subject: Important Reminders In Choosing The Most Reliable Web Hosting Service [print this page] When you're dealing with your own personal website, there are a number of things that you will need to take into account. First of all, where are you going to host it? There are some people who will choose to host their website from home, and for some this may be a viable option. The only problem is that your contract with the ISP might state that you cannot host servers on your connection. If this is the case then you're going to need to find a web service.
What type of web service do you want? The answer to this question depends on how technically inclined you are. There are a few different web services out there, some that give you the tools to make your own page, and then there are some that require you to upload your page via FTP. Even still there are websites that rely on shell access. These are a bit difficult to manage, and you'll want to see if there is FTP access to the shell.
Those are the different types, but then you need to take a look at the services they offer. For instance, what are you trying to host? A bigger site needs a bigger FTP account! If you're planning on hosting any type of video, you'll want to make sure that the HTTP server is on a fast enough connection to deliver them properly. The other thing that you will need to worry about is whether or not your page format is supported.
If you are using a complicated language, it will take more processor time on the server side, so they will likely charge more for complicated languages. Then there are some sites that will charge extra for using frame pages, but our thoughts on that will remain unspoken.
To determine whether or not the host is actually reliable, you will need to turn to the users. No hosting company is without users unless they have done something terribly wrong. Therefore you should look up forums that have to do with that particular host. There is no doubt that you will come across some information, and that information should help you to make a more informed decision. If you come across a lot of negative user feedback, then you know that you need to move on.
One more telltale sign is the actual website. If you are a site builder then you know what a website is supposed to look like. If it is horribly messy, then you probably don't want to go with them. If they don't use the latest technology, then once again you will want to stay away from them. You want to make sure they are well versed in the newest web tech, because that's the only way they'll actually be able to help you.
Always make sure that the host you choose offers decent technical support, and that you will be able to count on them to be there any time of the day. Hosting a website is no laughing matter. As a wise individual once said: "Your website is your face to the world, make it look good!".
