Many people are in a hurry today, but this can lead to mistakes down the road. If you rush to select a web host you may end up in trouble when problems come up. Instead, do your research and take your time. Use this article to show you what to consider as you compare companies.
The most important thing to consider as you start to create a list of companies to research is reputation. You must check websites which compare hosts, BBB.org and forums to find out which hosts are reputed to be the best in the field. Ask friends, family and co-workers who they use and make note of their recommendations. When a host comes with rave reviews, they are worth investigating further.
Once you have a list in front of you, check each company to find out which platforms they offer. If you want to build a website with asp, but a host only offers Linux boxes, obviously you will need to choose a different company. Once you know who offers the languages you use, continue to pare down the list based on features you require. For example, if you need multiple databases, but the company only offers packages with a single database, move on to the next firm.
Now that your list is shorter, the time has come to test out customer service. Call, email or use live chat to speak to a rep. Ask them questions about their service, such as “What is your procedure if a website is hacked?” Hit on anything you want to know, from whether or not you can get a free domain name to how they handle blacklisted IP addresses. If the rep is knowledgeable, you can be sure that any issues which crop up once you are hosted here will be dealt with accordingly. If they don't seem to know much, seem distracted or don't answer you in a fast enough time frame, they aren't worth the hassle.
Your list should be pretty short by now, so this is the perfect time to compare pricing. The first step is to look at the cheapest plan which covers your bases and make note of what it offers. Once you have this written down for each service, there is another step to take. Contact the company and ask about hidden fees that might not be included in this price. Find out what your actual bill will be every month as it may be much higher than you expect from the advertised plan rate. Write this down and then start comparing your options. What seemed like the cheapest hosting plan may actually be the most expensive.
It isn't easy to search out a reputable web host, but the results are totally worth it. When your host is reliable, helpful and honest, your website will be up when you expect it to be. All you need to do is use these tips to find a great company and then let them do the rest.
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Similar topics: Customer Service, Web Host
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