Before you plunge right in and buy a domain to create your own website, give some consideration to the Web Hosting Service that will be hosting it. This is extremely important, and could save you a lot of frustration down the line.
You have a choice as to whether or not you wish to use a free web hosting service or go with a paid account. If your aim is to make money through your website, there really is no choice – always go with a paid account.
A Paid account looks more professional, you get far more control over the content and layout, and you will also receive lots of tools for analysis. You can use free tools as well as have your very own website and it’s best to take advantage of both!
Speed and Reliability
Perhaps the two most important factors in your choice of web host are how reliable they are, and the speed at which your site can be accessed. Nothing is more frustrating to a visitor than to try and visit your site only to find the host server is down or that it takes several minutes to access it. The best webhosts will boast an uptime of at least 99%.
Bandwidth/Disk Space
Another important consideration is sufficient bandwidth to transfer data from your site to the visitors browsing it and enough space to store all your files. Even if your webhost advertises ‘unlimited bandwidth’, this can never be true; there simply is no such thing. After all, every server has its limits.
While you need enough bandwidth and disk space to accommodate all your large files, such as graphics and video content, you don’t need to go overboard, either. There is no need to pay extra for mega bandwidth or hundreds of gigabytes of space.
If you have a suspicion that you might exceed the bandwidth allotted to your site, or outgrow the current amount of space for your account, find out your options ahead of time. Your host may be able to send you a notification beforehand and allow you to upgrade before you are charged for going over your allotment.
Support Options
The manner and times in which you can contact the technical support department could be critical. If you are having a severe problem but the office is closed, you may well lose quite a bit of business. Look for a webhost with 24/7 support, and a variety of ways to contact them (telephone, email, online chat, etc.).
You might also want to check with your friends and associates and ask them about their experiences with their own Web Hosting Service. If they had a problem with the company, was it fixed quickly and to their satisfaction? Or would they give the company a bad grade for inability to resolve an issue?
Features
Of course, you want to ensure that an account with the company you select includes a lot of features for the price of hosting your website. You do not necessarily need all the bells and whistles, but there are some key features that every webhost should provide.
Make sure that accounts include PHP or Perl scripting, .htaccess, MySQL, and an easy way to send files via FTP. You may not think you need these features today but it’s a good idea to ensure you can have the tools and resource you might need in the near future as your business and technical knowledge grows.
See if you can get an idea of what the account control panel looks like, the tools included, and if it is easy to navigate. Consider their options for a shopping cart with SSL – and if you will be charged more when running a commercial website. You should get at least a handful of Email addresses included, too.
As your website grows, you may find yourself in need of more than just the basic web hosting account. Ensure that the company you select makes it easy for you to expand.
These are just a few of the factors you should consider before deciding on a Web Hosting Service. Select carefully as this company will function as a partner in your online business.
