Website Hosts
Intro
For your website to be accessible, it needs a domain name and a website host. The website host stores your files and makes them available to persons via the domain name or an IP address.
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Choosing A Website Host
The task of choosing a website host is often a daunting one. Here are some of the things you need to consider:
- What the host offers (and what you need)
- Uptime reliability/consistency
- Value for cost
- Contract term
- Support
- Years in business
- Compatibility
What the host offers (and what you need)
The most daunting aspect of choosing a host is probably finding a host which can provide you with the services you need. Every host lists their plans and the plans' prices and features in a different way, and going through all of that information can be overwhelming. Search engines for website hosts, such as HostSearch.com, make this a bit easier by allowing you to narrow your choices by specific features. When using these search engines, always be sure to visit the website host's website for their most current package information.
Uptime reliability/consistency
The uptime reliability of your host is extremely important. You'll be wasting money and potentially losing clients if your website and email aren't available consistently. Some hosts have a logo on their site which show their uptime statistics. Many of the search engines for website hosts also track the hosts' uptime, so be sure to take note of that. Other things to note are the actual uptime versus their guaranteed uptime and what recourse you have if they fail to meet their uptime promise.
Value for cost
Balancing value and price is tricky. Although you don't want to be grossly overcharged for website hosting, you also don't want to end up with a fly-by-night company or one which is simply cut-rate because you are trying to save an extra dollar a month. The best thing to do for this is when you have narrowed your choices, find as many reviews for that host (good and bad; avoid the ones on their own website) as you can. A host may be offering $10/year for everything you need, but make sure that they have real customers who are satisfied with their services before you sign on.
I personally do not recommend a host which charges a setup fee; I put them in the same category as galleries/shows which charge entry fees.
Also, think carefully about whether you want to use a free web host.
These hosts generate income by placing ads or forcing pop-ups on the sites they host. Having ads for someone else's product is one of the easier ways to waste the time and effort you put into your website because it hampers your professionalism.
Contract term
Most hosts provide the minimal options of paying monthly or annually, and some even provide a discount if you pay annually instead of monthly. It is advisable to start on a monthly term for the first few months so that you can more easily (and without having paid for an entire year) switch to another host if you find them to be undesirable. Paying monthly is also helpful if you are on a tight budget, and can't afford to pay for an entire year in advance. Most budget hosts who offer packages in the $15/yr range only offer these packages on an annual term because the price is so low.
Also be sure to look for a money-back guarantee. When they are offered, they are typically 15- or 30-day guarantees and are unconditional.
Support
The quality and response-time of their support team can easily be measured by reviews and by visiting their online support forum (if they have one). Also note what their support hours are (most are available 24/7), whether you will have access to their support by phone and/or email, and whether they offer online chat as a support option. Be wary of companies who charge for support.
While you're checking for these things, you may also want to look for a physical address for your company. Although there is no reason why a reliable company would withhold this information, I have seen a few website hosts who do not provide a mailing address on their website.
Years in business
This is quite self-explanatory. As with any business, the newest ones are most likely to disapear overnight.
Compatibility
It is advisable to have some pre-sales contact with a potential website host before you purchase a hosting package with them. This will allow you to get a feel for how they do business, and test out things like response time and competency. If there is anything you want to know about them (within reason, of course!), contact them for this information up front.
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