Locating A Web Host You Can Trust

There are many companies on the web which aren't there to help you out. Instead, they want to take your money and then disappear into the night. When searching out a web host, you have to be wary of these people's intentions. That means doing your research so you can find the best host available, and this article will show you how it's done.

The first step is to figure out who is offering the services you need. Create a list of what you have to have, such as 100gb of hard drive space or 100gb of bandwidth every month. If you already have a website up and running, you can check your stats to see what you are using. If you don't, ask the person designing your site for some guesstimates.

Next, ask friends, family, coworkers and your social media network who they are using as a host. Take those recommendations and create a list. Next, check online reviews and add the top dozen or so hosts you find have good reputations to your list. Now you have a comprehensive directory of the best options available.

Take your requirements list to each company and figure out which package that they offer will be the best bet. Once you do this for every company, email them and ask if there is a better deal you could be getting. I once did this and was able to upgrade to a standalone server for next to nothing just because I put their banner into my ad rotation! Asking for a discount can never hurt. You will also get a feel for their customer service this way. Are they friendly? Knowledgeable? Do they get back to you quickly?

Now that you have some numbers in play and the ability to compare customer service, narrow your list. Cross off any company who never got back to you, didn't seem very friendly or has a quote which is too high or too low. Your list should shorten dramatically, but if it doesn't, stick to the top six to eight choices for the rest of your research.

A quick way to narrow your list even further is to check out uptime stats. Any company which has downtime more than once every three months, has long downtime durations, or doesn't offer downtime statistics at all should be removed from your list. Be sure to check out posts online from customers to double check that the uptime stats are accurate.

Now that your list is down to a few hosts, go with intuition. Does their site and customer service seem professional? Do you like the features they offer? Do they fit into your budget? Pick your best bet and go with it.

Now you should have a single company on your list, so get in touch with them and get your website online. You should feel confident in your decision as you have really done the research necessary to find the best host. You can be sure that your website will be seen by the masses day after day.

Further reading:

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