I, being a webhosting freak (
), thought I would start writing a few articles/guides on webhosting in my *limited* free time. I will share a few here
Questions to ask yourself when choosing a host
First Impressions count
Is the design professional?
Look for an organized, clean site.
If the site looks like it has been download from a site like freewebtemplates.com (I’ve seen a few
) then leave.
Are they shoving offers in your face?
A site that has banners everywhere saying “The cheapest yet” and “We are the best” is not good. Although hosting companies have to sell, shoving popups and banners in your face with ‘amazing’ offers is bad,
Support?
Is there a ‘Contact Us’ page listing contact e-mails and/or phone numbers?
Make sure there are ways you can contact the host
Is there a live chat facility?
Make sure there are visible ways in which to contact your host, this will be vital incase you have any technical difficulties.
Is the support prompt and helpful?
Always contact before the host before buying to check if they offer prompt, helpful support with detailed answers to questions and queries. Ask as many questions as you like, it is not going to harm!
Plans and Pricing
Are they overselling?
Cheaper is never better, look at the plans. Make sure they are priced decently. A host offering ‘unlimited bandwidth’ and ‘unlimited space’ for $2 a month can’t be trusted.
Can you expand?
Check the prices of the plans above yours so that if you need to upgrade you will know the prices, watch out for hosts that offer cheap plans then when you upgrade the price rockets.
Do the plans cater for my needs?
Check the hosting plans to make sure they meet your needs, if you are uncertain then contact the host about details.
Service
Is the hosting reliable?
Check the host’s uptime using
http://www.findmyhosting.com/alertra.htm a host that is down all the time is bad news.
Is the hosting fast?
Slow sites are a nightmare, you can do a lot to optimize your site but if your host is slow then that wrecks your site. Read reviews to see if people have commented on speed. A good way to test a web host’s speed is here:
http://www.hostpulse.com/hosting/net.../speedtest.asp
Are they flexible in their plans/prices and service
Will the host allow you to request a custom plan? This can be a useful money saving tool. Also, will they allow you to edit certain features of your plan? A host that does not mind custom plans and editing of plans is better than a host that sticks to it's hosting options and ignores custom options.
Reviews
Does the host get good reviews?
Search on forums and Google for reviews about hosts, there will always be negative comments but try to find a host with many positive and happy customers.
Some places where you might find reviews are:
http://www.findmyhosting.com,
http://www.webhostingunleashed.com/ and
http://www.webhostingtalk.com
Do you like it?
Remember! There are many hosts out there, if you feel that a company is not trustworthy then just leave! The final decision is up to you.
This may seem like loads of criteria but afterall it is
Your money that you are spending so you expect the
Best
Links...Links...and some more links
WebHosting Reviews (I've tried to filter out sites which are only there to make money from webhost's affiliate programs)
http://www.whreviews.com
http://www.findmyhosting.com
http://www.upperhost.com/
http://www.webhostingunleashed.com/
Webhosting resources (Articles, Forums etc.)
http://www.webhostingtalk.com
http://thewhir.com/find/web-hosts/articles/
http://www.hostingviews.com
http://www.comparewebhosts.com/Articles.asp
Webhosting Tools
http://www.hostpulse.com/hosting/net.../speedtest.asp <-- Speed Check
http://www.findmyhosting.com/alertra.htm <-- Uptime Mointoring
http://www.internetseer.com <-- More Uptime Mointoring
That should keep you busy
Use all/some of this guide if you want on other forums/wesites/blogs/whatever as long as you credit me in some way.
