Of course, there are plenty of poor web hosting companies. However, an experienced web masters has the proper questions in place and can easily find a quality web host. Now, let's go take a deeper look in the world of hosting, and see what secrets we can uncover.
Normally, a web hosting review will spend time showing you the difference between a $5 shared hosting account and a $10 shared hosting account. But, we aren't going to waste your time by focusing on a $5 a month difference.
After all, if that's a concern for your online business, it may be time to rethink your strategy. The easiest way to find a quality web host is to ask people that have used them. Luckily for you, there are forums and news groups that are devoted to this topic. Just take a minute and look through news groups and forums and you will see the companies that show up repeatedly.
Pay close attention to when the information was posted. Try to find the most recent reviews. Things do change. Try to evaluate the source of the information. Was it a user trying to get a $200 hosting account for $5 and then complained when they didn't get it? Is it a web savvy individual?
Remember, customers are quick to complain when they don't get what they want. And, it's easy to not get what you want when you are expecting a Harvard education for a city college price.
Let's not waste any time going over storage size or bandwidth, which is what you will normally find in a hosting review. Fact is, you will only use a small fraction of either your space or bandwidth, so don't worry. Most hosting companies offer so much space that it is a mute point.
So, what should we focus on? Things that can actually help your business succeed. In lieu of comparing variables that we don't really need or use, like bandwidth, we are going to compare resources that actually can help you.
You want to find a hosting company that provides the tools most important to you. If you are a new web master, you may want an easy to use site builder. On the other hand, you may want a minimum number of databases. Other features like forums, blogs, shopping carts, and other scripts are probably far more important to you.
If you are working with someone else that will develop your site, speak to them about what you should look for. How a site is developed will determine its needs. In some cases you'll want a host that offers .NET, and in others you will want PHP. You may need a specific CMS which is only available at specific hosts.
But, most importantly is to have high quality, quick responding tech support. You want to be able to reach someone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
