5 Things to Consider when Choosing a Web Host

The future well-being of your website depends on many things, not the least of which being the web host you choose. Although it is possible to relocate it if things go awry, it is always better to make the right decision from the outset.

Five factor to Consider when Choosing a Web Host

Here are 5 factors that you should take into account to make an informed decision and be certain that you get what you expect, not what you are promised.

1. Price

There is a world of difference between ‘cheap’ and ‘dirt cheap’. While low prices may be the result of better organization of business process, efficiency or willingness to best competitors, price which is way lower than average is probably not a good sign. Businesses just don’t work at a loss for themselves – if the price is ridiculously low, there is always a catch. Absent or outsourced customer support, poor and unstable hardware, lack of necessary features – just to name a few. Look for reasonably cheap shared hosting, but don’t go running after suspiciously low prices.

2. Customer Support

Sooner or later you will have to deal with customer support, and the effectiveness of its work will determine how well your own website is going to function. Check the host’s reputation and feedback in what concerns customer support, see how many ways to contact them there are and whether it is 24/7. See if customer support is outsourced, take a look at how much attention is paid to it in the company’s sales pitch.

3. Additional Features

There is much more to a host than just server space. So take a careful look at what it has to offer and try to understand what is special about this particular company? It may be virtually anything: regular backups, multiple data centers, free domain registration, money back guarantees, unlimited FTP accounts or something else entirely. Thus, when choosing a web host, don’t just compare the number of domains and disc space – take a closer look and you will probably understand why different services differ in prices.

4. Hardware

If you are not a specialist, you will probably have to do a bit of research before you can make a reasonable decision in this sphere, but trust us: it will pay off in the long run. What kind of machines your web host uses is of utmost importance: hardware affects the performance of their servers and your website, sometimes drastically, and you don’t want your site to be located on some old piece of junk.

5. Plans for the Future

What are your plans for the future of your site? Will the host you choose now be able to accommodate for your growing requirements? Such things are best considered before you make the final choice, because it will save you a lot of trouble, effort and energy later.

The choice of web hosting is a very responsible task that shouldn't be approached lightly. We hope that this list of factors to consider will help you make a reasonable choice when the time comes.