How to Know If A Web Host Is Right For You
April 4, 2008
Finding the perfect web hosting company is sort of like finding the perfect mate. We’re all out there looking for something that our hearts tell us is there but our heads state doesn’t exist.
Of course, we all realize that no person is perfect and just like us no web host is perfect, either. Web hosts are really just a mix of people and technology and either or both is apt to fall down just when we want them up. That’s why I think it makes sense to apply the same rules to finding a web host that we apply to finding a mate.
First, begin with yourself and your motivations. To really know what you’re looking for you need to know why you’re looking. What is it you really want out of a web host? Are you interested in creating your own blog? Forming a forum on the plight of escorts in New York? Creating your own brickless storefront?
The list of web hosting services can be narrowed by determining what kind of site you have in mind. Do you plan on a full-blown e-commerce site with dynamically generated pages, shopping carts, and lots of database activity? You should consider going straight to a dedicated server. Just want a site to share pictures of your favorite felines with your cat club? A shared host will be more your cup of tea.
Is this your first time? Look for a host that gets good reviews for customer service. Don’t be fooled by friendly and eager responses during those heady days leading up to a commitment. Be sure to test their support after you sign up but before you put a whole lot of effort into building your site. Pick various times of day and use all of their available forms of contact and make sure you get helpful answers in a reasonable amount of time. If you don’t get support from them now when it’s simple, you’re not going to get it later when it’s hard, either.
What kind of software do you intend to run? PHP or ASP? Will you need a database like MySQL, or a shopping cart, or mail forwarding, or SSH, or SSL, etc? I know, it’s confusing and the list goes on and on, but if you don’t have at least some idea of how you are going to build your web site, what software you will be running, and what supporting applications you will need, you might not be ready for a web host relationship yet.
If this isn’t your first time around the block, review your past relationships with web hosts. What did you like about them and what didn’t you like? Were there features they offered you feel you can’t do without? Or, areas they were lacking in that you would like to find elsewhere?
Undertand yourself and your current situation first, then seek out a web hosting provider that meets your needs. Research thoroughly before you dive in, remember to read the fine print, and don’t be afraid to end a relationship that isn’t working.
So, there’s no such thing as a perfect web host. If you’re careful in defining your objectives and do some conscientious research you can find one that you’ll be happy with for the long term.