what you pay for in hosting, at least make sure your web host company can maintain 99% uptime. Uptime is the ability to keep your website online and not allow users to have problems connecting. Usually websites can be hard to connect to when a server cannot handle bandwidth (Traffic and page requests that come with it) or when there are hard drive failures in the server.
I have personally found that Namecheap’s Web Hosting has been a bit of a let down with connectivity at times for a small website I have had running for years. While it is not a major problem as it is not a website that takes orders, it would not be acceptable for a business. This is why it is important to find reviews for a web host and see which ones can live up to a 99% uptime claim.
One great website for reviews and recommendations is Cnet.com. I also recommend taking time to read reviews and even find forums on the web host’s website in order to gauge how satisfied their customers are. One web host that allows you to do this is site5.com. The more you can learn about a company, even if you are only looking to invest up to $10/m, the better off your web site will be.
Tip
Every web hosting company that offers small website hosting will offer what is known as ‘shared’ hosting. This means that you are sharing computer space with other websites. It is important to make sure that, despite having a small website, the company is experienced (5-7 years minimum) in handling many accounts and is able to keep your websites active as well as providing status updates should there be an issue with one of their servers. Some small web hosting companies simply take your money, store your website and offer offshore ‘support’. You do not want to waste your time and money with such companies. Make sure they are reliable when it comes to keeping your website up because your reputation depends on it when you are online.
3.) Email & Ftp Setup
Make sure that you know, ahead of time, how many email accounts and FTP accounts (this allows you to transfer files from your computer to the web server) your website will require. If you are running the website yourself, you will not need more than 1 FTP account.
4.) Bandwidth & Web Space
Bandwidth is basically a combination of your web traffic and the file size of each page they request. If you have 1 gigabyte of bandwidth per month, it means that the total number of visitors multiplied by the size of each page request cannot exceed 1 gigabyte for every month. if it does, web hosts will charge you per month. Pay very close attention to how much bandwidth you will receive and how much it will cost to add to it should the need arise.
Web space, while not critical for a small website, can still come in handy in case you are delivering downloads or have lots of photos on your website. I would recommend starting with a package that allows 100 gigabytes of storage as that should be more than enough. If you accept a package that offers less space and you need to offer video or images (via download or simply for viewing online) you may find that your website is inaccessible due to reaching full volume.
A Tip To Save You Money
Find out if the web host can allow an instant transfer from a ‘basic account’ to a more advanced account should your website traffic grow over time. Some web hosts can do this instantly – instead of leaving you hanging with a basic plan and charging you for the extra bandwidth you would incur for that month. One web host that can do this for you is Liquid Web.
5.) Tech Support
It is absolutely critical that you pay attention to the hours of operation for their tech support. Should their server have a failed hard drive or suffer any other corruption, you cannot afford to trust your website to a mom and pop shop that is closed for the weekends. Investigate if they only offer email support or offer phone support. I have found that it is best to work with a company that offers both options and are open on a daily basis. You will be surprised how many companies, despite offering inexpensive web hosting, can provide you with the customer service you deserve. Do not jump into an agreement too quickly until you are certain they are ready to earn your money.
6.) Server Platform
Not everybody may realize it, but the type of platform you use may determine whether or not you can run certain software such as WordPress. WordPress is run on a web scripting language called PHP. PHP, although it can run on a Windows based server, is ideally suited for Unix or Linux web hosting platforms. It is also designed to run with Mysql databases. If your website is run on simple html pages and you do not need software, the platform you run on likely will not matter. If you depend on 3rd party software such as image galleries, message boards or content management systems like Wordperss, then it is highly recommend you work with a Linux or Unix based server as they will allow the most flexibility for running 3rd party applications.
7.) Affordability
For a simple web site, there is no need to pay more than $10-$15/month. Usually these companies will allow you to pay by month, by every 3 months or by year. I strongly recommend trying out a company you trust with a one month trial and see how their tech support, customer service and bandwidth respond. If you feel you have no connectivity issues and you are satisfied with their ability to answer any of your questions, you may as well try to secure a quarterly subscription and, should that work out, pay for the whole year afterward as it will save you money. I believe in being cautious but, when the moment comes that you fully trust your web host, you may as well secure the relationship long term so you can focus on other aspects of your business.
Summary
Take the time to research each company that you are considering to do business with. The feedback you will receive from existing customers will prove to be invaluable and reviewing blogs and magazine based websites that focus on the tech industry will prove to be helpful as well. Make sure that you have put the time into your research and select a few candidates that you feel will meet your needs.
Magento Development Lead
