Ideal Features of a Web Host

Finding the ideal web host means considering several factors. Today there are so many web hosts available. And anyone is able to set up web sites these days due to advances in the technology and the decrease in costs to do it.

With so many to choose from, where do you begin? Consider the following options to narrow down your choices.

The first quality of a web host to consider is cost. When it comes to web hosts, free ones are not your best choice. You will need to plan on paying a fair price to get what you want and need. That doesn’t mean outrageous prices. Because of the competition that is out there, you should be able to get a good one for about $150 per year.

The next quality to consider in choosing a web host deals with their support. An ideal support system includes availability by phone or the internet, chat or e-mail, and accessibility to help programs. This needs to be convenient 24/7. For all of these methods, they need to be knowledgeable and customer friendly. The web host must also guarantee to be live at all times. That means you need to question whether they have back up server capabilities.

The rest of the features to consider have to do with what you need to have a quality web site. For example, a good web host will have cPanel. This allows you to set up your e-mail, install scripts, manage your files, etc. through a web interface. Normally the cPanel includes an installer called Fantastico for bulletin board software and others.

The ideal web host will also allow unlimited e-mail accounts. You may desire to have an e-mail address for different aspects of your business so if not unlimited, make sure at minimum it has multiple accounts available.

There may be times you will want to get to your site from a computer other than your own. In this case, it is necessary for the web host to have online file management.

For the times when you need to upload numerous files in a short time, you will require to have File Transfer Protocol(FTP).

For most people, it is critical to be able to have more than one website. If this is you, make sure the web host allows multiple domain hosting. In many cases, they offer benefits to have more than one or they will regularly charge a minimal rate for unlimited web sites options.

Consider the future of your website. Plan for increases in traffic and in your site by making sure the web host allows growth. More than likely you will upgrade your website some day and it would be better if you don’t have to change web hosts at that time.

Any prosperous business needs to track its performance regularly to look for improvement or changes needed. Ideally, a web host will include statistics software and web logs. This will make it simple to analyze.

Finally question if a backup is part of the package. If not, is it available separately and for what cost? The web hosts will vary according to what is backed up so inquire about that too.

With this knowledge, you will be able to choose a high quality web host that will offer what you need for your situation. You will also have the security that you made a wise decision in choosing it.