As an existing or new webmaster, it may prove difficult to choose
between the available companies that provide website hosting. However,
it is not impossible to narrow down this decision if you know what
criteria are important to consider. Here are seven tips for choosing a
webhosting company.
1. Look at how much bandwidth is offered. The term bandwidth refers to how much data transfer can occur between the hosting servers and the visitors of the site. If you get a lot of traffic, you may need a lot of data transfer available to handle it.
2. Find out how much storage is offered. Depending on how much data your site comprises, you may need a greater number of gigabytes of space to store the files. That can include audio, video, pictures, text, the .html pages (such as the home page and other pages of the website), and so on.
3. Determine whether the host also does domain name registration. Some hosting companies offer to help you register a dot com, dot net, or other web address. This is called a “domain†or a “domain name.â€
4. Package deals often provide a major discount, so check to see if any are offered. Often not only the bandwidth and storage are included in a package, but they may include other things. For instance, that can be things like email services for your site and its administrators, domain name registration, marketing tools, and more.
5. Research the reputation of the company. Are they brand new? That is acceptable as long as they have at least a few customers who have been with them and been satisfied. You can usually find that out by reading reviews online about the company in question. You can also try reviewing the forums on the actual website of the host. Generally, problems that people may have will come up here, and you can see if they seemed to find their solution.
6. Investigate a little on the customer service side of things. One quick way to do this is to send an email to, or if available call the phone number of the hosting company. See if you get a response and if so what kind of response. You can do this before you begin doing business with the company. The reason this is advisable is because it gives you an idea of how the company functions and whether they will be there should you need assistance.
7. Last but not least, try a trial run. Remember that you are not required to stay with a certain web host indefinitely. However, it is a good idea to give every company you work with a good solid try. That means not being hasty. Try them out for a reasonable period of months or a year. If it seems to go well, stay with them. If not, tell them what bothered you and see if they can fix it. If they can't, move on to another company.
1. Look at how much bandwidth is offered. The term bandwidth refers to how much data transfer can occur between the hosting servers and the visitors of the site. If you get a lot of traffic, you may need a lot of data transfer available to handle it.
2. Find out how much storage is offered. Depending on how much data your site comprises, you may need a greater number of gigabytes of space to store the files. That can include audio, video, pictures, text, the .html pages (such as the home page and other pages of the website), and so on.
3. Determine whether the host also does domain name registration. Some hosting companies offer to help you register a dot com, dot net, or other web address. This is called a “domain†or a “domain name.â€
4. Package deals often provide a major discount, so check to see if any are offered. Often not only the bandwidth and storage are included in a package, but they may include other things. For instance, that can be things like email services for your site and its administrators, domain name registration, marketing tools, and more.
5. Research the reputation of the company. Are they brand new? That is acceptable as long as they have at least a few customers who have been with them and been satisfied. You can usually find that out by reading reviews online about the company in question. You can also try reviewing the forums on the actual website of the host. Generally, problems that people may have will come up here, and you can see if they seemed to find their solution.
6. Investigate a little on the customer service side of things. One quick way to do this is to send an email to, or if available call the phone number of the hosting company. See if you get a response and if so what kind of response. You can do this before you begin doing business with the company. The reason this is advisable is because it gives you an idea of how the company functions and whether they will be there should you need assistance.
7. Last but not least, try a trial run. Remember that you are not required to stay with a certain web host indefinitely. However, it is a good idea to give every company you work with a good solid try. That means not being hasty. Try them out for a reasonable period of months or a year. If it seems to go well, stay with them. If not, tell them what bothered you and see if they can fix it. If they can't, move on to another company.
