7 Things Your Web Host Service Should Guarantee You
Though cloud hosting is taking off in a big way, the majority of websites still use web hosting services that use shared hosting for their service. There is nothing wrong with shared hosting, but in the current climate, you would be wise to shop around for the best deals and to compare the different types of web hosting (click here for a great comparison). Here is a list of the most important things to look for in your service.
Reliability
Without it you are not on the net, so have a look at the reliability figures of your web host. Reliability is usually shown as an uptime. 99% is the minimum, but even that score is not the best. Look for 99.5% and above to be sure of reliability.
Support
This is an area where free hosting tends to fall down, but you should demand it from a paid service. You will need that support outside office hours and the reality is that 24/7 is needed. Look for a company that has dedicated staff, free-phone numbers, and live chat.
e-commerce
If you are going to sell goods on the net, you will need a system that comes with e-commerce capabilities. Being able to complete transactions on your website may be vital, so if you are not building your website from scratch, you may need to make sure the web host has the capability to handle your particular shopping cart programme.
Contract Free
There is no need for you to be tied into a contract with your web host, so don’t sign one.
You should have the freedom to move if you find a better solution, after all, it is not your fault if there is a better solution on the market.
Multiple Domains
Most web hosts will be able to give you multiple domain names, but make sure that you have the option of .co.uk or .com. These are instantly recognizable and come with a degree of reliability to people visiting a site. Domain names are also important for any SEO you may decide to use, and in an article in The Search Engine Journal the CEO of Google recently claimed that the best way to go up a search engine list was to have a .com domain. So choose your domain options well.
Variety of Service
If your company becomes too big for your current package, or you decide to switch to the cloud, you may want to stay with a web host you already know and trust; and who would blame you? Plan for this eventuality by making sure you start with a service that will have different options for you in the future. Perhaps you will need a VPN as your trade becomes seasonal or the unlimited storage that will be available in the cloud; either way, your web host should be able to upgrade you should you need it.
Reselling
Perhaps not the most important feature, but it is one that could make you money from the package you have. Companies like Best Web Hosting will allow you to use any extra bandwidth and hard disc space as revenue by selling it to 3rd parties. If you have the extra, why shouldn’t you be able to make some money from it?
There is a huge variation in web hosting services, but if you do decide to go for a shared hosting package, make sure all of these services come as standard with the web host that you choose.
