How To Choose A Web Host
To find a good Web host, you should look at several factors. All too often, people buy the cheapest hosting provider only to end up having to change hosts due to poor service.
The cheap price may cover up a multitude of horrors, like lots of technical problems, service outages, and poor technical support. You may even discover you can't load the scripts you want to run.
Server Quality. Are the servers similar in speed and performance with other hosting companies? How many Web sites are hosted on each server? Can the server equipment handle that load?
Good Network Administration. Only select a Web host with knowledgeable system and network administrators. Ask the sales department what kind of credentials network administrators require and how much experience the admins have.
Redundancy and Bandwidth. A Web host company should have several high-speed connections to the Internet. This prevents outages because one connection went down. If your prospective host is using more than half of a T3 connection, you may see your site responding slowly. The server may be fast, but if it takes a long time for requests to reach it and for responses to get back to the user, your site will seem slow.
Scalability. At first, your needs will be modest. Buy a plan that meets your site's needs initially but make sure you can upgrade if your site grows more complex and popular. Make sure your hosting company can handle your increased bandwidth needs, can add server-side scripting, database support, and multimedia streaming.
Prompt Technical Support. A dependable host will provide toll-free technical support and a ticketing system. Often, opening a ticket is best. It provides a written record of an issue you have. Make sure you retain all ticketing e-mails as records of problems and resolutions.
References. Ask for them. They should be running sites with similar configurations as yours will need. Browse those sites at peak and non-peak periods. You can measure the response times as well. Sites will almost always run smoothly during non-peak times. But what about during peak hours (usually between 6pm and 11pm, especially in the busy Eastern Time Zone in North America)?
Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy. Make sure you understand exactly what's required of you. Some hosts will not serve adult content. Others will consider you guilty until proven innocent if there is even one spam complaint against you. Some hosts like to bury some of their problems in the terms of service. Read it carefully. Account cancellation requirements are usually spelled out in the Terms as well. Be aware of them.
Backups. Many hosts say they backup servers daily. The rule of thumb is, “Don't rely on your hosting company to recover data you publish.” Most only have backups to recover from system failures. Ensure you have copies of your own data and files on your own hard drive or other media.
Register Your Domain. Many hosting companies provide domain registration services. If you choose to use them, make absolutely sure that you or your company is listed as the administrative contact. Your host should only list themselves as technical contact. If you don't, you may find your domain being held hostage should you wish to move hosts. The best option usually is to register it yourself with a domain registrar.
If you're going to run an e-mail newsletter, we don't advise registering your domain with GoDaddy. They have seized domains for spamming when they've received complaints of spamming. There have been cases where domain owners could not get their domain back even with evidence a confirmed opt-in was made by a complaintant. (You should always use confirmed opt-in when building any e-mail list. You'll generally stay out of trouble, especially with your host company if they're familiar with your practices.)
While we commend GoDaddy for being proactive in the fight against spam, you can't afford to risk seizure of your domain by a registrar with no recourse. It's just not worth it. If you do any kind of e-mail marketing, you will get spam complaints. People sometimes forget they signed up to your list. Instead of unsubscribing, they complain to anyone even remotely involved. Some consider any unsolicited e-mail from a company or site to be spam.
Registrars usually provide an interface on their Web sites so you can point your domain at your host's name servers. Moving hosts can be as easy as pointing your domain to your new host's name servers.
Obtain Quality Assurances Before You Sign Up. Find out what your host company will do if your site goes down for a time. At the very least, they should be issuing you a credit proportional to the outage. However, that may not be enough compensation if you run a high-traffic site.
After Signing Up, Watch Your Bills. Make sure the amounts are correct and are billed at the correct frequency. As the purchases are made online, make sure you print out a copy of the purchase and file it. You may have to fax your receipt to the host if you wish to cancel your account.
Taking these items into account when you choose a Web hosting company should help you have a positive experience hosting your own Web site. Sure, you may experience problems (everyone who hosts a site does at one time or another) but this article should help you avoid real pitfalls.
