Learn The Basics About Web Hosts For Your Websites
If you plan to create a website, one of the most important decisions that you have to make is your choice of a web host. The web host is the caretaker of all of your web files. The host manages a web server where your website files and data are stored. The ability of the public being able to see your web content depends entirely on the reliability of your web host and the integrity of the web server. If anything happens to the web server your website will be offline. That is why you must choose your web host carefully to make sure that you are using a trustworthy service. Here are some points to consider.
When you have a domain name for your website, it has to be registered at the domain name registrar. Many web hosts offer that service in addition to hosting your web files. It may look like a good convenience on the surface. However, it is better if you register your domain yourself. That is because you may not stay with the same web host year after year. If you dislike your web host for some reason and you go with another one, your first web host still controls your domain name registration. When it comes time for renewal, you may run into problems. That is why you should register the name yourself so you will always maintain control over its renewal.
Do thorough research on any web hosting company that you are considering. Read online reviews that former or current clients may have posted in community forums. Check with the Better Business Bureau for any outstanding complaints.
Go through the hosts’ websites and look at the hosting plans that they offer. Do any of the plans suit your needs? You have to determine how much storage space you will need and what kind of traffic you will anticipate in getting. Different plans provide different levels of resources. The more features are offered, the more expensive the plan. So, you would not want to buy more that when you need. On the other hand, getting too little will prevent your website from functioning efficiently, especially when it comes to bandwidth. If the bandwidth that you are allotted cannot support the traffic that you are getting, your web visitors will be frustrated by the slow speed or possibly a “server busy” error page.
Go with a web host that has stellar reputation. Customer service and tech support are essential. When your website is down for some unknown reason, you want to be able to get on the phone and get help on it. So, a good web host should give you the option to call their help desk for any urgent matters. For other non-urgent problems, help through email with a response time of 24-hours should be what you want.
These are just a few things to consider when you are looking for a good web host. The host is your website’s backbone, so make sure that you are going with a solid company.
