Avoiding Common Web Hosting Traps

Art — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:02:08 +0000

Web hosting providers come a dime a dozen but landing a good one isn’t always easy. There are many choices out there and some overwhelm you with so much glamor that it becomes pretty easy to get dazzled by their marketing techniques. This article will discuss several crucial web hosting traps that you need to look out for.

Amazingly Low Price

It’s true – web hosting is very affordable, so much that “cheap hosting” has become one of the most highly sought after offerings on the market. Unfortunately, some providers have to make substantial sacrifices in order to drop the price of their service. Whether it’s overloading the server with customers or cutting back on support, it all affects the overall quality of service and could leave you with major issues. Not all cheap web hosting packages are of poor quality but because several are, you need to be very weary of an amazingly low price.

Limitations

Whether it’s for personal or business matters, your website is almost certain to expand. Over time, you will need to upload more files, possibly add new software and hopefully receive more traffic. Don’t go after the first web hosting deal you run across or one that only offers enough to support you for the first couple of months. Instead, check out a variety of hosts and focus on those with features that allow your site to grow. Sometimes, a provider’s one-size-fits all hosting package isn’t the solution you need.

Unprofessional Site

A web host that comes with all the bells and whistles may warrant the red flag but so should a company with an underdeveloped website. It doesn’t have to be glamorous, but a respectable web hosting provider must look the part. They should have a professional appearance with a site that is simple to navigate, making all the essentials easy accessible. You should have no trouble locating the FAQ page and especially an email address or phone number.

Incredible Claims

Most web hosting companies advertise a 99.9% up time guarantee, which is to ensure that your website is up at least 99.9% of the time over a given month. Sadly, many hosts are just advertising this percentage instead of upholding it. A host that really lives up to its up time guarantee will offer money back, credit or similar items if they are not able to deliver as promised. This is actually a rarity and if you don’t know you’re supposed to be compensated, your site will just be down until the issues are worked out behind the scenes. This could be hours or days.

Questionable Business Practices

You should strongly consider avoiding any provider with complex pricing schemes and other questionable methods. For example, the price might be advertised as $3.95 per month but you may have to lock into a three-year contract in order to get that price. Although this is a common practice, you need to make yourself aware of situations where promises turn out to be tricks.

Non-existent Support

A web hosting provider’s approach towards support can tell you a lot about their approach to the overall service. When you call or email with questions, they should be more than happy to help, or at least act like it. Don’t just fall for their 24/7 support claim. Put them to the test to get an idea of how they will react when you really need help.

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Avoiding Common Web Hosting Traps

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