(1) What is Needed? Shared Server Hosting or Dedicated Hosting: This decision is evidently dependent on 2 core aspects, how much bandwidth the website is likely to utilize & the scale of control desired over the website. If the website is expected to consume a lot of data transfer, then it is highly counseled that the website should be hosted on a dedicated web hosting server which can accommodate the bandwidth load. Another reason to go for a dedicated web server is if tailored functionalities are a must-have for the website including protected data transfer or exacting applications i.e. e-commerce, active content, database and graphical applications.
(2) What Type of Hosting is Needed? UNIX Hosting or Windows Hosting: If the site makes use of Microsoft technologies such as MS Access or MS SQL database, then you should prefer a Windows hosting provider. Despite the fact that it might be possible to execute Active Server Pages on the UNIX OS with the help of some commercial programs, yet because of certain protection & stability issues, it is almost all the time hazardous. However if cold fusion is required, it can work on both Linux & Windows OSs.
(3) How Much Storage & Data Transfer Does the Buyer Need: Disk Storage does not matter anymore, thanks to the enormous competition among web hosting companies. On the other hand, if your site chiefly act as a download resource, then your space needs may be 5 to 10 times larger than this. The second consideration is how much traffic your site is expected to get which is directly correlated to the bandwidth usage by the site.
(4) How Many Parked Domains & Subdomains Does the Buyer Need: An effortless means to increase traffic to your site is by making use of parked domains. Likewise, subdomains can augment your SERPS by pointing to particular directories of your site. Sometimes you can get free parked domains & subdomains as part of some web hosting plans. However if the customer needs more, the customer will have to pay an extra cost per month.
(5) What are Your FTP Accounts & Anonymous FTP Requirements: Seldom, there might be a need to have multiple FTP accounts as in the case of an business site venture being run by members of staff from a variety of localities. The Anonymous FTP authorizes the general community to access specific directories on your web server to which they have been consented permission by you.
(6) Whether You Need E-Commerce Features?: In order to be able to sell on the Internet, e-commerce functionalities are required & so a hosting provider should be chosen that provides such functionality. In certain cases, it might also be essential to check if the server is SSL secure or not.
What Elements Delineate A Good Quality Web Host?.
(1) Level of Uptime Assurance: The most vital factor in signing up with a hosting provider is the web hosting uptime & if there is an uptime pledge, it is even more comforting. If your site is for business functions, it is vital that your site continues to be online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week & 365 days a year.
(2) High Grade Servers: The extent of linkage of your hosting provider to the Internet is very important. For this reason, it is recommended that a hosting provider connected to the Internet via a T3 connection should be selected. It is agreed within the Internet community that a page should load as swiftly as possible preferably within fewer than 30 seconds so as to not disappoint visitors.
(3) Regular Backups: In order to improve the level of data safety in case of a disaster, it is essential that the hosting provider should have a mechanism for repeated backup of data. Aside from this, it is also essential to check the regularity of data backup by the hosting provider.
(4) Storage space & Traffic Quota: The greater the space & bandwidth offered by the hosting provider, the better. Since most web hosting companies these days offer huge amounts of space, so this should not be a major concern. However, as to the bandwidth, it should be as much as possible as your traffic can surge in the future thereby requiring greater bandwidth. Also check that you have the option of purchasing more space & bandwidth when required.
(5) Regularly Utilized Internet Technologies e.g. CGI, PHP, SSH: A good-quality hosting provider should include in it's plans internet technologies e.g. CGI, PHP etc. in order to create dynamic on-the-fly webpages along with SSH access. To find a hosting provider offering SSH functionality is not a straightforward task, on the other hand CGI & FTP access is very common among quality web hosting companies. In addition, check to make sure that the hosting provider offers anonymous FTP access in case it is required.
(6) Software/Scripts: Select a hosting provider that offers a broad script collection that you can exploit to add in guestbooks, forms, reviews, newsletters etc to your site.
(7) Shopping Cart Functionality & SSL: Having e-commerce functionality bundled with your web hosting plan strongly corroborates that the hosting provider is A-grade because you can start selling on the Internet right away. Since people are rightfully concerned about the safety of carrying out transactions on the internet, it is also important that the hosting provider provides an SSL secure server.
(8) Online Management Console: A high quality hosting provider must include a state-of-the-art control panel in its web hosting packages in order to allow its customers to manage their site effectively. Ask for a trial of their control panel if possible and check to make sure that it is uncomplicated as well as broad. A first-rate control panel offers access to a large number of options through an easy to use graphical user interface and at the same time is as compact as possible. VDeck 2.0 & CPanel are the leading brands of management control panels.
(9) Jam-packed Mail Services: An A-grade hosting provider by no means fails to provide the cutting-edge e-mail functionalities as well as plenty of mail accounts with the highest degree of safety features e.g. antivirus software bundled with the web hosting package.
(10) Moneyback Guarantee: If the hosting provider gives a moneyback guarantee, it is even better as it makes you completely risk-free.
(11) Affable Support Staff: The greater the number of support options provided by the hosting provider, the more hasslefree it will be for new customers to get prompt help for resolution of any problems that they might come across. Try e-mailing the hosting provider a couple of times to check how quickly they reply to your call. The support staff should be as swift as possible & should be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. The importance of this is clearly apparent from the fact that an ignorant and unwilling to listen support staff will only make you feel helpless.
Author Resource:-
Michael Smith has been studying web hosting companies for the last 6 years. Presently he manages a highly successful website Hosting Company Directory.
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