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How_To_Choose_The_Best_Web_HostFor_You
| How To Choose The Best Web Host...For You
Copyright 2005 Anthony Vita
Web Hosting is a service. Auto mechanics also provide a service.
How would you decide which mechanic is best for you? Price?
Experience? Reliability? This is the same line of thinking that
should go into deciding which company should host your website.
It is very common to see choices centered around price,
especially with so much competition in the hosting business. It
is not uncommon to see hosting plans range from free to upwards
of $50 per month. However, if you happened to see a sign on the
street that said "$2 mechanic inside" you would probably drive
right by, right? How good could a "$2 mechanic" possibly be? Why
would a mechanic with skill and experience charge next to
nothing for their service? Certainly, it is worth paying a
mechanic. You don't want to be overcharged, but you do realize
an experienced mechanic has value.
This example is very similar to the hosting world. Some may
argue a car is more important than a website. Tell that to the
bed and breakfast owner who does 90% of their booking via their
online reservation system. If your business depends on a website
to either completely drive or supplement sales, you know how
important a website can be.
When it comes to choosing a host, there are not enough choices
centered around experience and reliability. These are the
foundations for any good company. A mechanic who has worked on
cars for 10 years is going to be more familar with his trade
than a mechanic who only has 2 years experience. If you were
deciding on a mechanic, wouldn't you lean towards the one who
has worked on cars for a longer period of time and perhaps comes
on a good recommendation?
Okay, enough talk about cars, let's talk hosting. When you are
looking for a company to provide the service of web hosting, try
placing price aside for a moment. First, look for a company that
has been in businesss for a number of years. Any host that has
been around for over 5 years is probably doing something right.
That's not to say a host of 2 years can't help you, but at least
begin your search with the most experienced.
After you've found a few candidates, write down about 10
questions you would like to ask your future host. Even if you
know the answers to some questions, that's okay. The reason for
the questions is to see how long it takes to get answers and the
quality of those answers. If you don't like what you see,
scratch them off your list because that is exactly the type of
response you will get when a support issue arises.
Try to get the web addresses of 4 or 5 sites they host and visit
over a period of a week or so and see if you notice any downtime
or blatant sluggishness. You may even want to email the owners
of these sites and ask what they think of their host.
This may seem like alot of work just to decide on a host for
your website. It's certainly more involved than simply looking
for the cheapest price. When you only look at price you overlook
some essential factors, such as experience and reliability. If
your website is important to you or your business, you will come
to rely on that experience which translates into quality
service.
About the author:
Anthony Vita has been helping businesses and individuals get an
online presence ever since starting his own successful web
hosting business, Web Feat, Inc., in 1997. Contact him at
http://www.webfeathost.com
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