Web hosting can best be described as a modern-day marriage: none of
this till death do us part stuff, it's more like I'll stick around
as long as your uptime is 100%, you answer my frantic queries
instantly, and you charge me less than a decent latte at Starbucks.
What follows is a few tips to help make the relationship less rocky
and possibly prosperous!
First of all, we all need to take a
little responsibility and at least figure out what we think we need
from a web host up front. This isn't always as easy as you might
imagine. You don't always know your exact needs ahead of time, and
sometimes these things are difficult to foresee.
Your site may
become hugely popular, requiring more bandwidth or storage than
previously thought. You may decide to have data feeds hosted on your
site, which will gobble up resources. On online store can do the
same. One way I've found myself in the position of having to change
web hosts is when a technology you want to use or implement on your
site isn't supported by your host. This will (and did!) prompt a
move.
Ask friends and associates who they use. While their
needs may be somewhat different than yours, basic issues such as
support and uptime will be evident, as will customer satisfaction.
Check out several of the web hosting directories, as they maintain a
wealth of current information regarding the specifics you're
interested in.
Come armed with a list of things you're looking
for and narrow your choices down using this.
Make sure you
can grow with this new host. Not only in the size of your current
sites, but also number of domains and subdomains you can host there.
If you're anything like me, I want to be able to get the most bang
for my hosting buck!
Don’t be afraid of terms like reseller
hosting. You can actually not only save yourself a lot of money in
the long run if you have a lot of sites, and also make your online
life a lot more organized. Not to say you should have all your sites
on one host, as things change. I have four hosting account at the
moment, with many sites on each.
In short, due your homework,
check them out, do your part in knowing as specifically as possible
what you're after, and make your choice. This could be the beginning
of a beautiful friendship!
