Five Basic Things You Must Get From Your Web Hosting Provider

There are many choices in a web hosting provider out there, and sometimes it’s curious that’s it seems like the customer is at the mercy of a web host. That is backwards, and with all the choices available in the market these days, web hosting companies would do well to remember that.

That said, you need to do your part, and some of that entails standing up for what you need from your hosting, and making sure you get it. Too often customers sign up, not really knowing what they need or should ask for in a typical web hosting account. Here are five things you simply must insist on when it comes to basic web hosting.

Reliability: Not only must you web hosting company have a near-flawless record of uptime, (99.9% or better) they need to have systems in place that work as advertised. If you’re on a shared account with other customers, is bandwidth monitored well so as not to limit access to your site? Do the features work well? Are scripts current, as well as other software updated to the latest, most current versions? (Wordpress comes to mind) Is your email a spam secure? For that matter, is your site secure?

Cost: Is their price competitive, and does it fit into your plans? Do you receive good value for your hosting dollars? Could you cut a better deal elsewhere? Shop around a bit before deciding. Hosting is generally not very expensive, but is usually a longer term marriage, so that extra $10 a month adds up to $120 a year.

Space: Is the plan you’re looking into going to suffice for your needs? Are you going to host just one site, or a bevy of them? If so, does a reseller account make more sense? These are all questions you need answers to before you can make an informed decision on what you need to ask for from your web hosting company.

Features: With web hosting so readily available and pricing so low, one of the major areas of competition among web hosts is with features. You should be able to come up with a package that includes more than you will ever use. You should have lots of choices as to blog platforms, content management systems, stats programs and more. If you don’t see something you want, ask them. They might come up with it!

Support: This could have very easily been item #1, as it is that important. Your web host HAS to be available to you, and quickly. If you are attempting to run a business from your site, then having a problem and getting no fast response to a support request will make the blood boil. Make sure you can reach your hosting company via many different methods, including email, phone, Twitter, IM, and live chat.

Just insisting on this short list of necessities will make dealing with your web host a great deal easier for all concerned!