These days, web hosting is affordable and becoming more and more powerful, with a huge collection of features for a low price. If you’re new to web hosting, you’re probably wondering what to look out for. What are the most important things to consider when choosing a web hosting service? Here are some secret (or not so secret) tips to look out for:
- Features
Make sure you know what features will be the most advantageous to what you are trying to do. If all you want is a small personal website intended for family and friends, secure shell capabilities probably won’t be important to you. Neither will PERL or CGI support. However, you might be well served by a built in file manager and site builder, especially if you are a beginning user. If you are more advanced, however, do you want the ability to write and run your own code? What about transmitting data and executing commands from a remote location? Many web hosting services offer these advanced features as well as more basic ones. - How much web space or storage do you need?
Are you launching a business website that will be graphics heavy? Then you will need more than a person who wants to create a small personal website. Are you going to allow downloads? Then make sure you look in to allotted bandwidth when you’re shopping around, as this will determine how much data you’re allowed to broadcast within a given time frame. Not having enough bandwidth can saddle you with a site that has a slow loading time, and can even limit how many people can view your site. Having too little bandwidth does not make a good impression on visitors, who spend mere seconds deciding whether your site is worth their time. Most web hosting companies provide hundred or thousands of megabytes (mb) of storage, some even provide dozens of gigabytes (gb) of storage. Once you determine what you need, decide how much you’re willing to pay. These two things go hand in hand; are you willing to pay more for a particularly necessary service? Web hosting services are often very affordable, but don’t get lured in by bells and whistles if you don’t need the offered features. - Support
Test out the web hosting service’s customer support. Are they quick to answer your questions, and are those questions answered thoroughly and politely? If they are slow to help before you’ve even purchased their service, imagine what they will be like when you’re trying to get help with your website. - Domain Names (free or not)
Does the site offer a customizable domain name? This is especially important for a business or other professional sites. A custom domain name allows you to assign a web address that is recognizable and memorable, increasing traffic to your pages. If you want to have a series of pages, look for unlimited sub domains. This will allow you to make a variety of sites without having to pay each time for a new name. - Control Panel
Test out the control panel, if you can. These are the controls that will allow you to manage your site. Some will be more streamlined than others. Is it easy to upload files and manipulate images? Now is the time to find out. A poorly researched web site host won’t be very helpful to you, especially if you buy the service and then can’t make sense of the file manager! - Email
Find out if the web hosting service offers email accounts (most do these days). If your goal is to run a business, you will definitely want to consider this feature. Not only will this service usually allow you to create contact forms on your site, it allows you to create email addresses with custom names. Up time is also important. This refers to the amount of time your site is available to visitors. Look for a service that offers 99% up time, and make sure that is a guaranteed feature.
It is certainly possible to find affordable web hosting service for all your needs. However, don’t be hasty when you choose your hosting service. There are many options available and a little research goes a long way towards getting you the best, most profitable tools for realizing your goals. Take the time to thoroughly read a web hosting service’s webpage. Call and ask if you have questions; this can also be a good test of their customer service. Budget web hosting can meet your needs, you just have to become an informed, savvy shopper who is willing to think about the differences between web host services, and how they meet your individual needs.
Web hosting services can be the perfect way to get a message or a product to the public, so start looking now! Web hosting is cheap and dynamic, and is worth the money!
