Finding the Right Hosting Plan
Let’s face it when it comes to hosting a web site the selection of services and companies that provide those services are as numerous as the flavors of Jelly Bellies, and like the bountiful offerings of those delectable confections, you don’t exactly know what you’re getting till you actually plunge forward and take a bite. From “control panels” to databases, the features are many and varied. For the personal or club-type of web site, hosting with one of those $5.99/ month services based in India may suit your needs. This article is intended to provide the Small and Medium Business (SMB) owner/manager some tips on what to understand when deciding on your web hosting, assuming that you already have a method for designing and developing your site. This is not an article on what service or hosting platform (Windows or Linux) is better, but merely a reference for the business owner new to this technology.
The single most important tip that I can pass on is to make your hosting part of your site design. By this I mean that you should know what you want your site to do for you and your users. Site complexity ranges from the simple informative online brochure, to the elaborate site capable of sales and ordering. Your site design team will need to be involved so that the proper components are included in the hosting plan, such as databases, backend code requirements, storage space, and payment methods. Since your site functionality should be your first consideration, site designers can recommend hosting services or give you specific requirements to shop for.
When shopping for services here are some things to consider:
Service(s) – does the hosting company provide the needed supporting services for your site (database and hosting environment (either Linux or Windows). What is the uptime rating? Is the Service Company prone to downtimes or service interruptions?
Access – Can you or your designate access your host 24/7 to do updates and site code adjustments?
Bandwidth – Find out from your site designers what can be expected for bandwidth usage and its projected use in the future. As a site ages and your services and customer base grow, so does the use and dependency on your site. Many Site hosting services have generous bandwidth usage, but the overages can be expensive so check your service agreements.
Support – I like to use local Hosting providers, which are those within the same time zone. This puts their primary support personnel on the same working schedule as your business and although I’m not totally against outsourced support, I do believe you will get more timely support locally.
The remaining service offerings, such as site statistics and tracking, depend on your personal preferences. As long as you consider the services your hosting company has to offer throughout the design process, you will have a better experience building a trouble-free, dynamic, self-serving website.