subject: Find The Top Web Hosting Companies [print this page] I recently had to shop around for a web hostI recently had to shop around for a web host. Locating a good quality web hosting company turned out to be a bigger headache than I first imagined. It took me weeks before I found a host I was completely happy with. And I probably signed up then cancelled services with a half dozen hosts during my long search.
In searching for a top web hosting service, there are only a handful of things I really look for. The first is good capacity. Diskspace and bandwidth should not be something I need to worry about. This criteria is usually not hard for most web hosts to live up to. Many of them offer unlimited diskspace and data transfer in an effort to stay competitive.
The next item on my list of criteria is a decent control panel. Things such as setting up databases should be an easy and straightforward process. I like having some ecommerce capabilities as well so I can sell things if I want to. Since I use a lot of PHP, I also need a host that handles the latest versions of PHP, which most do.
The final component I look for is good customer service. Sadly, the level of support provided by many hosts is lacking. Many offer 24 hour phone support, which may sound good on its face, but when you actually do call them, you are often left on hold for 20 minutes before you can talk to someone. It can also be a gamble on how helpful the representative you talk to is.
So given these criteria, what is the best strategy for finding the top web hosting service? Some sites out there are dedicated to reviewing and ranking hosting companies, and that is often a good place to start. By reviewing these sites, I am able to select hosts with high ratings that offer a moneyback guarantee. This makes it easy for me to move onto another host if I am not happy.
Even if you are diligent about it, finding a decent web host can be a challenge. However, by researching hosts at review sites and being a bit patient, you should eventually find a web host that you are satisfied with.
