Even though you’re likely familiar with the term web hosting, it’s also likely that you don’t really understand what it means. Here’s a simple explanation: when a company offers use of their servers so that others can make a website and “host” it there, that company is a web host and that service is “web hosting”. The following article will answer many other questions you may have about web hosting, and how it can work best for you.
It’s not a good idea to register your site’s domain name with the company that hosts your site. While registering your site name through the host may seem cheap and easy, ultimately it puts control of that domain in their hands, not yours. Consider utilizing an independent site in order to permanently retain your name.
Good communication is essential when selecting a host. Choose a host that communicates with its customers and answers any questions and notifies them of any important information. They should be available for tech support whenever you encounter problems.
If you are new to web design, choose a host that will offer you excellent customer service instead of a lot of extras. If a newcomer, you are likely to have lots of questions when it comes to using some of the capabilities provided by your web hosting firm. The technical support that you will receive from a company with great customer service will be much more beneficial to you than a package of features you may never use.
Check potential web hosts’ background before signing up. Choose a service that has been around for a long time and has a good reputation. If possible, choose a host that has been in business for 12 months or more. It’s no fun when your web host goes out of business.
If you are having problems choosing the most reasonable option for web hosting services, it is helpful to consult comparison and review sites. Never take promises at face value, and always seek feedback from current clients.
Do as much research as you can about your web host; don’t just rely on the information presented on their company site. Look for objective customer reviews and experiences before deciding in a web host. When you find outside reviews, you get opinions of people that have experienced the service before which can help shed light onto whether or not this is the right type of service for you.
Considering using one of the many free web hosting services out there for your site? Be sure to make backups of anything you do not want to lose, as free hosts normally do not offer any kind of backup services. Keep in mind that the service is free, so there will probably not be any frills included. You risk losing your files entirely. If that happens, there is not much you can do about it.
If you have a computer that operates on a dial up connection, you need to avoid doing your own website hosting. Your website must have a fast and dependable connection to make sure that it is always updated and online. A slow internet connection can cause your site to go down, frustrating your customers and future clients.
It is useful to get a glimpse of the control panel and navigational design of your hosting provider. A high-quality hosting service needs to give you a help center or tutorials to help guide you in uploading your site. If control panels are too complex, look for an easier solution.
Check out web hosting directories. This gives you a list of the things that are available and you’ll easily be able to sort the ones that you don’t need or the overpriced ones. Then you may compare the costs of those you like and read their reviews.
Before you subscribe to a particular hosting plan, remember to carefully look at their site. If the website is good you will see lots of features that are explained properly, which you will need to learn for your own website. Also, see what additional resources are available after you sign up.
When selecting a web host, look for a company that offers you detailed site statistics and traffic information to your website. When you first start with your host, you can install a free counter on your website to ensure your host’s numbers are accurate. It is in your best interest as a business owner to closely monitor and manage this data.
It is essential that your web host supports the features that you are most likely to use. Features that should be included include spam filtering, Microsoft FrontPage support, SSL certificates and any special features you require for your particular site.
Find out how each host you’re investigating allows you to upload files. FTP servers are one of the most common uploading options. Those that are technologically handicapped should choose a service with a good online manager.
Take note especially of the company’s record of downtime. You need to consider when they perform maintenance, what the maintenance entails, how long they’re down. Avoid services that have planned outages during your peak hours or that use more than a day every month for maintenance or have too many server outages caused by unexplained problems.
As your website blossoms, so will your needs for services from your host. Ask your web hosting company how upgrades are handled, if there will be downtime for your site and what they will do if their are problems. Items added to your account like hard drive space and bandwidth should happen almost instantaneously. Switching from a shared server to a dedicated one should also be a quick and painless process.
So basically a web host is an entity that allows you to hold your information online at all times, so that people can access the content on your site. You’re paying for a server. Because you’ve now read the above article, you should better understand web hosting and how you can utilize hosting resources for your benefit.
