When choosing a web hosting provider, keep your eyes peeled for buzzwords that sound good but are short on actual meaning. Web hosting companies, like any company, present their product in the best terms possible. But just like the words all natural on a food product, the following terms inspire good feelings but promise nothing concrete.
Here are some things that web hosting companies offer or items you should be aware of:
- Often times, web hosting companies claim to have unlimited bandwidth or memory. The truth is everything has its limit. Look for companies that explain how they support their claims. Look past the pretty descriptions and try and find the hard facts about the service. You want numbers, not empty promises.
- One of the things you should look for is twenty four hour support that is easy to access. Be sure to test the available services. Go through the help articles and decide if they are easy to follow, especially those articles that deal with common website management problems. Is it easy to find contact information to talk to a live technical support professional? When you call, make sure the people are polite and are able to give easy to follow directions. Often times terms like twenty four hour, seven days a week service fool the customer into thinking that any problem they may encounter, no matter how big, will be solved immediately. Remember that good customer service means that the professionals contracted by your web hosting company will work diligently to fix your issues. It does not mean that they will be able to fix complex problems as quickly as simple ones.
- Ninety nine percent uptime is important, but if you see a company offering a little less than that, you might consider them as a viable option. A company offering say, ninety five percent uptime probably won’t noticeably differ from one offering ninety nine percent, and if the web hosting company is also affordable it could be worth it to try its services.
- There are ways to avoid the traps set by inauthentic language. This is another good reason to look for websites free from graphical clutter; all the bells and whistles might be an attempt to divert you and keep you from truly researching the service. Ignore the large images of attractive women typing away, big smiles on their faces. It might grab your attention for a few seconds, but when that wears off you could be stuck with a poor product.
- Even if a web hosting company is offering affordable service, don’t jump on the first one you find. Research is what will get you the best bang for your buck. When it comes to a website that claims any of its features are unlimited, look for an expansion on those claims. Does the site then go on to tell you why they are claiming their services are unlimited? Are they particularly concerned about backing up your files? What are the actual numbers? Look for information about how much memory and bandwidth will be yours, and look for hard numbers.
- When considering up time, look for web hosting companies that compensate you for any down time that might occur. Some web hosting companies will give you some free hosting days for any down time you have to deal with. Make sure this information is readily available on their website.
- Many web hosting companies offer live support, but it is important to find out how responsive the technical support people are for any given company. Call up and ask about how long it generally takes to fix some common problems.
- Web hosting companies won’t tell you how many accounts are on a single server, so the only way to test out the service’s performance is by using it. Because of this see if there is a way to purchase only a month’s worth of time. Some web hosting companies might even offer a free trial.
Web hosting companies vary wildly, but with a little knowledge and a discerning eye you will be able to choose a company that will actually fulfill your needs instead of trying to get as much money out of you as possible.
Don’t think that a good web hosting company is only for people with large amounts of money. Low cost web hosting companies can be legitimate and offer good services as well. Cheap web hosting does not necessarily mean bad web hosting! Take a little extra time and find a web hosting company that will truly earn your loyalty, and your money!
