People often ask me what factors they should consider before signing up for a web hosting service. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this. Instead, different types of requests can be served with different types of services. You can start narrowing down your own requirements. Don’t forget to make two separate lists: “Must Requirements” and “Optional Requirements”. Once you know what you want from a web hosting service, the second step would be to decide on your budget. This is probably the easiest step of all because you would already know that somewhere in the back of your mind.
There are tons of hosting providers out there. So we started our search by narrowing down what we were looking for. A simple Google search can return multiple services and it can be difficult to choose. But if you have your list of requirements in front of you, it would be a lot easier. Here’s what you can do to support your search:
1) Study the web hosting service: After filtering a few service providers, you should start looking into the business history of each one. Remember to cross out those who have been out of business for a reasonable amount of time. A reasonable period of time may be between one and three years. Read reviews of this particular service provider on blogs and forums. Only switch to this provider if they pass the first step.
2) Choose web hosts with at least 99.9% uptime: Remember that a cheap service can lure you in with colorful banners and ads. However, it does not require their servers to be able to handle traffic consistently regardless of the load. Many good services mention their server uptime. Filter your list of web hosts only for those that have at least 99.9% server uptime.
3) Look for support and knowledge base: Never sign up with a service provider that doesn’t offer 24/7 support. Many good hosting services offer live chat options. While the wait is considerable, you have the benefit of having your issue resolved quickly. Make sure the company has a good knowledge base available to you that includes basic FAQs. You don’t want to keep your website visitors on hold until your web host fixes the problem.
If you consider these three things in your search for web hosts, you will definitely find a great service that will be the longtime companion of your website and your customers.
