Youll want to make sure your webhost provides excellent support. You can test this out by calling in and asking a few questions before you buy. Send them a test question through their email address or online support system as well. Most major webhosting companies offer 24 hour/7 day a week support which is very convenient.
Limitless Features
Do not believe it when your web hosts claims you will get unlimited space or bandwidth. The problem is bandwidth and space are finite. Therefore, its not going to be cost effective for a web host to offer you unlimited bandwidth or space (so theyre not going to do it). So be wary of the web hosting company that clams youll get unlimited features like these.
At the very least, if youre hosting company makes an offer like this, you need to realize it isnt going to last and your bandwidth or storage space will be cut short. The last thing you want is to have your site shut down because you went over your bandwidth quota for the month. This will cost you in customers and frustration. So remember that there will be a finite cap on your space and thats a good thing (otherwise theyre not being honest with you).
Long-Term Contracts
Just like with virtually anything else out there (health clubs, phone services, internet providers, etc) you dont want to jump into a hosting plan that requires you to sign a contract. You need to try them out and see if they meet your expectations first. For this reason, you should not choose a host that forces you to pay yearly.
You can always purchase hosting a month and then transfer your plan over to a yearly plan if youre satisfied. Reputable hosts often offer a discount for paying yearly, but why not try them out first?
Elusive Uptime
The uptime is the percentage of time your site can be expected to be online. Uptime is usually expressed as a percentage. You want a host that will make sure your site is online nearly all of the time.
But beware, there is no such thing as 100% uptime. Problems will arise, its the nature of the internet and servers. Never fall for it when a hosting company claims they can offer you 100% uptime. Respectable hosts will often say 99% uptime (sometimes it may be a little more, like 99.5% uptime).
Ask the support what the uptime is if it isnt listed right on the site. Uptime is a crucial aspect of web hosting. You can find web hosting comparisons at http://top-5-web-hosting-charts.com/
Check out the options before you commit. It is expensive enough to pay for advertising, therefore you need to make sure your site will be up and running or youre throwing advertising money down the drain.
Keep these 4 tips in mind when you shop for hosting. Again, these include; scarce customer service, unlimited anything, web hosting contracts, and uptime myths.
