Compare
Web Hosting Companies
It is best to compare web hosting companies by conducting a thorough
evaluation of all the critical aspects of a variety of different
dedicated hosting services.
Then you will be sure to select the best business
web hosting company for your small business web site.
There are
literally so many options for dedicated web hosting services available
it can make your head spin.
So how do you go about assessing the right business web hosting service
for your soon to be small business web site?
Start
with a
thorough review of all the features offered.
Compare!
You need to:
- Compare
monthly fees
- Compare customer service
- Compare quality of technical support
- Compare reliability
- Compare features
- Compare ease of use
. . . and so on.
Once you have narrowed down your choices to the top two or three, other
factors to consider in evaluating web hosting companies for your small
business web site are:
- Amount
of web hosting experience: How long has
the company offered web
hosting services? (WhoIs
is an easy resource that
will quickly provide
this information.)
- Area
of Expertise: Does the company have a
particular area of hosting
expertise such as a focus on supporting ecommerce websites?
- Customer
Service: It might sound ridiculous but
does the company have a telephone number? If so, does a real person
answer the phone who will
answer your questions? It is surprising how many companies simply do
not make a phone number readily available!
- Technical
Support: Most web hosting companies
offer some sort of
on-line technical support; whether through email, forums, or on-line
Q&A forms. The more support options available, the better.
Caution:
Be sure to determine which support
services are free of
charge! Many companies will charge per request or "incident",
especially if it is phone support. Usually email and other forms of
on-line support are free, (or should be!)
- Customer
Satisfaction: Are testimonials and/or
case studies readily
available of current customers? Can you review the websites of
customers?
- Additional
Fees: Know ahead of time if there
are extra fees assessed,
how much and what for: Set-up, upgrades, additional server space, email
accounts, plug-ins, etc.
- Technical
Capabilities: Is there a maximum
amount of space allocated
for each account? Adequate server, data storage, connectivity,
reliability, and internet speed capabilities?
- Usability:
Look for services that offer a big
selection of website
templates as well as simple instructions and "point and click" site
building tools. (All in easy to understand words rather than the
difficult to interpret "geek speak").
- Free
Trial: Is there a free trial option or a
refund policy if you
determine that the business web hosting services isn't a good fit?
Your efforts will reward you by enabling you to make
an educated decision on the best dedicated hosting service for your
small business website. You'll be glad you did!
Just as
"location, location, location" is the
mantra
in real estate, the same can be said for
hosting your website!
You want your small business web site located
on the very best servers on the internet in a friendly, safe
environment that offers the most amenities.
Pssst. . .
Be sure
to get the most for least!
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