An In-depth Look on What a Web Host Should Do

In deciding the right web host to use for your site, you should be mindful of the things they can do for you. Making a wrong decision might have a big impact in your business in the future. To avoid upcoming unnecessary problems, here is the checklist that can definitely help you on what to consider first on your web host selection.

1. 24/7 Technical support. Make sure your web host offers tech support via email, live chat, and phone. It would be best if they offer them all. In the instance that they do not, you should settle to a web host that offers phone support. You should also check if they provide a quality customer service. Their technical staff should be certified and competent in giving your needed assistance.

2. An easy and functional control panel. Your potential web host should have a satisfactory control panel. It must have a user-friendly web-based interface. It should allow the user to easily manage their site, which includes changing account passwords, adding and deleting email addresses, checking weblogs, and more.

3. Consistent backup systems. Your hosting company should have a backup system ready in case of data and connection loss as well as power failure. You should check if they have at least two internet connections. If they don’t, you better disregard them and find another one. Your site’s data is as valuable as your business, so you should settle with a reliable host that can provide you with a full data security.

4. A sufficient amount of bandwidth. A number of web hosts usually declare that they offer unlimited data transfer, while some has its limit set. You should go for a hosting company that proposes a bandwidth limit that ranges from 10 to 20 GB. It is actually more than enough unless you expect to get hold of millions of visitors for your site.

5. Adequate space of online storage. Normally, a simple website just needs to have 5 or 10 MB. However, if you have many media concentrated pages, you should choose a hosting company that provides you with around 1 GB storage space.

6. A guaranteed 99.9% uptime or higher. You should also pay close attention to your website host’s speed. Don’t go for cheaper service providers since they often utilize a slower T1 connection. It won’t benefit you at all if your host has a slow connection.

7. FTP access. You should also check if your hosting company offers you with FTP access. This is essential when you have plans to expand your site later. Your page builder should have the ability to facilitate your needs on your expansion.

Aside from the abovementioned major features, some of the things you might also want to check include SSL, POP3 email access, simple autoresponder, and more. You can also try to inquire their previous and current customers about their experiences with your prospective web hosting company. In the end, the one you should choose must suit both your needs and budget.