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How To Choose a Web Host

  By Brian Welch

As more and more businesses start to go online, the Internet service industry has exploded. Web hosting is no exception to this. Everywhere you look there is a new company offering their "unbeatable solution" to your web hosting needs. If you do not know what to look for, finding the right host can turn into a major chore. One of the questions I get most is "Should I have my isp host my site or should I go with someone who specializes in web hosting." The answer to that is simple.

One of the key issues in choosing a web host is speed and reliability. Would you rather have your site hosted by a company that not only has to provide bandwidth for people browsing the web sites on their machines but also has to provide fast and reliable service to the hundreds of people that are dialing in to> connect to the Internet. Or would you rather go with a company that specializes in hosting web sites and uses all available bandwidth to provide you with the best possible service. The answer is simple. Companies that only provide web hosting and not dial up accounts can provide you with a much more reliable hosting service.

However, just because they specialize in web hosting does not mean they are going to give you a fast and reliable service. You have to dig a little deeper to see if what they are offering is what you need. You can find out most of what you need to know by going to their web site or asking them a few questions.

What kind of connection do they have; ISDN, T1, T3, etc..? If they do not have at least a T3 connection to one of the major backbones then look elsewhere. How long have they been in business? This is not too important but it does help you to get a good feel for the company. If they have been around for a few years then they must be doing something right.

Do they offer any type of money back guarantee? A lot of the more reliable companies will give you some kind of guarantee on their service. This is a good safety net and at least allows you a month to find out if they provide everything they claim to provide.

Ask them what their downtime has been. If they know what they are doing they should have a 98% - 99% up time. Nothing is more annoying then to work hard on your site and spend long hours advertising it only to have your web host down at a crucial time. All of these things should give you a good idea of how reliable their service is.

Another very important thing to look out for that goes hand in hand with reliability is their technical support. E-mail them a question and see how long it takes to get a response back from them.

Try calling them and see if you get a warm body or a cold machine. If you do get a machine, leave a message and see how long it takes them to get back to you. When you are having problems with your site it is very frustrating to have to wait days for a response.

What else do they offer? How much space do they give you? Most web sites never use more than 10 or 15 megs of space but if they offer you more, great! It never hurts to have extra space for your clients or for the future expansion of your site.

Find out if they will let you purchase more space if you end up using up what they originally provided you with. Do they offer a secure server for online transactions? If you are going to be selling anything on the net, security is very important. Most people will not order online unless it is a secure server.

Do they provide you with a CGI-BIN? Most professional web sites are going to use cgi programs to some extent so make sure that they provide you with a cgi-bin that you have full access to.

What about bandwidth restrictions? Many hosts will charge you extra when you start to get a lot of traffic so this is an important thing to check out. Find out if they provide unlimited bandwidth or are they going to charge you more as your site becomes more successful.

There is a lot to consider when choosing a web host and I hope this helps you narrow down your search. Keep in mind the most important aspect of any company you choose is integrity. There are many companies that can tell you that they offer everything you need, but do they really?

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Brian Welch is President and CEO of Perfect Presence, Inc., a web hosting company that offers reliable full service hosting services along with outstanding customer support. Transfers are quick and easy and do not cost a dime. Mr. Welch can be reached at his office at 1-877-689-5102, or via e-mail at mailto:brian@perfectpresence.com FREE OFFER! Visit http://www.perfectpresence.com/server.html for a FREE SUBSCRIPTION to NET NEWS and get the inside scoop on what's new, what's hot, what you need to know to stay on top of the latest trends on the Internet!