How to Find the Right Web Hosting Service for You
There are literally thousands of hosting plans available on the Internet today. Some are just one-man businesses with a reseller’s license while others are international powerhouses with multiple datacenters and tons of networking equipment. This article seeks to simplify the whole web hosting comparison process, by giving you 3 key factors to consider, so that you can discover the hosting plan that fits your business.
Comparing Hosting Plans Factor No. 1 – Cheap vs. Budget
There is a difference between “cheap” hosting plans and “budget” hosting plans. Many super low cost plans are actually solo businesspeople that act as “middle-men” and sell web space on another company’s server. There is nothing wrong with this except if the web server starts being troublesome and your website goes down, your host can do little if anything to correct the problem since it is not his equipment.
A budget hosting plan is a one where the price is very affordable but is nothing that is too good to be true. A budget hosting plan can be offered by a large and well established company that has so many thousands of clients that they can afford to give you something of a “volume discount”. A large company has its own datacenters and 24/7 technical support.
Comparing Hosting Plans Factor No. 2 – In-house Tech Support vs. Outsourced Tech Support
Now the answer to this problem is usually a question of does your host provider have their own datacenter or do they lease server racks or use dedicated servers in someone else’s? Now a hosting company doesn’t need their own networking equipment to provide you with excellent service but both you and they are relying on the technical skill of the owners of the data center.
Don’t be afraid to ask if the vendor what is the percentage of uptime they have (a datacenter with over 99% or better is considered great.) Find out who is responsible for repairs; your hosting service or the owners of the datacenter if they use leased equipment.
Also find out if a hosting plan uses phone as well as email or web-based support. If your website is critical to the operation of your business then pokey email response, is just not enough. If your site is down and money is hanging in the balance, you need a number directly to the helpdesk!
Comparing Hosting Plans Factor No. 3 – Small vs. Large
You may have gotten the impression that I am against smaller hosting providers but this is not true. There are many small to medium size web hosting companies that offer fantastic hosting plans that are affordable and more than adequate for most businesses. Many of these companies have their own equipment or are backed by reliable and competent datacenters support.
If the hosting service is in your region, you may like having actual access either by phone or email directly with the owner of the company. Or you may prefer security and stability of a large national or international firm. Pick a provider you are most comfortable with.
Use the 3 factors above when comparing hosting plans and choose the one that best fits your business.
