5 Important Things To Look For From A Web Hosting Company

Back in the day, developing a website was not necessarily a huge thing. Businesses saw it as an optional thing to do, but things have changed now. As a matter of fact, websites have played a crucial role that a business’ sales performance relies so much on its uptime. That is why finding a reliable web hosting provider is important.

With countless web hosts out there, the selection process can be really daunting and time-consuming. If you are planning to build a site and looking to hire a web host provider, then you have come to the right place. Here are some of the important things you need to take into account when looking for a web hosting service.

#1. Good Reviews

Think of web hosting as any product or service you want to buy. Obviously, you want to learn first all the good and bad stuff about it. And what is a better way to do this than reading reviews, right? For instance, you are interested in acquiring Namecheap’s service. What you want to do is read Namecheap Reviews, so you will learn what its clients are saying about its hosting services.

Sure, researching and reading reviews can take so much of your time. However, it can be essential in your overall selection process. After all, you want to make sure that you get your money’s worth. Do not worry – it will be worthwhile!

#2. Reliable Support

Whether you are a rookie or veteran in the world of working with a web development company, you will always find the need for a support team important. Imagine facing a technical issue and no help can be found. What do you think will happen to your website? If your site is down and you do not know what to do, the very first thing you need to ensure is access to a support team. Otherwise, you will be losing potential customers.

There is no certain formula that makes a support team great, but a web host provider should ensure it is reliable. In other words, you can communicate with the support team through various channels, such as email, phone, and live chat. What is more, the team must be knowledgeable enough in the field that they can resolve your issue in a matter of minutes.

#3. Backup

If you are going to put up a website, expect different issues to occur. At the end of the day, there is no perfect web hosting provider out there. But what you can do is hire a provider that offers a great backup plan. What if you accidentally delete your website or a plugin? Obviously, you want to find a way to bring it back. This is where a backup feature can help you big time.

Although the process can vary to some degree, the most important thing is that you can get back whatever is deleted. Some hosting providers offer an automatic backup feature, while others require you to undergo a complex process. Either way, you must ask the provider what its disaster recovery plan is. If a provider is not backing things up, then you might want to find a much better one.

#4. Uptime Guarantee

A customer seeing a blank screen on your website is not something you want them to experience. As soon as he enters the URL of your site, he must be able to land directly to your page. This is where uptime plays a crucial role, especially since it will be responsible for your site’s existence on the World Wide Web. Look for a hosting provider that has a strong reputation when it comes to uptime guarantee.

If your host is experiencing server outages every now and then, it is almost impossible for your customers to access your site. A general rule of thumb is to acquire an uptime guarantee of at least 99 percent. Yes, that is right – it may look unrealistic but that is actually the truth.

#5. Exit Strategy

You might think about why you would leave a great provider if it is capable of providing the services you need. In reality, you can never tell. What you can do is anticipate. Sure, your web host is able to provide you the right hosting solutions – and that is great. But ask yourself this: “What can I do if things get worse?” This is where an exit strategy becomes a crucial element.

For instance, you want your hosting to make it easier for you to transfer your domain name if you decide to leave. And if you plan to discontinue its service, you do not want the company to be charging you with disconnection fees. You will certainly appreciate how an exit strategy can help you big time. It is better to have an exit plan than having nothing in the end.

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By Ankit Prakash

Ankit Prakash is co-founder of EasySendy Pro – a hybrid email marketing solution provider for small and medium b2c businesses. Ankit is a passionate and determined entrepreneur; building Internet product and services since 2006. You can follow him on Twitter for marketing optimization related tips.