A web hosting service isn’t just your entry to a website owners’ club. This service can be essential in the success of your online business or how effective your website is in reaching your target viewers. The impact of a good or a bad web host will be felt throughout the time your site up. This is why you have to be keen when choosing a web host. There are several key features of a web host to look for before making a choice.
- Uptime/Downtime: Uptime refers to the amount of time that your website is available. It’s almost impossible for a web host to have your site up 100% of the time. Many web hosts will promise something like 99%, with some web hosting companies going as high up as 99.9%. A 99% uptime means that your site will be available for all but 432 minutes each month, while a 99.9% uptime means your website will be available for all but 45 minutes every month. The promise is one thing, and delivering on the promise is another. This is why you need to seek for a web host with a guarantee plus good reviews from existing customers.
- Customer Service: In the fickle world of websites, having customer service that can be reached at any time is vital. If you have a webhost with a customer service that is available at all times, it ensures that in the event of any challenges, there is someone to respond to your questions or make the necessary corrections.
For example, you may notice that your website has been hacked and is displaying other content. You’ll obviously want your webhost to take down your site and deal with the issue. The problem is that it is 01st Jan. If you have a web hosting company with 24/7 365 customer service, you’ll have nothing to worry about. If your web hosting service is somewhat flaky, it may not be such a happy new year for you.
- Load Times: Many people who are browsing online will not want to spend 20 seconds waiting for your site to load, assuming that they have a good internet connection. A website that loads slowly usually means that the web hosting company doesn’t have enough bandwidth. With a proper internet connection, a good website should load in under 3 seconds. You may lose potential customers if your website loads too slowly.
- Security: In a period where even high security government websites can be compromised, security is very important. If a competitor gets access to your site, the damage they can do to your business may be fatal. However, competitors may be the least of your worries. Vital information about customers can be stolen on your website, and could be used to spread propaganda by some dangerous groups. A good web hosting service comes with firewalls, an antivirus, and anti-malware software. These may not guarantee your site won’t be hacked, but may at least make the job a little harder.
- Additional Features: A good web hosting service can provide other features that could boost your business. Being able to implement something like Joomla and Media Wiki can help your site to keep up with the trends. Without these features, all you’ll have is a dull old website and who wants to visit that?
How to Mitigate the Damage From a Poor Web Hosting Service
It may be impossible to tell that a particular web host is poor until you actually try out their services. You can however limit your suffering in case you end up with this sort of web host.
- Take advantage of the trial period: Trial periods are common when it comes to web hosting. Use this time to gauge the essential features of the web hosting service provider. In many cases, if a company offers a longer trial period, it means that they have confidence in their services.
- Register your domain with a different registrar: Although many web hosting services will also provide free domain name registration, registering your main domain name with another party, even if it costs extra, will make it easier for you to switch to another web hosting service. Although the web host you’re leaving will release your domain name too, they may drag their feet.
- Beware of the payment methods: Automated payment processes may be convenient, but some are unscrupulous companies known to charge customers even after they have cancelled their accounts. Payment methods such as PayPal protect against this sort of thing. Where such payment options are not available, use a payment method that you can easily cancel.
- Blacklisted IPs are a red flag: If an IP has been blacklisted, emails that are sent through your domain may be blocked by other providers. This could mean bad news for your business. Ask for your webhost’s IP address and do a check on SpamHaus.
- Compare with other web hosting services: Look at the features and cost of your web hosting services and compare with similar services provided by other reputable web hosts. It’s not just about getting the cheapest deal. Look at what customers have to say about the alternatives. Don’t overpay and don’t go for options that are dirt-cheap.
- Backup your site: No matter which webhost you choose, you will never go wrong by regularly backing up your site. You may be unable to get important details about your site if you’re dealing with a bad webhost. However, even the best webhosts may suffer from a catastrophic crash that could result in irretrievable loss of information. Although it’s not something that happens every other day, it’s better to err on the side of caution.
Understanding the role that web hosting plays in your business will reveal that a web hosting service must be taken very seriously. Choose your web host cautiously because it can make or break your business. You can talk to FreeParking about Hosting today.