Have you been considering starting up a business and launching a website to get the ball rolling? Have you planned out proper web hosting, domain name indexing, registering a FQDN, network topology, and third-party design implementation? If you became lost anywhere along that list, you may want to read this article before you proceed.
Make sure that the host that you are planning to use has good customer service. You are bound to have some kind of an issue even with the best host out there. The thing that makes a difference is a host who can be easily contacted and will jump at the moment that an issue is reported.
Avoid using the same company for both your web host and domain registry. Not only can you sometimes find these services cheaper if you shop for them separately, you also avoid becoming locked into one web host indefinitely. When you maintain separate web hosts and domain registries, you are free to change your website’s host if you ever feel the need to, without penalty.
A great tip for people looking for good web hosting is to always have a backup plan. You may sign up with a web hosting service only to be unsatisfied with the company you are working with. It is always a good idea to have a backup hosting provider that you can switch to.
You should avoid any downtime when switching to a new host. You can do this by keeping your old account and uploading your site to a new one. Change your DNS settings once your site is successfully uploaded to the new server so your domain name redirects to the new server once everything is ready.
Be aware that many web hosting providers are actually reservers. They do not actually own their own their web servers, so beware. You may experience delayed times for fixing problems or customer service requests. You can often get the exact same service directly from the company that they are leasing space from, so ask who that company is.
Sometimes free isn’t always a bad idea. There do exist some companies who will offer hosting for free. They don’t usually have as many options or nearly as much space, but if you are just starting out and new at making a webpage then maybe this will be a good route for you. That way you can test the waters, try out different things and decide what you really want out of a hosting company before laying down the cash.
Start to worry if your host site or website goes down for a period beyond 24 hours. Generally outages do not last this long, so it could be a clue that there are bigger problems going on with your web host. You can check other websites to find information about your host site’s outages, as well as the reason for the outage.
Remember that web hosting is a commitment. In some cases, you will enter into a contract and not be able to cancel your plan for at least a year. If you consider your options carefully and make educated decisions, you will be able to operate a successful website on a host you can trust.
Before choosing your web hosting service, determine whether or not you will need to use web templates. Many hosts will provide easy to use templates for building your site without the need for HTML knowledge or a professional designer. If you need this service, then choose a host that give a wide range of templates.
If you wish to have more than one site, look for a web host that lets you have add-on domains. This means you will be able to store more than one site on their servers without having to open multiple accounts or paying any extra money for your different websites.
If you are going to have a website that mentions products and services that you offer, you need to have e-commerce hosting available in order for the customers to make purchases. You do not want to push your customers, but at every opportunity, they need to have the ability to make a purchase at their disposal.
Before you sign on with any web hosting service, be sure that you take the time to research the service and find any reviews that are available about them. This will keep you from paying for a service that is sub-par and wasting valuable time and money on a service that will not work for you.
You should know that there are more than two hundreds different extensions for domain names. Choose one that is recognizable and that describes the type of content of your website. Perhaps you could include the extension into the name of your site to help people remember it. Do more research on different extensions to choose the right one.
Understand the difference between dedicated and shared hosting when it comes to choosing a web host for your new website. Basically, dedicated hosting is when you have your own server and the bandwidth is not shared with other users. This is appropriate for very large companies who have the time and resources to invest in this. Shared hosting is the economical and easy choice for a small or medium sized business. Let someone else do the hard stuff and concentrate on your actual business goals.
Look at the testimonials of a company closely, especially those featured on their site. Many shady web hosting companies offer fake customer reviews on their site. For some companies, this may be easy to spot, for others it may be more difficult. In either case, do not take these testimonials at face value. Get reviews from independent message boards not affiliated with the web hosting company.
Now, you might very well be able to revisit the first list and have a better understanding of the things mentioned. You now have a powerful grasp on a concept that remains a huge factor in many careers pursued via the Internet. This bit of information will not only protect you from making poor decisions in the future, but help increase profits along the way.
