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How To Find The Perfect (or At Least Good Enough) Web Host |
By:
Dan Scott |
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How To Find The Perfect (or at least good enough) Web Host
Dan Scott
Looking for a perfect web host is kind of like looking for a perfect partner. We want to believe they exist, everyone else seems to have found one, but the search is long and it's easy to get discouraged.
If you've spent much time looking you've probably heard numerous times that there is no such thing as a "perfect" web host. They are, after all, just a combination of people and machines; both inherently fallible and both subject to the whims of fate and likely to fail us at a critical moment. But, if we accept the fact that web hosts are fallible just as people are, then I think many of the same criteria we use for finding the "perfect mate" can be used in our search of the "perfect web host".
So, where to start? Start with yourself and your needs; self evaluation is critical before starting any long-term relationship. What needs are you trying to fill? Do you want to start a personal blog? An e-commerce web site? A family web site? A forum to discuss urban landscaping?
The type of web site you intend to build can help to determine the type of host you need. An e-commerce site that will (hopefully) generate lots of traffic will likely need the power of dedicated servers, whereas a family web site will likely do quite well on a shared server.
Are you new to the whole web hosting scene? Avoid the desire to be a wall flower and look for somebody that will treat you with tenderness and respect. Focus on customer service, look for reviews indicating great communication and support along with lots of ease-of-use features. After you've made a choice, test their support services early on before you have a lot of time and effort committed to your site. Send emails, make phone calls, use the online support to see how quickly they respond and how helpful they are. If you're not satisfied don't stick around hoping they'll change...they never change.
Try to have some idea what software you will need before you start searching for a host. Many hosts provide free and easy to use software packages for things like blogging and forums. If you are planning something more involved, make sure the host can support it. If you're a PHP type and your host is strictly ASP, you will never be compatible.
If you've experienced the hosting scene before, think about your prior affairs and what you liked and didn't like about them. It sounds obvious, but try to find hosts that offer the features and services you liked and avoid those you did not. So often we tend to repeat the same mistakes we made in the past both in choosing patners and in choosing web hosts. Just because they promise us a terabyte of bandwidth doesn't mean we'll really get it. Read the fine print.
Undertand yourself and your current situation first, then seek out a web hosting provider that meets your needs. Research thoroughly before you dive in, remember to read the fine print, and don't be afraid to end a relationship that isn't working.
In the end, though it may be true that there is no such thing as a perfect web host, with careful planning and lots of research you can find one that meets your needs and makes for a happy long-term relationship.
Dan Scott is a Computer Scientist with over 25 years of accomplishments in developing, building, and supporting computers and computing applications. Make sure you check out his http://the-host-review.com/ web hosting reviews covering the top http://the-host-review.com/ affordable web hosting sites.
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Article Source: http://www.PopularArticles.com/article151832.html |
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