Web Host Selection

1. Network Uptime.

Always be sure to ask a host what's their current network uptime average. Most hosts usually monitor such a statistic. It is important to get as much information on the host's network, their stability and servers being used before registering. If your website is truly important to you, then you can't take the risk of signing with a host that has a pattern of constant down-time.

2. Support.

When you have a problem or an important question that needs to be answered immediately, then you'll need a host with prompt and courteous support. Before signing up with any host, you can test their support by emailing to their support email address with a general technical question to gear the response time. In some cases, this may not be a good assessment of their support but it could give a general idea.

3. Features.

Does the host support all the features needed to be implemented on your site? That's an important factor when choosing a host. Always remember the fact that not all hosts offer multi-platform hosting. You may find some hosts doing strictly Linux Hosting and other Windows Hosting. Each platform has it's limitations concerning certain features, so if you ever wanted to switch platforms it would be handy if your host had both types of platforms available.

4. Pricing.

Shop around and do comparisons in terms of price for similar hosting packages. You may find huge price gaps between hosts. Is their a reason for this? It would be wise to ask the host(s) in question why their prices are so drastically cheaper or in some cases more expensive than other hosts offering similar packages. If the host chooses to respond to your question, and the response is feasible then you should have a clearer perception of the reason for the price gaps.

5. In Conclusion

Obviously that is just a brief list of some of the options you should look for when choosing a host. It is important to do your homework when going about selecting a hosting company to host your website. If your site is important to you, then you'll invest the time and effort to ensure your site is in good hands with a solid and reliable hosting firm. Be forewarned about the fly by night hosts. How can you tell who will be in business today and not tomorrow? It's not really that simple, but sometimes if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true!

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