In a word, probably the single
most avoidable pitfall for any potential web
host, is in the word "proprietary."
If your website cannot easily be packed up and
moved to another web host, you will have nothing
but problems. This includes those "site
builder" type hosts and any host that has
proprietary ecommerce packages. Also, some web
hosts only lease you your domain name. If you
cannot easily transfer your domain name away
from a web host, simply drop them from consideration
and look elsewhere.
Many hosts will claim that
they offer "unlimited" bandwidth.
While this may seem like a good thing, in reality
it is fraught with danger. More than likely
what it means is that they are using "cheap"
bandwidth providers and that they allow rampant
"overselling." What that adds up to
is a lot of "downtime" in conjunction
with slooooowwww connections for your sites
visitors. Instead, look for a host that offers
quality, and preferably, multiple bandwidth
providers, even if your bandwidth is limited.
Ensure that you can easily upgrade the amount
of bandwidth you are allotted.
One myth running around in
SEO (search Engine optimization) circles and
elsewhere is that hosting on a "shared"
server will effect you ability to achieve high
rankings in the search engines. This is simply
an untruth. As long as the shared web host provider
does not have any issues related to the paragraph
above, you need not worry about this myth. However,
sites hosted on GeoCities or Yahoo! type websites
are something you should avoid unless you are
specifically creating a "social networking"
type website. If you plan on running a successful
business or informational website, you should
seek out a host that is not a "community"
oriented hosting platform.
Finally, though being economical
is wise, you usually get what you pay for. I
would highly recommend that you consider choosing
quality over quantity and price. If you have
to spend a few dollars more to obtain that quality,
you will be well served in the long run and
will most likely not be sorry you did so. Quality
will make you a happy website owner.
Research, Research, Research…
In closing, though I have
not covered all aspects of choosing a web host,
I will state that if you seriously take the
time to research first your needs and then a
range of hosting firms that can satisfy those
needs, you should not have a very hard time
finding a reputable host that will serve you
well long into the future.
Happy Web Hosting!
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About the Author
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John Bates (AKA: Blue)
is the owner of MOR Designs, a firm specializing
in Web Design, Web Hosting, and Web Consulting.
MOR Designs has been in business since 1996.
As well, John has the unique distinction of
being the longest standing active member of
the I
Help You Forums,
having joined two days before the forums actually
opened. He is now a Super Moderator.
John is also a co-owner in the quality human
edited family safe web directory WebSavvy.
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This article may
NOT be republished!
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