Web development is a very daunting task. Right tools, language and CMS are some of the important things that you need to choose correctly when you are going to develop a website. Well! These things are important, but the most important one is web hosting. If the website you are going to develop faces hosting problems later, then all your efforts may go wasted. So, here are 5 things that you should evaluate before choosing any web hosting.
Reliability:
One thing that you should research about is reliability. Before going for any web hosting service, you should find evidences of its reliability, which means finding its testimonials. Remember, having hosting service down for even half an hour means losing lots of traffic and customers. So, if you don’t want your website to go through this, then find a reliable hosting. Ask the service provider for their client history and service history as well.
Security Strength:
Smaller businesses require better security for their websites. This is because of two reasons. First is that it builds credibility and second is it keeps their data secure. Your work’s reputation depends on your website’s security. So, first ask the web hosting provider to show their work’s security history. Ask them did their service ever face any problem, like virus, stolen identity or hacking previously.
Estimate the Space:
Before buying any hosting, you need to estimate how much data you would need to build your website on. Just calculate the space consumed by videos, photos, documents and other such files. Small hosting providers offer deals, so just have the numbers in mind and it will help you in selecting the right package.
Value Vs. Price:
Suppose you buy a car for $3000 and it has got old tires, stained interior, and 250,000 miles running; will you consider it as a good deal? The fact is that most of the people run after cheap hosting services. I bought a local one for $20 per year and it was a disaster. My site went down after two days and couldn’t bear much traffic load. So, if you don’t want to loose customers, then consider buying valuable hosting. If someone is costing you $30 per month, then believe me, it would be worth it.
Test Customer Support:
When buying hosting for your website, don’t forget to test drive company’s customer support. First, it will help you in clearing all your doubts related to their hosting. Next, it will help you in examining how quick and helpful their customer support is. After you buy a hosting, you sometimes need to have 24/7 support from them. If customer support doesn’t satisfy you before buying, then leave the idea of buying hosting from that company.
Final Words:
These days, smartphones have become the easiest mean of accessing sites quickly. Being a web developer, you need to show your work to several people. And if the sites you developed are mostly down, then what impression would it leave on your clients. So, it is recommended to check all the above mentioned things before buying a web hosting.
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Author: Bryce Collins is a web hosting manager and journalist for Roboshift
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