Choosing a Web Hosting Service

To avoid your site becoming just a blip in the Internet abyss, you need to ensure that your hosting service will meet all of your needs and expectations. That's difficult to do when the 5 million hosting companies out there claim to be "the best EVER!" Finding that diamond in the rough doesn't have to be by costly trial-and-error, however; our guide below will equip you with the knowledge you need to make a smart decision.

What is the purpose of your Website?

• A site built around a message board will require a different kind of hosting service than a site built to provide basic information about a company. Determine the general features of your site before heading to a hosting company.
• What is your site's function, i.e. e-commerce, blog, forum, informational?
• How much traffic will you expect?
• Does your site have heavy graphics or images?
• You'll want a hosting service that is able to cover the extent of your site's functions easily and without disruption, even if you decide to add features to your site at a later date.

What type of Web hosting is best for you?

To decide this, consider the following options.

• Server:Windows or Linux?
• Web stats: Basic, advanced, or none at all?
• Script installation: Pre-installed and configured, cgi-bin for self-installation?
• Scripting language: PHP, ASP, ASP.NET, JSP, Cold Fusion?
• Database: MySQL, SQL, Microsoft Access
• Email: Number of accounts, auto-respond, aliases?
• Authoring tool access: SharePoint Designer or Expression Web?***

Will your hosting service be there for you?

A Website never stops serving and neither should your hosting service. Make sure the company you choose offers 'round the clock care (we're talking 3 AM on a Tuesday) and the ability to make contact should the unexpected emergency occur.Get this in writing.

What about Web server performance?

Your site's visitors will rate their experience based on the following factors.

• Network speed
• DNS lookup
• Connection time
• Download time
• Timeout rates

Slow load times or timeouts especially will turn visitors away quickly, so you want a server that's fast and reliable. Visit NetMechanic.com for free evaluations and stats of your top hosting companies, and be sure to crunch the numbers for peak and non-peak times for the most accurate performance portrait.

How much Internet traffic (Bandwidth) is available?

Spoiler alert: A server's function is to transmit your site's data through to the Internet every time someone views your site. Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred during a given period of time.  In other words, higher bandwidths equal higher traffic allowances.

There are a lot of different hosting packages available out there, some that will charge you big time for bandwidth overages, some that offer a flat rate no matter how much traffic your site has. Know your site's daily visitor rate and consider any downloads your site offers; this will help in avoiding expensive surprises down the road.

What about disk space?

Signing up for a hosting service is kind of like renting an apartment; you'll be paying a monthly fee for a designated amount of space. Consider the following to ensure your site has an adequate amount of disk space on a server.

• The size of your site; how many pages will be included?
• Your site's content; will there be audio, video, software, or images integrated?
• The future of you site; do you plan to add more content later? Be sure your allotted disk space can grow accordingly.  A disk space of 100 MB or more is usually enough.

Will your hosting provider offer an Uptime Guarantee?

If you stand to lose business or revenue should your site suddenly go into downtime, look for providers with uptimes guarantees that offer money-back reliability. Providers that boast an uptime of 99.5% or more is optimum.

Cost

By now we all know to look for that infamous fine print at the bottom of the page. These little words can have a big impact on your bottom line. Beware of companies that...

• ...offer terrifically low prices if you sign long-term contracts.
• ...will register your domain name for you after three easy payments of $24.99.
• ...can transfer your existing domain name but charge extra to notify InterNIC.
• ...provide free emergency service between the hours of 4 PM and 5 PM EST.   All other rates apply.