ecommerce

Webhosting: Top Ten Factors When Choosing a Host17 June 2011

adsense300


Web hosting is an integral part of an online business, which plays a vital role in its success. The web hosts provide connectivity, storage, and other necessary services for a website. It enables business organization to sell the products and services, share information, publish a discussion forum, create an information resource as well as interact with other people through the web site. As a whole, it helps an organization to put the company name on the web. However, selecting a proper web host can often be very perplexing as there are a huge number of web hosts functioning in the market. A thorough research is essential before opting for the most appropriate web hosting company in order to generate more income from the website.

While deciding on a web host company, it is better to think about its limitations first. A web host company may have certain disadvantages such as data transfer restrictions, lack of personal support, disk space limitation, and banner or pop up advertisements. It is therefore very important to consider certain essential factors while selecting the proper web hosting solution and service. These factors incorporate:

1. How much space: The absolutely first thing you should sit down and consider is how much disk space you will need to operate effectively. If you only need a site with a few pages that have a couple of pictures and some description on them you will need much less space than a twenty pages site loaded with other features. Additional features that take up valuable disk space are multi-media items such as music, and movies, shopping cart programs, and chat rooms and forums. Once you decide how much space you need make sure the program you choose offers enough for your desires. A small site can usually be hosted by any of the companies where a large site may to search for a big plan. Almost all host companies offer upgrades to more space so start small.

2. Do you need more than one domain name: If your business is large you may require several domain names inside of one website. Having more than one domain name allows for the ability to create many accounts on one website. This is a more specialized feature than having one domain name associated with a website so you need to know if a company has the ability to provide this service if you desire it.

3. The total amount of data transfer: Large websites, who have a huge number of visitors, require a web host that provides large amount of bandwidth or data transfer. If the web hosting company grants only a restricted amount of bandwidth, then the website will become unavailable in case it reaches the limit. Thus, it is helpful to select a website host that has the option of providing additional amount of data transfer.

4. Do you need SSL, MySQL, and shopping cart: many businesses that have multiple products for sale, or the need to accept credit cards or access private customer information require the use of SSL (a security certificate) and MySQL. These items require a large amount of space. Shopping carts also require a lot of space and can be difficult to create and upload.

5. Windows/ Linux server: Earlier it was considered to be a very important factor when there were several major dissimilarities between Linux and Widow based servers. However the recent software developments have reduced those differences to the point that a business organization can select a web host based on the features provided by them rather than the operating system.

6. Dedicated or shared server: It is very important for the organization to decide in advance whether it wants a shared server or a dedicated server. The major problem of a shared server is that, it allows a small amount of data transfer and disk space. Moreover, since it will also host several other websites, there is a huge chance of reducing the loading speed. On the other hand, a dedicated server is a much better and safer option as it is meant for only one website and thus provides more data transfer and disk space.

7. Do you require technical support: Many small companies lack available IT resources to back up the knowledge required for successful website loading and management. If you require a lot of help with the intricate details be sure the web host you choose offers technical support. The more the better. Look for how that support is implemented. Are there a variety of ways you can contact them, or is email the only option? Check to see if they are available 24/7 or only at certain times. If they are only available during business hours, you know that will certainly not be when you need them.

8. Email accounts: A custom email account is not as necessary for a personal website as it is for a business presence online. For those wishing to impart a professional and polished appearance it is important to find a web host that features personal email accounts. If your business requires many email accounts that is something to search for as well. Not all web hosts have the ability to provide these services. Other email services include such things as forwarding, POP3, catch all addresses, retrieve, forwarding, auto responder, and other more advanced features not offered with most plans.

9. The latest software development programs: The need for directories, forums, blogs, shopping carts, and others necessitates software like Perl, PHP, CGI, and JavaScript. If you desire these functions on your website it is important to be sure your host can provide this software. It is best to look for a provider that offers all of these scripts as you are likely to desire one or more of them along the way.

10. Support for popular builders: Make sure your hosting company offers support for the type of page builder you use. If you use FrontPage, or DreamWeaver it is essential your host accepts those application's codes. If you are not familiar with any builder, or don't have one, there are some web hosts that offer web builder software as part of a package.

About The Author : Matt Ewing is a professional web hosting admin and writer. Visit WebHostingMadness.com to read his reviews on the best hosting companies each month.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Related Posts:

Comment