Have you frequently looked at your own web hosting bill, read what you pay each time, and then cringed? Web hosting doesn’t have to be expensive, and you owe it to yourself to do what ever you can to find a better deal for yourself and you can, with some help from the useful tips below.
When you are trying to decide which web hosting service to choose, gather several recommendations before making your final choice. Only relying on two means that lots of errors could exist in your decision because their experience levels could be different from yours, or they could have an affiliation with the particular business that is providing the hosting services.
Register any domain names you wish to use at an accredited registrar, not through your web host. You want to ensure you always retain control of the domain name. Your host, rather than you, will control your domain name and registration if you use the same service for registration and hosting.
Before you go out looking for a new web host, make a list of the attributes that you are seeking. Figure out your wants and needs beforehand and see how the potential hosts meet them. Using a priority list will prevent you from choosing a provider based on a single factor, like price, instead of shopping around for a host that meets more of your needs.
Choose monthly payments instead of one-time lump sums when negotiating with a web host. You can’t predict what your business will be or what your host will do in the upcoming months. If the host declines, your business expands past them or your account gets closed, you could lose any money already paid.
To avoid throwing away your hard-earned profits, choose your web hosting provider very carefully. Rates can range from $2 to $60 per month — and it’s often the cheaper models that are the most reliable. Many expensive ones allow more bandwidth, but you may not have less downtime.
Find out what “unlimited” means in a particular web hosting package. For instance, you may indeed have unlimited storage, but the company may limit the type of files that can be stored. Claims of unlimited bandwidth can also sometimes be considered tiered payment plans. The more you can learn about these features and packages, the better prepared you will be to make wise decisions.
Many web hosting companies are actually just affiliate accounts linked to the major players in the field. These companies purchase a block of space on the server at a discount, and turn a profit by leasing space to smaller sites. Find out the company that will ultimately host your site so you can get the best price.
Look for a web host with a good reputation. Look over reviews and other articles on different hosts. Soon, you’ll discover that certain hosts have a good reputation within their niche. This can provide you some security in choosing them. Companies that don’t provide good service should be identifiable online based on reviews.
If you need to have several emails for your website, talk to a hosting service about the kind of format they utilize for email service. POP 3 is the most common one that would probably meet your needs. This will ensure that emails are linked to your domain and will be accessible from anyplace on the web.
Do not base your choice on price alone. Make sure you look at all the different options and choices. A good price is not enough, so hold out for the option that best fits your situation. Know what you need, and make sure the hosting plan you choose offers it.
Some hosting services give prorated refunds for site outages. Usually, you won’t receive but a few cents, but potential sales lost could harm your business. Choose a web host who has a good track record for uptime as opposed to offering refunds.
Control Panel
Try to see an example of the control dashboard before signing up with a hosting company. The ideal control panel should offer step-by-step tutorials, customer support options and other valuable resources. If you are having a hard time familiarizing yourself with a control panel, look for something simpler.
Do some research on directories for web hosting services. They list nearly all that is out there, enabling you to figure out which ones fit you best for price and features. Once you have found a few that have the features you need, you can compare pricing and check out online reviews in order to make your decision.
What type of access to a server does the company provide? Depending on the web hosting company, they offer either an easy-to-use web-based control panel or a complicated FTP-based server. More complex web sites will need the flexibility of ftp access, but if your site is fairly basic or smaller, you can save time and effort by choosing web hosting that provides web-based services through a control panel.
Many add-ons and extras, that hosting companies offer, may not be services that you’d ever need. Unlimited storage sounds like a good deal, but if you have a modest blog or business, this may be entirely unnecessary and not worth the added expense. In most cases, these add-ons are not necessary and will end up costing you money.
Cancellation Fees
See if hidden cancellation fees are buried in the agreement. You may find that a web hosting service is unacceptable after only a few weeks. Once you go to cancel the service, you discover high cancellation fees. This is pretty common, especially for the web hosting companies that are on the cheaper side. Make sure you understand how to cancel your service if you decide you can’t handle working with the company.
You now understand what’s required to find web hosting that not only gives you great service, but is affordable, as well. Having a quality web host is essential in order to run a good online business, but that doesn’t mean that it has to cost a fortune. Use the tips above to find the web hosting provider that is right for you and your business.