The Importance of a Good Web Host
Sep 4th, 2008 by Chris Channing
Web hosting is a crucial element in the website building world. A web host is a company that owns space, and sells it to you monthly, yearly, or in specific installments. There are a few types of web hosting, such as free hosting and commercial hosting.
There are a few upsides to free web hosting. One of them being, its free. With a free web host also comes advertising that cannot be controlled by you. They usually consist of banners, and sometimes pop up ads. Free web hosts also have a set number you can have available for bandwidth. Exceeding this bandwidth restriction will have some undesirable repercussions. If you need a lot of space you will definitely need to purchase a paid web host service.
Free hosts also have limitations on file sizes that you can upload and only certain files as well. Speed and reliability are also factors in the free web host decision. Sometimes free hosts have slow access rates, causing the site to be temporarily unavailable in some instances. This can cause lack of traffic. If you would like to find a reliable free web host, make sure you consider all of the factors listed above. They are out there, its just a matter of you finding them. Free web hosting is great for a number of things, so don’t be intimidated.
If you want to build a large and fancy site, a paid web host is pretty much necessary. They offer a massive amount of options for users, and are much easier to work with and customize. A great reputation is an important factor for paid or commercial web hosts. Consider the number of users that are happy, and the uptime speeds as well. Its not recommended to use a web host that has an uptime speed of anything less than 99.5%.
Paid web hosting should offer many options for your needs, such as lower bandwidth options for small sites, and high bandwidth options for huge mega-sites. Technical support is a great option for all types of web host companies to have. If your web host does not have this, consider getting a new one. A great web host will have 24 hour 7 days a week 365 days a year support. This is especially important because holiday traffic is usually the most profitable times for your own site, so having support if something happens then is always a great thing.
If you are unsatisfied, do not be afraid to ask for a refund. A great web hosting company that values their customers will be glad to refund you your money if you are not pleased with their services. This is a very important factor, because no one wants to waste money on web hosting that turns out to be less than satisfactory. Multiple types of payment are also great, such as monthly payment, quarterly, yearly, or for two years in advanced. It is recommended to pay for one month, and see if it works out for you. That way you risk much less.
Closing Comments
Web hosts are important companies, and a great web host will offer you many options for customizing, and meeting all of your needs.
