Web Hosting Comparison Shopping

Comparison Shopping - Web Hosting Plans

Top Ten Tips for Web Hosting Comparison Shopping

Website Hosting Tips

I'm going to go out on a limb and wager that most people probably wouldn't buy a house or car without comparison shopping online. Heck, you probably wouldn't buy a $70 pair of sneakers without shopping around. Yet many of us think nothing of moving forward with a web hosting agreement with no sense of what the average going rate is, and no true grasp of what we're ultimately paying at the end when the next renewal invoice comes due.

Americans' attitude toward web hosting is, at times, laissez-faire when you consider the average webmaster spends $100 a year on it -- too big a cost to overlook.

One of the most costly mistakes? Assuming that the attractive discount that catches your eye and influences you to sign up -- if you're lucky enough to have one -- is always going to be available for you to count on, later on down-the-road when your billing cycle is over. Depending on your web host and where you are in the calendar year, it may make better financial sense to forgo an up-front discount and pursue a more expensive web hosting plan in order to lower the net out-of-pocket cost that will occur as time goes on. Or for the surprisingly low number of webmasters on the W3 that are lucky enough to find a web host with discounts that are recurring, take advantage of discounts that are advertised at random times throughout the year, transfer your domain and move your site to the new host in order to grab the recurring discount that offers you the ability to lock-in a low rate.

While some webmasters saw significant increases in eCommerce throughout the last year, it was not an indication that web hosting fees will be reduced.

Ten tips to use when comparison shopping for a web hosting provider:

Choose recurring discounts. Pay attention to the fine print when choosing a web host because of discounts or promotions. Some web hosts will offer attractive pricing only to sneak in a clause that says something to the effect of "Pricing reflects 20% off first invoice." What does this mean? Well, when your web hosting account comes time to renew, the price will jump to a higher price leaving you surprised and bewildered when your credit card statement comes in. Choose a web host that offers discounts that are not due to expire after the first billing cycle. Choose a web host that offers recurring discounts.
Choose a web host that offers server-side security. The top web hosting firms offer hard-wired firewall's, software firewall's, proprietary anti-virus and anti-spy ware software, back-up power supplies, lock-down server rooms, elevated servers, staff background checks, algorithmic encryption, redundancy and the latest in updates and upgrades. Does your web host offer McAfee security on their web site? This is a tell-all sign that your host takes security very seriously.
Choose a web host that offers free private SSL. Some web hosts do not offer SSL certificates, or they offer only "shared" SSL certificates. If you are running an online store, you will most likely need your own private SSL, so choose a web host that offers it for free with their upper end web hosting plans.
Choose a web host that offers dedicated IP addresses. A private/dedicated IP address will be beneficial for SEO, better e-mail delivery, and allow private SSL certificates for secure eCommerce.
Choose a web host that offers domain registration and domain transfers. Many people choose to pay for their own domain registration simply to avoid conflict over domain transfer and to keep their future web hosting options open. It is not mandatory to transfer your domain name from your current registrar to your new web host in order to host your web site, but it is much easier to manage your domain and your hosting under one roof.
Choose a web host with North American technical support. Pick up the phone and call. Does your web host transfer their phone lines to a call center in Bangalore? If so, you might want to re-consider that web hosting firm. Choose a web hosting provider that offers US-based and available 24/7/365.
Choose a web hosting provider that offers free site-building tools and content management systems. Many of the top web hosting firms offer site building tools, content management systems, blog software, bulletin boards, hundreds of site templates or a complete blank slate. You don’t have to buy extras when you plan ahead and select a web host that offers these goodies. Some of the most popular ones are Joomla, WordPress, and Drupal.
Choose a web host that offers unlimited web hosting. How much disk space do I get? As much as you need. As much as you want.
Choose a web host that offers green power generation. By utilizing a green web hosting provider, not only are you doing your part to minimize the negative effects that the Internet has on the environment, but you are able to market your web site to your clients as "hosted by green power". This could be a good trust builder for those clients that are on-the-fence.
Choose a web host that has experience in the internet hosting industry. With the seemingly unstoppable numbers of new web hosts entering the market every day, it is beneficial to choose a web host that has experience in the industry.

Perception is reality on the world wide web, and if site visitors perceive that your web site has integrity, and your delivery of services or products demonstrates that you’re a trustworthy businessperson, you'll see more and more repeat sales – even if you lose money on a return on that first sale.

Build trust with site visitors and you'll build business with site visitors. It doesn't get any simpler than that. To build trust, you need a web site that over delivers in terms of up time, speed, security, and of course - support.

See, that wasn't so hard. Pick up the phone (assuming there’s a telephone contact option) and start asking questions. The fact is, your web host is your on-line partner.

Pick a good one.

Is Your Green Web Hosting Company a Good Business Partner?

Posted in Choosing a Host

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Is Your Green Web Hosting Company A Good Business Partner?

Website Hosting Tips

Ethics in Web Hosting

It Sure Better Be!

Why?

Because your web host is your partner in on-line success. Look, there are lots of options available when you start shopping around for web hosting services. You can go with a free hosting site. Only problem is those freebie hosting services make their money by placing their ads on YOUR website. And you have no control over what ads appear on your site.

Not good. Especially when quality hosting services are available for as little as $7 a month. You lose more than that in the couch! So, hosting is NOT a place you want to cut corners, even if you’re taking your first plunge into the world wide web. Especially if this is your first digital endeavor.

