Selecting a web hosting company is a crucial decision for any organization. While it may seem straightforward, carefully evaluating available options is essential to find the best fit. Here are key features to consider when choosing a web host:
* **Reliability:** A web host’s reliability is paramount. Research their experience and read customer reviews to gauge their uptime and performance. Forums and newsgroups dedicated to web hosting can provide valuable insights.
* **Customer Support:** Websites inevitably encounter issues. Ensure the hosting company offers 24/7 customer support to quickly resolve any problems. Responsive and knowledgeable support is vital.
* **CGI Access:** CGI access allows users to run custom programs on their website. While it may not seem important initially, it provides greater control as your company grows. Verify that the web host provides CGI access with write, read, and execute permissions.
* **POP Account:** Security is critical. A POP account provides password-protected access to emails sent through your website’s email address, safeguarding your company’s information.
* **Domain Name:** Your domain name is your online identity. Choose a web host that allows you to select your own domain name, ideally one that includes your business name or target keywords.
* **Storage Space and Bandwidth:** Ensure the web hosting company provides sufficient storage space and bandwidth for your website’s needs. Storage space is the amount of data you can store on your account, while bandwidth is the amount of data transferred between the server and users.
Beware of inferior web hosts. An experienced and reputable provider offers optimal web hosting solutions.
Additional factors to consider include user-friendly site builders, shopping carts, blogs, forums, and other scripts. Depending on your needs, you may require .NET service, PHP support, or a specific CMS.
Shared hosting is a cost-effective option where multiple websites reside on a single server. Each website has its own space and partition, separated from others. Shared hosting can be name-based or IP-based. With name-based hosting, multiple hostnames share a single machine. IP-based hosting gives each host its own IP address, allowing for SSL certificates.
As your website traffic and SQL requests increase, you may outgrow shared hosting. Consider migrating to a dedicated server or a Virtual Private Server (VPS). A VPS offers root-level access similar to shared hosting but at a lower cost than dedicated hosting. While VPS users share physical resources, dedicated servers provide exclusive use of the entire web server.