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By: More articles by Hermas Haynes
By Hermas Haynes 2005
One of the most important decisions youll make as a Web site owner Internet marketer or Webmaster is choosing a reliable Web hosting service. Sorting through a multitude of hosting companies and making sense of the various service plans offered can certainly be intimidating.
Knowing what to look for and the kinds of questions to ask will help you to make an informed decision that ultimately saves you money and grief. The aim is to find the provider that best serves your particular needs. And there lies the key your particular needs.
You should have a clear vision of your Web sites purpose.
How is it going to be used
What do you intend to accomplish with it
Will you be selling products or simply providing information
Will there be interactive forms on your site for subscriptions referrals surveys and so on
These answers will be useful in helping you decide on the best hosting package for your type and size Web site.
A smart way to begin your search is by soliciting feedback from friends and associates who already have a Web presence. Their responses will usually be candid and insightful and you could then followup on your own.
Another approach is to visit discussion boards and online forums like WebHostingTalk where youll find informative posts and discussions complimenting reputable providers and griping about unsavory ones.
Host directories are another resource you could utilize. Simply typing host directory (with quotation marks) into your favorite search engine query box will return thousands of pages for you to investigate.
The next step is to compare service plans features and tools. Here are areas you need to look at closely:
Technical Support. This ranks at the top of my list of priorities. You must have help when you need it. Support should be available 24 hours a day seven days a week and should be accessible by telephone email online forum or even live chat. The size of the support staff and the number of customers they service is also good information to have.
Customer Service. It should be prompt professional courteous and effective. The quality of this service will play a major role in developing (or destroying) a mutually beneficial business relationship. Test this yourself by calling or emailing the company and making note of how they handle your query.
Storage Capacity. You will need to know how much hard drive space you get and how much it will cost if you need to increase it. The amount of space you need depends on the size and type of your site. Generally 25 to 35 MB is more than enough for a small site. If your site is an art gallery or music site for example with lots of image and mp3 files this area will be particularly important to you.
Bandwidth. Bandwidth refers to the amount of data that can be transferred per month. Pay attention to the limits allowed under the different plans. Recognize that as your site gets busier your bandwith requirements will increase. Most hosts charge additional fees for usage that exceeds the normal allocations so be sure to read the fine print.
FTP and Telnet Access. File Transfer Protocol (FTP ) is used to transfer files to and from servers on the Internet and allows you to manage your web site. If your site permits visitors to download software see whether you can set up an FTP site exclusively for downloads. If you have large files for download find out if the FTP site permits the resumption of interrupted downloads. Most FTP programs can accomodate this today.
The Telnet protocol is one with which many users are not at all familiar but it is still used extensively. Its useful for troubleshooting CGI scripts and changing server configurations. Not all servers allow Telnet access.
Platforms: UNIX / NT. UNIX is the most popular platform in use today on Web servers. It is reliable easy to configure and flexible. Setting your own file permissions is a snap. It supports scripting languages like Perl and PHP. Most of the free scripts available for download are from the UNIX platform.
Microsofts NT is favored by the next largest number of hosting providers. Scripts that work on this platform are not as readily available as with UNIX and NT users often require assistance from their Web Host Administrators to set file permissions. NT supports MS applications such as ASP Access Front Page and scripting languages such as Perl and Cold Fusion.
ECommerce. A robust Web hosting company should be facilitating your ecommerce needs with shopping cart software merchant account setup support secure realtime credit card processing and so on. They should have a library of scripts to accomodate forms statistics and guestbooks on your site. Support for Real Audio Real Video VRML Java Shockwave Cybercash secure transactions and other utilities should also be available.
Some Other Considerations
EMail Boxes & POP Aliases Are you permitted a limited or unlimited number of email addresses
Autoresponders A powerful online marketing tool for putting your promotions sales letters brochures or catalogs on autoreply. How many are you permitted and are they sequential
Email Forwarding Selfexplanatory and convenient.
Mailing Lists You must have the ability to develop your own mailing lists. This feature is essential to successful Internet marketing.
Web Mail Access Allows you to retrieve email from any computer connected to the Internet.
As you can see several factors ought to be seriously considered when selecting a company to host your Web site. This is an important decision. Be diligent. Do your homework and be prepared to be flexible.
Choose a host that has been in business at least a few years and who offers features that can be upgraded as your Web site expands. Your company image hinges on the reliability and service of your Web host.
Hermas Haynes is an Internet marketer and Webmaster of http://SixFigureProfits.net. He offers an informative blueprint on how to create and manage your own profitable online business in six simple steps. Visit his site today and get your free preview.