There are a lot of web hosting options available on the market today, and it sometimes seems like the only thing they compete on is price. So if you are new to web hosting, it is easy to see why you might just think to go with the cheapest option available. But there is more to it than that – here are a few things to lookout for.
Server location
Where your site is location may not seem important, but it is. If your server is located in the same country as your target audience, the major search engines will be likely to rank you better in that country. Also, your website will load fastest for people in that country.
PHP features
Not every host has every aspect of PHP and other languages installed. If you just want a simple static site this shouldn’t be a problem, but without PHP you will be limited in what you can do. Also, some parts of PHP may be disabled by some hosts, such as URL support for example. Make sure you have all of the languages that you need for your site.
Support
It’s the sort of thing that you shouldn’t need very often, but if you have a high traffic site, technical issues can be a big deal, and knowing that you have access to fast support is essential. If the support is email ticket only, you might be stung by slow response times – especially if it is office hours only.
Up time
Look for a guarantee of uptime. No host can guarantee 100% uptime, but 99% + is to be expected. Aim for more than 99% if you can though, as this still equates to your website being unavailable for 88 hours per year. 99.9% uptime is great if you can afford the extra cost.
Bandwidth
Storage space provided by web hosts is so much more than most websites need that you probably don’t need to worry about it. Even a large website is not likely to take up more than a couple hundred MB… But if you get a lot of traffic, it is worth keeping an eye on your usage of bandwidth. Some hosts will make your site unavailable as soon as you reach your traffic limit. This shouldn’t be an issue for a new site, but as your traffic grows, you’d best be aware of the issue.
My name is Muzammil Bashir. I’m the Senior Editor of whoishostingthis.com– Visit our website to see the latest and Go Daddy reviews and DreamHost reviews.
Tags: bandwidth, php features, server location, support, uptime
