Hosting 101: Tips, Tricks And Techniques You Need
No business ever functions at a higher level than its weakest point, and that is quite often their web page hosting provider. If you do not have prior programming experience, many of the options and add-ons will not make much sense and can make web hosting seem much more confusing than it really is. When it is not clear what to purchase, people generally just throw up their hands and choose something. While that may be the easy way out, this article can help you make an informed decision.
Web Hosts
A lot of web hosts will offer a few add-ons that go with what their service, but these features vary from host to host. When you are comparing web hosts, ensure that the service you are looking at includes any specific features you need. One company may offer lower prices, but you might have to pay extra to get the features another host gives as part of their package.
Before committing to a single website hosting service, explore all of your options. If you only choose between two or three, you won’t really be exploring the possibilities, leading to a potentially negative outcome.
Select several providers you are interested in, and keep their contact information. That way, if the problems end up to be deal breakers you can quickly switch to a new web host with less interruption in your plans than there would be if the web host server crashed all together.
When looking for a web host, choose a service that is in the country that your target audience is in. For example, if your audience is located in the U.K., ensure that your hosting provider has a data center in the U.K. as well.
The website hosting service that you select must be one that will allow you the needed space to grow your site. A single HTML page doesn’t require a ton of space; however, if you add items like videos and photos, you’ll need more space quickly. For hosting files alone, around 100MB – 1 GB should offer a good starting platform for your domain.
Many web host companies require that you back your data up. It’s best to back up your own data because you can’t trust that their backups are going to be on a schedule, which will meet your needs if the worst happens. In case something happens, your data will still be available.
As you shop for website hosting service, look for providers that offer a variety of site analytical tools and traffic monitoring. Put a counter on your home page, and compare the number it shows to the number your host gives you. This information will help you tailor your marketing schemes to your target audience and gauge the success of your changes.
When you’re looking to hire a web host, perform online research in addition to reviewing the company’s promotional materials and what is stated on their website. Look for unbiased reviews written for independent sites, and you will have a clearer idea of the host’s strengths and weaknesses. Customers will usually talk about both the highs and lows of a company, making their reviews invaluable in your search.
Try and find an online host that uses the cPanel control scheme. This is a graphical interface that makes it easy and quick to add applications to your site. These applications are usually very intuitive and user-friendly to install. Also, it makes management easier for your site.
Try to communicate directly with clients of any web host you are thinking about hiring, through message boards or forums. You can narrow down your choice for hosting services by the ability to question those on staff, and by how capable they are of meeting your needs. After you engage others through these channels, it will become easier to choose the right provider. Current customers can be great sources of information about your proposed website hosting company.
Now that you have a better understanding of hosting and what they do, you can now read their contracts, and have a much clearer idea of what options will work best in your favor. If you already have a hosting account and are locked into a contract, you can notify your IT department that you are preparing your site for an easy transition.