The last time my host went into deep sleep was nearly a year ago, and yes, it has not returned since then. I got a big blow in the form of loss of credibility, clients, and some big bucks. So, while choosing your host – never get into a hurry, and never commit to conclusion jumping – simple advice is ‘Look before you leap’.
I’ll tell you how to check the credibility of your web host and what information you must have about your web host.
I presume you are not confused about the primary space and bandwidth issues relating to your web hosting. If you are confused regarding these basics, many articles suggest your needs. So, you just read on to know the art of cross-checking your host.
The first thing you must look at when choosing your host is the year of their service in the hosting industry. It carries a lot. A host coming into business just for a few months must not be trusted by more than someone with years of experience and existence in web hosting Industries. To know more about how long a company has been in the hosting business, simply make a Whois look! – You will get all the relevant information like Contact Name, Address, Contact Email and Domain Name Registration/Renewal details. If Whois’s records suggest virtually unrealistic data, you should not trust your host. Once you are convinced with Whois data – go for the next level of check-up.
Read reviews of web hosts. There are many websites offering reviews on Web hosting – so you can spend some time looking for the thoughts of your tentative host. But while reading reviews, you must remember that not all websites offer unbiased reviews, as the studies published on the website might have been influenced by the Affiliate Commission. So, you need to apply your brain to judge the merit of an examination. While reading reviews – you may see a few negative reviews of a web host as well – and you can ignore it if there are many positive reviews. Simply remember – no business has ever got 100% satisfied customers. Regarding positive reviews, you need to be careful as well before trusting them. If too many of them are within a short period, you do better looking for another host. Instead of relying on one review site, look for several places to learn more about your web hosts from different angles. While reading reviews, you should note the uptime factor, customer support
and features above anything else.
Monitor web hosts’ uptime – You can request your host to let you know a few sites they hosted and try to monitor their uptime records. You can also check the past uptime records of that host.
I’ll never advise you to pay for one full year in advance to get some gross rebate. Pay for one or two months, judge their service and act accordingly. Fifteen or thirty days of an unconditional money-back guarantee is also a reasonable offer, which you may try.
Before choosing a web host, Test the Customer Support Staff. Simply send one or two emails asking a few simple questions regarding hosting plans, server configuration, or anything else you may want to know. Watch out for the response time. If the response is within your allowed time – this must be a positive vote in favour of the respective host; otherwise, look for another company that will respond to your queries earlier. It is always better to have a host with 24-hour live support – but just keep in mind that not all hosting companies can afford such help. Also, some reputed hosts do not offer it presently for spamming.
The best way to avoid a bitter hosting experience is to participate in different hosting communities where you can share your thoughts with others, discuss web hosting with like-minded and knowledgeable persons, or get suggestions from Industry experts. Taking part in such a community allows you to judge a hosting company’s quality and commitment based on your long-term relationship.
Search for your new host well in advance, and do not make the hasty decision even if your site is down due to server outage. Otherwise, you may have to initiate another host hunt within a concise span.
Ananova 