When you are choosing a website host for your online business, there are numerous providers to pick from. Features, tools and plans offered vary and you need to choose what best suits your needs. Although the technical side may seem tedious and dull do not ignore this important part of your decision. Your initial and recurring cost, design, and other features are important, however the technical side is what keeps you running. There are eight technical features that you should compare when you are selecting your hosting company and plan.
1) Allowable Disk Space: When looking into the space provided, realize that the price is proportional to the space size selected. Make sure that you get a plan that will provide you with enough space for what you are needing to do and that the cost is reasonable for adding extra space if it is needed in the future.
2) Network speed: Your host should provide you with good connection speed. You can do a ping test which will give you an estimated time for how quick your website will download from a web host. To do a ping test, click "Start", click "Run", type in "command" (or "cmd" depending on your operating system), type in "Ping nameofthehost.com" then click "Enter". When you do this it will give you some data which will tell you how fast (in milliseconds) information is being received. The lower the number the better and as long as it is under 80 is it acceptable. Even an exceptional web host can experience a temporary slow or down time. If the ping test is unreasonably slow check it again on another day.
3) Scripting Languages: If your website is created using PHP or Perl, then you need to verify that the hosting plan that you choose supports this. If you are doing websites created in ASP then you have to make sure that you are using a Windows hosting account and not Linux. Make certain that the hosting plan is supportive of all the scripting languages that you will be using in your web application.
4) Database: If you are going to have a database, you need to make certain that the hosting plan you choose will provide you with the databases you need. It should also be the same as the system that your web application uses. For example, if you are running MySQL then your database will not run if the hosting plan provides for PostgreSQL.
5) Uptime: The hosting companies will have power outages and failures for various reasons. You need to find one that has a guarantee that your site will be up at least 99% of the time. In order to do this, they should have generators, back up systems and connections available to numerous Internet backbones.
6) Support 24/7: You need to choose a host that will provide you with email, phone or live chat support anytime day or night, literally 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This is crucial for all businesses that have an Internet presence because your visitors will try to access your information at any time. In order to keep from losing traffic in the case of an emergency you need to have immediate support.
7) FTP Support and Online File Manager: Having an FTP allows you to upload to your site rapidly and it helps with setting permissions to your files and folders. Numerous hosting companies provide an online file manager that you can access direct from your CPanel (control panel)
8) Security: This is a major area of concern. You need to look for host that helps stop hackers. The best hosting companies will detail what steps they take to help in the prevention of malicious attacks on your server. If you will be making sales via your website then you will need to offer your customers some extra security by using a host that provides you with SSL support. This is essential to protect a customer's credit card information. The hosting company that you choose should have 24/7 monitoring of all incoming requests to help prevent security breaches.
In summary, before deciding on a hosting company, be sure to take time and thoroughly go over the features. Make a list of questions and call or email these for verification and answers. By doing this not only do you get your answers but you can also guage their response time. "Free" web hosts and the ones that state they have "unlimited bandwidth" usually need to be avoided. It is critical to have the best web hosting available and an excellent hosting company will have all the tools that you need for your Internet business as well as the backend technical foundation that is necessary. ustration and possibly a lot of money.
1) Allowable Disk Space: When looking into the space provided, realize that the price is proportional to the space size selected. Make sure that you get a plan that will provide you with enough space for what you are needing to do and that the cost is reasonable for adding extra space if it is needed in the future.
2) Network speed: Your host should provide you with good connection speed. You can do a ping test which will give you an estimated time for how quick your website will download from a web host. To do a ping test, click "Start", click "Run", type in "command" (or "cmd" depending on your operating system), type in "Ping nameofthehost.com" then click "Enter". When you do this it will give you some data which will tell you how fast (in milliseconds) information is being received. The lower the number the better and as long as it is under 80 is it acceptable. Even an exceptional web host can experience a temporary slow or down time. If the ping test is unreasonably slow check it again on another day.
3) Scripting Languages: If your website is created using PHP or Perl, then you need to verify that the hosting plan that you choose supports this. If you are doing websites created in ASP then you have to make sure that you are using a Windows hosting account and not Linux. Make certain that the hosting plan is supportive of all the scripting languages that you will be using in your web application.
4) Database: If you are going to have a database, you need to make certain that the hosting plan you choose will provide you with the databases you need. It should also be the same as the system that your web application uses. For example, if you are running MySQL then your database will not run if the hosting plan provides for PostgreSQL.
5) Uptime: The hosting companies will have power outages and failures for various reasons. You need to find one that has a guarantee that your site will be up at least 99% of the time. In order to do this, they should have generators, back up systems and connections available to numerous Internet backbones.
6) Support 24/7: You need to choose a host that will provide you with email, phone or live chat support anytime day or night, literally 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This is crucial for all businesses that have an Internet presence because your visitors will try to access your information at any time. In order to keep from losing traffic in the case of an emergency you need to have immediate support.
7) FTP Support and Online File Manager: Having an FTP allows you to upload to your site rapidly and it helps with setting permissions to your files and folders. Numerous hosting companies provide an online file manager that you can access direct from your CPanel (control panel)
8) Security: This is a major area of concern. You need to look for host that helps stop hackers. The best hosting companies will detail what steps they take to help in the prevention of malicious attacks on your server. If you will be making sales via your website then you will need to offer your customers some extra security by using a host that provides you with SSL support. This is essential to protect a customer's credit card information. The hosting company that you choose should have 24/7 monitoring of all incoming requests to help prevent security breaches.
In summary, before deciding on a hosting company, be sure to take time and thoroughly go over the features. Make a list of questions and call or email these for verification and answers. By doing this not only do you get your answers but you can also guage their response time. "Free" web hosts and the ones that state they have "unlimited bandwidth" usually need to be avoided. It is critical to have the best web hosting available and an excellent hosting company will have all the tools that you need for your Internet business as well as the backend technical foundation that is necessary. ustration and possibly a lot of money.
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