subject: What Important Considerations Matter While Choosing A Web Host? [print this page] A web host is an individual service provider or a hosting company with dedicated services to make websites accessible on the internet. Providing space on a server and access to a datacenter are the two main functions of a web hosting company.
You must realize the critical importance of hiring a good web host to have a successful hosting experience for your website. This requires you to consider some serious factors while choosing a quality web hosting company.
Read the main considerations below to make an informed decision before you choose among the hundreds of web hosts available in the industry:
Consider Your Requirements
First of all, you must consider the requirements for getting your website hosted. Your web hosting requirements are based on the nature of website you have. For example, the hosting requirements of a simple blog are limited as compared to an eCommerce website.
Here are some requirements you must evaluate:
* Disk space you wish to obtain from the host, depending on the number of files of your website and their individual sizes.
* Bandwidth or data transfer rate is another important consideration to choose a web host. This should be based on the amount of web traffic you expect on your website and the need to upload and download data to and from your website.
* The number of domains and sub-domains you wish to host from a single hosting account at present and in the future.
Free Hosting or Commercial Hosting
If you have a small website with limited functionality, it is good to choose a free web host and save money. However, a fully-functional business website should be hosted using experienced Detroit business web hosting services. You can't expect a business website to run expectedly using a free web host.
Platform Considerations
Another consideration is the server platform offered by the web host. The three main server platforms are Windows, Unix, and Linux. You must choose a platform that offers compatibility with the type of functionality your website has. Besides, you must also consider the support for various web languages, scripts, and database packages offered by the web host.
Consider Reliability
Reliability of a web host is measured by the uptime promised by the company. Uptime is defined as the time for which the hosting server remains active and doesn't go down. Most hosting companies offer 99.5% uptime, but you must search well to find the company that actually fulfills its promise of reliable web hosting.
Type of Plan
A number of web hosting plans are offered by various Detroit web hosting companies. You must consider each plan and only then choose the web host offering it.
For example, shared hosting, dedicated hosting, and VPS hosting are some of the most popular hosting plans, each having its own sets of pros and cons. Decide on one of these plans and then choose the web host that offers it in the best way.
Other Considerations
The level of technical support you wish to have is another consideration to choose a web host. Yet another important consideration is the security features. Price should not be considered as the important factor if you wish to have good web hosting services. However, you must ensure that you get what is promised for the price you pay.
Keep these considerations in mind and consult different web hosting companies in your region. Compare the assessments prepared for different companies to choose the best hosting services.