Now, there are low-cost hosts but these companies have to cut corners somewhere. So, tech support is 12 time zones away from the server where your web site resides – or used to until you got the dreaded 404 error message when you logged on to your own web site. Site not found! What the heck?

Or, these companies scrimp on things like security, leaving your web site more vulnerable to hacker attacks from the server side – from your low-cost web host. However, you don’t have to spend a bucket of cash to find a hosting company that maintains multiple layers of security, protecting your site from malware injections from the server side of your business.

In any on-line endeavor, whether your selling products, services, or just getting out a message to the world, your web host IS your on-line partner so it pays to choose wisely.

What should you look for in a good W3 partner? What should you expect from the green web hosting company you choose? A lot and plenty of it.

1. A client-centric corporate culture.

This includes everything from humans who answer the telephone when you call with a question to fair pricing to a tool box full of free goodies.

You want a hosting company with a long lineage of web hosting experience. Anyone can buy disk space and resell it. Anybody can buy a server and cram 2,500 web sites onto that server. Are these the kind of digital partners you want for your new launch? No.

You want reliability (a 99.9% uptime), longevity in the web hosting space (experience), and a business that recognizes that YOUR business success is essential to the hosting company’s long-term success.

This is a mind-set that starts at the top and infuses virtually all aspects of delivery of hosting services – from delivering more for less to fixing problems within minutes. This client-centric approach to web hosting should be a critical part of your research and your decision to partner with a hosting company.

You want to partner who’s as engaged in the success of your web site as you are.

2. Security like you wouldn’t believe.

Quality hosting companies are current on the latest viruses, the fastest hacker tactics and the latest black-hat scam to come down the Information Superhighway.

So, to fend off attacks from hackers, crackers, script-kiddies and other bad guys, your web-host-web-partner maintains a hard-wired firewall, firewall software that’s updated regularly, anti-virus software that protects your business assets and anti-spyware software that keeps key-loggers at bay, protecting your on-line business.

You can protect your business network at your end. You should protect against everything from analog theft (someone walks off with a laptop) to subversive viral attacks in unchecked emails (scan it first), but if your web host doesn’t deliver server side security, you’re much more susceptible to attack – a headache you just don’t need.

3. A complete web site tool box – FREE!

Starting a web business shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. It should be available to anyone with the imagination to envision success on the web – and that’s millions of us all around the globe.

A good, on-line partner, your web host, should provide virtually all of the tools you need to launch a web site and build it to profitability or some other measure of success.

Look for web site templates to eliminate the cost of a pricey designer – and not just a few cookie-cutter templates. Your web host should offer hundreds of options, and the really good ones offer thousands of template options that you can customize so they don’t look like a template site.

How about a free shopping cart and secure checkout. That’s a “must-have” for any commercial site and you want it free. Same with a database, client management software, expandability, customization and integrated solutions to routine, on-line activity. Free.

Before you sign on with any host, check to see what the toolbox looks like. You should find everything you need to build a site, launch a site, promote a site and manage daily operations – and all in modular form so each piece of the on-line business puzzle slides right into place.

4. Partnership Benefits

A good business partner brings something to the table – something you can use to your advantage right from the start.

Low-cost and high levels of client care are certainly benefits but what else does your web host bring to the table? How about specialized features you can use – like “green hosting” – a web host with a commitment to the environment and employs green technology to generate the juice, cool the servers and run the office. By going green, you make a statement about your own corporate culture and company values – an important part of building an on-line brand.

How about U.S.-based client support and make that 24/7, please. You know that some web hosts only equip clients to contact home base through email? Is that your best choice for an on-line partner? When your site is down? And you don’t know why?

You want to talk to a techie who can walk down the hallway, provide the security data required to enter the locked-down server room, and fix the glitch that took your site off line. When your site is off line, you’re invisible to both site visitors and bots and if either is unable to access your site, you’re in a heap of trouble.

Look for cost savings opportunities. For example, does your host save you some start-up cash if you pay a year in advance? Take advantage of the savings because, with any start-up, cash is king. Can you buy more server space as your business grows without having to move up to a more expensive tier? A good host will let you grow a gigabyte at a time without gouging you with increased monthly fees that eat away at your margins.

How about a free, 30-day trial period to see if you can make this thing fly? A good partner doesn’t lock you in to some long-term deal, either.

Some web hosts take your money and run. Trying to get a hold of top-level tech support is like going through a root canal. So, what does your top-choice web host bring to the table?

5. Easy to get along with.

You want a partner that’s easy to get along with – is helpful and always there.

You want a web host that’s interested in your web-based success. These companies deliver lots of free goodies, security, customization and free and easy access. You want a knowledgeable human being with endless patience to answer the telephone – someone who will work through your questions, provide answers and solutions when you need them, which is like yesterday.

You want to do your research before choosing any web host. It shouldn’t be a decision that’s based on cost because you can get quality hosting at a low monthly cost in this highly competitive realm of the W3.

Read the terms of service. Take a test drive of the administrator’s console and build a test web site the way you want it. And when you have a question or run into a problem, you want a partner who will answer the phone, provide the answer and fix the problem.

Take your time. Choosing the right web hosting company is probably the most important decision you’ll make in the early stages of business growth.

Take your time. Read the corporate culture. And go with a green web hosting provider that works hard for your success. After all, isn’t that what you want in an on-line business partner.

It sure should be.