The times have come when people turn to the internet for most of their needs, be it finding information, gathering news, finances, shopping, learning, teaching or plain leisure reading! As more and more people embrace the power of the web, it becomes absolutely necessary that if you have a blog or website, or plan to have one, make sure you do some research about web-hosts, the available options to choose from, and the criteria for selection so you can get the best value for your buck! It's not surprising them that one of the most crucial decisions that most online businesses have to make is choosing the best web hosting service. With a popular or well known and reliable Internet Service Provider (ISP) you won't face many problems, however with a poor web hosting service provider it can be a nightmare. So how do you know whom to go with?Choosing the right kind of web hosting service can be a very daunting task at times as there are some very important features that you need to make sure of. Its good to start with some sites about web hosting rating, and those that compare available hosts. Here are a few pointers to help you with choosing the one that's right for you:
Online Web Space - A web hosting service provider would usually assign you a certain amount of space on their server. You need to ensure that this meets your website needs and business requirements. Again, don't be shortsighted; make sure you consider a scalable solution for when you want to expand your business. It's imperative that your web hosting company should be able to provide you with ample of space especially if your website is rich in graphics or has video clips.
Pricing - Price is one important factor, especially if you are a new entrepreneur. It's not necessarily true that the most expensive hosts are the best, so compare prices, features and services for different hosts before you finalize one. As this is a highly competitive field, you'll most likely get a nice deal on features bundled together. More often than not, you tend to get carried away by lower prices, but its better to evaluate the rankings of the provider, and how long it has been in service. You can even short-list some hosts which have been nominated for web hosting awards.
Reliability and Speed - Speed and reliability are extremely important for the success of any online business. A site that is not available, not updated on time or is down, will lose many online visitors. If your site takes a long time to load, someone like me may lose patience and just move on! So select a host that can meet your needs, and focus on actual user reviews. You also need security if you plan to run an e-commerce website.
Technical Specs and Customization - Almost all web-hosting services allow you to customize the look and feel of your site, but you need to check whether they provide you with special tools that you might need for your website, like PHP and MySQL, Dreamweaver, Shopping cart service, or something as simple as support for a domain email address or control panel.
Multiple Domain Names - If you want to start 2-3 websites together, or even if you just want to register domain names for now and make actual websites later, you might get a better deal. Many web-hosts offer discounts when you register multiple domains while signing up.
Technical Support - Does the web hosting service provide 24x7 supports? How fast do they respond to your issue? If you need 24-hour technical support, be prepared to pay substantially more.
Data Transfer(Bandwidth) - You also need to see if the hosting company provides you with sufficient bandwidth for efficient data transfer. After all it's your website and you need to ensure that you are getting the best services for the money you invest.
I hope this web hosting tutorial helps you make an informed decision. But the best advice would surely be to compare all options side-by-side and see what works for you. Besides big names like Google, Yahoo or GoDaddy, there are several new hosts that could essentially meet your needs at a lower price. User reviews, feedback and word-of-mouth can also be good things to start with. I hope this web-hosting guide helps you a little in deciding what works best for you! And remember, the more time you invest in doing some research upfront, the more you are going to benefit by using a stable and dependable hosting service, so be patient, and take your time in deciding what's right for you!
