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Web Hosting: Finding the Hidden Gems

May 31st, 2011 | Posted in Web Hosting.

Making a catalog of your entire web hosting requirements is the first thing you should do before looking for a trustworthy web-hosting corporation. Check details like the necessary area needed, the total mails received, the space set aside for relocations, if you will need a database or shopping basket. Think about including chat aspects, make a forum or take a commercial account. All this is necessary, as, for a web host to be trustworthy, your requirements have to top the priority list. The following list is about the characteristics that a web host needs to have:

Dependability and Uptime

More Uptime amounts to more user-friendliness. So see the amount of Uptime that the web host promises for the website. Some may give you an Uptime of around 99.5%! Check details of the hardware, protections and connectivity. These reduce the downtime

Pricing-Cost

The web host must demand an affordable cost and give you easy methods of payments. Check for all extra prices, setting up costs. Now, setting-up charges are asked by many corporations to meet up the expenses of good technological systems.

Bandwidth

An essential factor that can either advance or curb the growth of your business is bandwidth. You may have to pay extra to a few web hosts offering you small bandwidth if you cross the data transfer or download limit. However, in approximately the same price range others offer greater bandwidth. Select carefully and cautiously. There is no such thing as the tempting ‘Unlimited Bandwidth’. Don’t fall into it. When your site becomes a hit, then having a minimum of 1 GB of data transfer set for your website allows for greater traffic.

Disk Storage Space

Space is another crucial factor as far as growth is concerned. You will find web hosts offering you 20 to 50 MB space while others offering 100 MB space, at again roughly a similar price. Go for the ones offering 100 MB and greater, for otherwise you will end up paying $5 to $10 more for every 10 MB additional space.

Speed of the Server

Before zeroing on your web host, check the server speed. Use a free tool like Net Mechanic to gauge the access speed for all facets of access like connect time, download time, DNS lookup, network speed and absence of timeouts. The download time figures will tell you how fast or reliable the server is. Run a speed check on all the prospective web hosts that you decide, both in peak hours and non-peak hours.

The Basic Features

Select a host that will give a range of characteristics right from the start. Certain hosts can give more characteristics at higher prices that they come up with each month.

Multiple Domain Names

Find out if your web hosting account will allow and charge extra for more than one domain name, if by chance you use multiple domain name. A few of the web hosts do not charge anything extra for several domain names.

Email Autoresponders and Accounts for Mail Forwarding

Ensure that you are able to forward emails from your web hosting account. If you have several websites, it becomes very easy and efficient if all your email is forwarded to your ISP service. You can then read all the mail at once, without having to log into each of your accounts. Another device that saves time and acts as a great marketing tool is Autoresponder, a program that sends any pre-written message that you want to anyone who mails you. This reduces your own workload a lot but still helps you stay connected with people and increase your publicity.

Mailing List

Check whether the web hosting company allows for mailing lists to be prepared. A mailing list or an online, e-mail based discussion group can come in handy when distributing your ezine and for other promotional events and marketing gigs.

File Transfer Protocol or FTP

File Transfer Protocol or FTP service comes with almost every web hosting company, as it is a basic service. It allows quick and efficient file transfer from your Website to others and vice versa.

Setting up Anonymous FTP accounts-Making Nameless FTP accounts

Having this facility helps you set up a FTP site which allows other people to access that and download files that they need. Setting such anonymous FTP accounts are profitable if you want people to make large downloads of software or free e-books etc. The best thing about FTP accounts is that while file transference or download, if your internet facility disconnects or the phone company cuts you off, you can always continue the download from where you left, after you reconnect.

Using a SSL Server or a Secured Server-Availing of Secured or SSL Servers

It is absolutely necessary that you use a secure server if your business involves monetary transactions through your website. You can scare away potential customers without this facility, though you may often have to pay extra web hosting charges for this. A secure server is needed for taking online orders and transference of sensitive and important information like credit card numbers. Also a SSL server permits such information typed into an encrypted form before sending it from the web browser of the user to the server.

CGI Scripts

For obtaining information from any form, CGI scripts are usually used. Subsequently, this information is conveniently sent to your email account. People can use the library of CGI scripts for hosting their sites, available through respectable web hosting companies. You will also be allowed to add and use your own desired CGI scripts by the best web hosting accounts. Though you may think that you presently don’t need CGI scripts, you may need them later. So, choose web hosts which allow you this provision.

Advanced Features-Developed Characteristics

If your website needs advanced features and applications like Java Applets, RealAudio/Video, Password Protection, Database Access and PHP check with the web hosting company whether they are equipped with such advanced features.

Backup

Almost every web hosting service will make sure to backup your web directory every day. Not providing this basic service is almost unthinkable these days. In fact certain web hosts provide you with unnecessary and unimportant backups just to make sure that your website is not lost in the melee.

Security and Assurance

Since there are many web hosts present it can be problematic choosing and believing in the right one. Services that give plans like a money back strategy can be helpful if you are displeased with the functioning. Hosts giving out such plans are also more competent and trustworthy.

Flexibility of the Host

A stagnant web hosting service can be the worst bane for your website and your business. It too needs to grow along with your website and business. So if you desire to include newer features like ecommerce, it should be able to upgrade and provide you with facilities like shopping cart, storefront or a merchant account. The web host should have constant upgrades an should be ready to provide you services like more web space, or your own dedicated server or even a forum.

About the author: William MacMahon is a professional blogger and server admin in the web hosting industry. Visit WebHostingMadness.com to join him on his search for the top hosting companies each month.

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Web Hosting: Finding the Hidden Gems

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