Congratulations on your decision to create a website! You’ve probably got many different ideas in your head as to how your website will look like and how it will function. While these are all good things to think about, there is something else that should be on your mind, a web host. The following article will tell more about web hosting and why you need it.

When putting your website online, you will have to choose a domain name. Too many webmasters choose a good name but do not pay enough attention to the extension of their websites. A lot of internet users tend to take websites ending in ‘.com’ or ‘.net’ more seriously than other extensions.

You should keep a backup of your site on your computer or on a flashdrive. In case your web host is encountering major issues and you cannot have access to your data, you will be able to switch to another host by simply uploading your site to a different server.

If you are running an online business, you should avoid using a free web hosting service. Most free web hosting services do not have reliable up-time which means lost revenue. In addition, they also have forced banner ads and popup ads which can make your website seem unprofessional. Finally, a lot of free web hosting services do not give you the option of having your own domain name. If you are serious about your business, the cost of obtaining paid hosting should not be significant at all considering the benefits you will receive.

If you are changing to a new host, you should use a redirecting page for 48 hours. Create a personalized page explaining why your site is moving to a new host with a link to your site. Make sure you choose a host that can guarantee you your site will be up in 48 hours.

Before purchasing web hosting services, consider how your website will be designed. You will need an entirely different type of hosting plan, if you plan to use templates to create the website yourself. You will want to seriously consider hiring a professional web designer upfront, as you will end up with a better looking site and will save money on monthly hosting fees.

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.

When comparing web-hosting services, you should choose the ones that inspires you the most confidence and stands apart from the competition. Choose a plan that includes all the features you are planning on using and allows for your site to grow. The price should also correspond to your budget.

Though it sounds technical, you need to find out whether the web hosting service you are considering has “blackholed IPs.” If a provider has blackholed portions, that could mean that they do not regulate what kind of businesses are on their server, including porn sites and spammers. If your host has been blackholed, you may have trouble with other networks refusing email from or to your site.

If you’re trying to locate a great web host and you have multiple websites, you should choose a host that allows you to add on additional domains. Try to find hosts which allow unlimited domains to be added on. This way, you do not have to worry about how many websites you have. You can utilize as many as you want.

Keep track of how many often outages occur and how long they last. If they are too long and too frequent, you should think about choosing a different service. Most services encounter issues once in a while but if they are not fixed quickly, you are not getting your money’s worth.

When selecting a web host, consider how much the host costs. Some hosts charge on a per-year basis while some may be month-to-month. Look for a host that costs an average of about $5 per month as this will most likely give you a great value for your money as opposed to a free hosting site that may not offer as many options.

Read the fine print with all hosting contracts. A host might seem to offer certain enhancements, but the fine print might say that these are only offered if you sign up for a long-term contract or commit to a certain package level. So review the specifics of your contract to avoid disappointment.

Before choosing your web host, you should always try calling their technical support and ask a few questions. If you can talk to a representative right away, this means their customer service is efficient. If you cannot talk to anyone at anytime of the day or night, you should look for another service.

Using a free web host? Prepare yourself for the idea that your entire site may go away completely. After all, small host companies pop up and then disappear with incredible rapidity. If one of them is in charge of your website, and then the company just goes underground, all of your content can go with it — so back everything up!.

Pay attention to the SPAM policy. It is always best to avoid web hosts that “spam” their clients or that tolerates their clients doing this to their users. If there is not a specific document outlining their policy, check the FAQ. Be wary of any company without a well-defined spam policy.

Now that you have more information about web hosting, you can begin to think more about it, in addition to the other elements that are necessary for the creation of your website. Take the words from this article and use them to help you choose a web hosting service that will bring your site into fruition.