Why You Should Work With Reputable Web Hosting Firms

Do you know who your web host is? Many website owners do not know any more about their web hosts than what they see in front of the veil of the web hosts own site. But what is behind the veil? Does the company actually provide quality service? Or are they a cheap no-name hosting company that may likely bail on you if the going gets tough?

The web hosting industry has exploded over the last couple of years. This is largely due to the Web 2.0 where everyone has a blog, and e-commerce websites are growing in popularity, web hosting services are in great demand. To meet that demand many new web hosting companies have sprung up in the US and around the world.

But why should you stick with a big-name host rather than a new company offering a cheaper deal? There are many reasons. The first comes in the form of a question: what would you do if all your web files, including html pages, databases, images, etc, were lost or damaged?

Web servers have been known to crash, just like your own personal computer. Data and files can be lost. And a good web host will have a file backup procedure in place, both daily and weekly, that can easily restore your files and keep your website running in case of emergency.

Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous web hosts that do not back up their clients’ files. Even worse, cases have been reported wherein web hosts have essentially help these files for ‘ransom.’ How do you get your file back you may ask? By paying very steep ransom fees.

What You Should Search For in a Quality Web Host

There are four factors to consider when performing due diligence on any web hosting provider. It is important that these points are addressed before signing up for an account.

Customer Service – This element is critical. We are hope that the web server will run smoothly but things can happen, and support is all that stands between you and downtime. This may result in a loss of sales, traffic, and it can even impact your search engine optimization. Test out the support features before you buy. Call the web host, or email them, to see how quick they respond.
State-of-The-Art Data Center – Like a car, if the motor does not work, regardless of how shiny and beautiful the car may be, it is essentially of no use. This translates to the data center of a web host. If their data center is not owned and operated by the hosting provider that you are considering, they are at the mercy of a third party. If their servers do not work, or experience disruption, their promises of service are not worth the web page they were written on. It is best to choose a web hosting provider who not only owns, but utilizes a secure state-of-the-art and data center.
Length of Establishment – The length of time that a web host has been in business is a testament to their overall business practice. A web hosting provider that has a decade of experience will know how to cater to their clients. However, a new start up has not yet proven themselves, and/or experienced a period of growing pains which could cripple their clients.
Total Clients Served – If a web host has several clients they have little to lose. However, many web hosts server millions of clients, therefore, they essentially have a vested interest in running a respectable operation.

Your website, whether personal or business, is important to you. However, it must also be important to your web hosting provider. Actions speak louder than words, thus do not always take a web host at face value. Perform in-depth research and ensure you are only working with a reputable provider.

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