How To Select A Web Host.

Whilst we are preparing, designing, planning our website we also need to consider where it will be hosted. Selecting a website host is just as important as planning your website, in fact I would consider it as part of your website planning.

So what’s so important about a host that we need to be careful about? I mean you see thousands of companies offering incredible deals on hosting some even providing FREE hosting. Again I say this, stay away from free hosting. A good hosting company should be like a friend who invites you to his home and once there makes you feel welcome and comfortable, not like one who invites you and pays no attention to you, in fact his only purpose was to ensure his party was “FULL” of people.

A poor hosting company with frequent downtime, outdated technology, poor support, poor security, slim or infrequent data backup etc can turn a good website into a poor acting one. Whats important to you, is your site visitor’s and your client base. You need to keep them happy by not only having good content but to ensure that your site doesn’t take minutes to load, is frequently down, your database is compromised due to poor security measures or constantly having to upgrade your plan because the one you are on has limited of everything.

You must analyze, realize and understand exactly what sort of site you have and it’s requirements. Is it an Information Site? An e-Commerce site? A Social Site? Do you store a lot of data? Is it a Blog or a Forum? Answering this and other questions will not only determine the kind of hosting company you will need but also the appropriate plan that fits your site. There is absolutely no need to get the biggest plan (irregardless of what the sexy lady on the chat line suggests) when you have a 5 page website that consists of information for a very limited number of users. Yes, we all would like to have thousands of hits everyday, but in this instance our site is not catered to meet that requirement. For instance we may have a site that is designed for a local community soccer team, number of users that would access this site on a daily basis on average maybe 20 (let’s be generous, because don’t forget most of us forget about soccer in the winter). So do you really need a plan that gives huge bandwidth, massive storage space or unlimited email addresses etc etc? And the bill is $19.99 per month. You don’t need that plan, you need something around $4/month and that is it (of course we are assuming that the company is reputable to begin with).

Is price the driving force in determining the host you choose? No. Since there are literally thousands of host providers, most of the smaller or newer ones tend to try and grab you on price alone. All newcomers shop around till they find the cheapest price and then go with them. Remember anyone can make their website look good and attractive to try and get your money, they use all those great big words out there, Unlimited this and Unlimited that and Free this and Free that all for $1.99/month etc etc.

On the other hand please understand that paying more is not the answer either, I know of cases where a site owner despite paying a ton of money for a dedicated server for a commercial site he was running had his site crash numerous times to a point where he lost all his data because there was no adequate backup. He not only lost a majority of his clients and money, but he was down for days and the poor guy was scrabbling to get his site up and running on another to salvage what he could. It takes months and years to build a reputable site, you cannot leave it to a poor host company to screw it up for you. The only thing the host company compensated him was a months hosting. Crap I say. Of course what he should have done despite there assurance that daily backups were made, was to make his own backup.

So what is the solution? Well, check around, shop and get educated. Write down what you need from a host, yep write it down on a piece of paper. Once you know what your requirements are then move forward. If you have no clue then talk to your website developer and let him give you a few references. Speak with other website owners, visit a few forums and ask questions. By the way please do not fall for those sites that list the top 10 hosting companies and give you a nice site with the listing. Most of those are setup as affiliate sites; which means no matter which hosting company you click and choose from that list, will give the site owner a referral fee or commission (affiliate money) from the hosting company.

For most small sites that are mainly information sites a basic plan will suffice, as your site gets complex you may move up the ladder. Remember one very important point; You Can Always Upgrade Your Plan. Start at the basic plan and see how it goes or should I say grows. If there are features you later require then upgrade when you need it. As the commercial states; “Save Your Money!” For e-commerce sites that require a little more take a higher plan, for social networking sites go with a more sophisticated setup or even a Virtual Dedicated Server, at this stage your techie people will know what to do.

Two pieces of advise before I let you go; try to see if you can get your hosting on month to month basis. What I mean is, do not pay a yearly plan. If the plan allows you, pay a month at a time or 2 months at a time. Reasoning is that if you are not happy with the service you can shift to another host. Some companies give you a huge break if you sign up for a yearly plan and are so confident in their product and service that they will refund you back for non used months in case you decide to cancel mid way. So check those angles as well.

Secondly, Negotiate. It’s a tough world out there, companies are looking to retain their client base and to grow. They also have many hidden specials that you may not be aware of; ask for a discount, you will be surprised at what you can get. I have tried it many times and saved 25% or more. Hey, like I say; Better in Your Pocket Then Theirs.

What makes a good hosting company? Besides great service, support and price, you should look at the different features each of the plan provides and compare it to your website requirements not only currently but in the future. Ensure that your website can grow with them. Remember it is a pain to switch hosts, so select carefully and wisely.