Not all web hosting providers are created equally. Some provide exclusive services and options whilst others provide minimal support. Knowing what to look for will hasten the process so you can focus your energy on building a superior website.
Different Hosting Options
Each website has different needs. Some need to have a host that can enable it to handle high volumes of traffic whilst others need less control and more structure. When looking for web hosts, see if they offer multiple hosting options. This is important because your site needs may change over time, and if you’re stuck with a host that only provides one type of hosting, it can be more difficult and expensive to switch.
Reliability, Guarantees, and Security
Web hosting companies should ensure that your website will be running more often than not. Having a website with inconsistent uptime and poor functionality makes your company look quite unprofessional. Their primary job is to ensure that the website is running properly, which means they should be able to guarantee you competitive uptime.
Investigate what they offer if they break their guarantees. The reality is that there will be inevitable downtime, but the question is how is it handled? Are their backup servers? What will the hosting provider do to ensure your website gets back up and running quickly?
Another important factor is security. Your website files need to be properly secured. Your hosting provider should offer you unparalleled security.
Customer Support
Most hosting providers can offer 24/7 customer service, and that should be your standard. Check to see what the hours are for customer support. Determine whether customer service is offered in multiple ways including online chat, phone, and e-mail support. Will you be able to speak with a human who can relate to your frustrations and help you problem solve more effectively? It may be helpful to check if customer service is outsourced to another company. This will obviously impact the level of service that is guaranteed. Hosting services from CWCS offers one of the highest levels of customer support available.
Setup Options and Periodic Updates
Getting setup can be confusing. Therefore, hosting providers should offer setup support to ensure your website gets up and running smoothly. This is different from general customer support. You will want to check to see if agents will be available to help you specifically with the beginning stages of hosting your site. Are there tutorials offered? After the setup, are there continued education tutorials offered to help you stay up to date on changes?
Easy to Understand Billing
There are many components to web hosting that may result in complicated billing, but a good hosting company will have straightforward billing. Detailed billing should be easy to understand and informative.
Do research on your web hosting company. Are they new or have they been around for years? Choose a reputable web hosting provider who sees the performance of your website as a reflection of their company.
