If you need to build your very own website or blog, you need to learn how to pick a web host, or web hosting company. This topic may seem intimidating, especially if you aren’t very technical or if you are trying to build your first website or blog for your domain name. This article will help you understand what to you need to know to make an informed decision about picking a hosting company without overwhelming you.
Following Are Some Key Web Host Criteria And Features
Stability
Can you trust the web hosting company to provide a stable platform for your website to run, so it is available when people go to check it out?
You want to find out if the company has a solid reputation for its uptime and stability for the websites they host. Find out if they offer an uptime guarantee, which is typically in the form of a percentage. For example, a 99.5% uptime guarantee means the web host is willing to ensure their systems will be up and operational 99.5% of the time.
Bandwidth
Represents the amount of data that is transferred to and from your site measured over a given period, typically monthly. You will find that certain web hosting companies will place a limit on the bandwidth they allow on certain plans, while others may offer unlimited bandwidth.
Note: Bandwidth limits don’t often impact too many new websites as long as they are reasonable. The reason is that it typically takes a time to build sufficient traffic (or visits). Unlimited bandwidth means you won’t have to worry about this aspect. However, you generally will have to pay more for unlimited bandwidth versus limited bandwidth if all other factors are similar. If you intend to build a site that offers services such as video or large file downloads, most likely you should look for an unlimited bandwidth plan.
Hosting Plans Or Packages
Most web hosting companies tend to offer their services in the form of hosting packages or programs. These programs/packages vary by limits, features, costs, services, and so on.
Disk Space
Refers to the amount of space or storage allocated to your site. You need storage for web pages, text, images, videos, etc.
Tools
What tools will the hosting company make available to you for developing, maintaining or securing your website or blog? Are they free with your package or will you have to pay more use of these tools?
What kind of email features do they provide for use with your web domain and site? Does the hosting package limit the number of email accounts you can create? Determine how many email accounts you think you will need for your web domain and how you would like to access those email accounts and ensure your needs will be met by the hosting company you’re considering.
Customer Support
When you hit an issue or have a question, how will you be able to reach their technical support and what reputation do they have for their support?
Now that you have understood some of the most important criteria for evaluating web hosts, you will be much better armed for finding the right one to meet your needs.