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by: MattHedges
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Make a list of your entire specific web hosting needs before you start searching for a reliable web hosting company. Make a mental note of things like the number of emails, the amount of space required, whether you will need a database or a shopping cart and how much you would allocate for transfers. Think about if you might want chat features, need a merchant account or set up a forum. If a web host caters to your specific needs, then only will it be considered reliable. Thus, making a list of your requirements is necessary. Following are some of the things that every web host should have:

Dependability and Uptime

More Uptime amounts to more user-friendliness. So see the amount of Uptime that the web host promises for the website. Some may give you an Uptime of around 99.5%! Check details of the hardware, protections and connectivity. These reduce the downtime

Pricing

The web host must demand an affordable cost and give you easy methods of payments. Check for all extra prices, setting up costs. Now, setting-up charges are asked by many corporations to meet up the expenses of good technological systems.

Bandwidth

An essential factor that can either advance or curb the growth of your business is bandwidth. You may have to pay extra to a few web hosts offering you small bandwidth if you cross the data transfer or download limit. However, in approximately the same price range others offer greater bandwidth. Select carefully and cautiously. There is no such thing as the tempting 'Unlimited Bandwidth'. Don't fall into it. When your site becomes a hit, then having a minimum of 1 GB of data transfer set for your website allows for greater traffic.

Disk Storage Space-Limit of Data Space

Storage is a major consideration where development matters. Many web hosts will give you space of 20 to 50 MB and many will give 100 MB space, at around the same expenses. Take ones giving 100 MB and more, or else you may have to pay around $5-$10 extra for more space of 10 MB.

Server Speed

Check the speed of the server before deciding your web host. For measuring the access speed of all aspects of access like download time, connect time, network speed, absence of timeouts and DNS lookup, use a free tool like Net Mechanic. The speed and dependability of the server will be told by the download time figures. On all your prospective selected web hosts, run a speed check on both the peak hours and the non-peak hours.

The Basic Features

Choose a web host that offers a wide array of features from the beginning. Some web hosts may charge you extra for features that they add on every month.

Multiple Domain Names-Many Domain Names

If in case you use more than one domain name, find out if your web hosting account will allow multiple hosting and if they will charge more for this service. Some web hosts do not charge anything extra for multiple domain names.

Email Autoresponders and Mail Forwarding Accounts

Ensure that you are able to forward emails from your web hosting account. If you have several websites, it becomes very easy and efficient if all your email is forwarded to your ISP service. You can then read all the mail at once, without having to log into each of your accounts. Another device that saves time and acts as a great marketing tool is Autoresponder, a program that sends any pre-written message that you want to anyone who mails you. This reduces your own workload a lot but still helps you stay connected with people and increase your publicity.

Mailing List

Verify with your web hosting company if you are allowed to prepare lists for mailing. When distributing your ezine and other promotional events or marketing gigs, this mailing list or an online, e-mail based discussion group can be useful.

FTP

This is an assistance offered by all hosting corporations. It is a main tool and lets fast and competent file flow from one site to another.

Setting up Anonymous FTP accounts

You can set up a FTP site permitting other people to access and download files that they need from that site, all with this facility. If you want people to make large downloads of free e-books or software, then creating such anonymous FTP accounts are profitable. You can always continue the download from where you had left before the file transference or download was disrupted by a disconnected Internet facility or the phone company cutting you off. This is the best part about FTP accounts which helps your download or transference after reconnection.

Using a Secured or SSL Server

You have to use a very secure server if your trade deals with financial exchanges through the site. You may require meeting extra web hosting expenses for the service but the lack of a secure server can prevent clients from coming. You need a safe server like SSL server, which lets data in a structure to be figured out before transferring it to the server from the browser. This is especially important in cases where orders are taken and personal data like card numbers are exchanged.

CGI Scripts-Scripts of CGI

CGI scripts are usually used to obtain information from any form and then this information is conveniently sent to your email account. Decent web hosting companies are bound to have a library of CGI scripts which can be used by people hosting their sites. But the best web hosting accounts will allow you to add your own desired CGI scripts and use them. Go for web hosts which allow you this provision, for even though you might think you don't need to use CGI scripts that much, you might need them later.

Highly Developed Features

Check with the web hosting company whether they are equipped with highly developed features and applications like Password Protection, Java Applets, Database Access, RealAudio/Video, and PHP which your website needs.

Backup

Almost every web hosting service will make sure to backup your web directory every day. Not providing this basic service is almost unthinkable these days. In fact certain web hosts provide you with unnecessary and unimportant backups just to make sure that your website is not lost in the melee.

Security and Assurance

It often becomes difficult to distinguish or even trust the host of available web service providers. You can make a decision with accounts offering a guarantee or schemes like a money back policy within a month, if you are dissatisfied with the services. Those web hosting accounts that offer the money back policy are usually efficient and reliable in their services.

Being Flexible-Making it easy

The worst bane for your website and business is a stagnant web hosting service. Along with the growth of your business and website, it also needs to grow. Is should be able to upgrade and provide you with facilities like storefront, a merchant account or shopping cart if you want to include newer features like ecommerce. You should be readily provided with services like your own dedicated server, a forum or more web space by your constantly upgrading web host.

About the Author

Republished with permission from WebHostingMadness.com, a publisher of web hosting company reviews, articles and helpful guides on web hosting.

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