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Finding the Best Web Host
Finding a web host can be a daunting task if you’re not an experienced web developer, the reason being that the risks associated with choosing the wrong one, added to the sheer number of choices available make the act of finding a really good web host difficult and prone to missteps. If you want to avoid the trial and error stage, you might want to memorize the following tips:
Decide Between A Free Host and a Paid Host
Different people have different needs, and said needs can be filled either by a paid host or a free host. You need to first decide which path to take. For example, if you’re a business that really wants to create a brand or company presence on the Internet, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t invest in a good paid hosting plan. However, if your only aiming to create a small non-profit and personal website meant for family and friends, you would be wasting good money when free web hosting plans are available.
Check Out the Company’s Website First
When choosing a web host, you should avoid practicing the old “don’t judge a book by its cover” adage. When it comes to choosing a company that will provide the backbone for your home on the web, first impressions are important. Check if their website is professionally done and has all the required info. Avoid websites that hide their contact info, and make sure the customer support is available and easy to find. A shoddy website is very telling. Think of it this way, would you get your teeth checked by a dentist who doesn’t take care of his own teeth?
Check Out the Company’s History
Everything that is good and bad about a website can be gleaned by the testimonials of their current and former customers. But don’t depend on testimonials that are on their site, it’s not uncommon for businesses to only publish positive testimonials, and it’s not entirely impossible for shady ones to fabricate them as well. So find actual user testimonials from third party sites, like web hosting reviews or forums. All of these are within your fingertips with a few choice keywords and a search engine. Do your research in order to avoid problems down the road.
Have a Plan B
Remember that any company can disappear through no fault of your own, whether because of a policy change or because they went bankrupt, or because they increased their rates beyond your budget. Make sure that you have the option of moving to a different host easily if this happens to you, which means keeping backups of your site and if you can afford it, investing in your own domain name. This is probably the best move you can do when it comes to having a Plan B. If you have your own domain name, you can move your site to any web host without inconveniencing your site visitors, as they’ll be able to access your site using the same domain name.
