The cost of web hosting services can vary. Most services advertise monthly and yearly rates, with yearly rates typically being less than the monthly rate. You must pay for the whole year in advance, though you can usually get a pro-rated refund if you don’t use the service. Similarly, web hosts may bundle services and products into one package. You may not need all of these products or services, and you can end up paying more than you should. Here are a few tips to consider when choosing a web host.
Researching a Web Host
You should spend time researching a web host before deciding on one. Make sure you know how much they charge and what they offer in terms of customer support. The best web hosts will be available 24 hours a day and have numerous ways to contact them, including live chat, ticketing systems, email and phone support. You should also make sure you choose a host that offers support multiple methods, since issues are bound to arise.
Checking for customer support
Getting reliable customer support from a web host is crucial for website owners. Web hosts that fail to provide reliable customer support will be attacked by hackers and labeled as harmful websites. If your website is slow and prone to errors, you will lose traffic and may ruin your web resource’s reputation. Luckily, there are some steps you can take to avoid these problems and ensure you get the best customer support possible.
Uptime guarantee
The uptime guarantee of a web host is a crucial factor when choosing a company to run your website. A website is useless if it is not up and running, so a high uptime guarantee is a must-have. Previously, 99% uptime was the norm. These days, many companies offer a 99.99% uptime guarantee. But how do you know how reliable the service is? Read the terms and conditions carefully before signing up with a web host.
Security
When choosing a web hosting service, look for the following: regular malware scans and a data breach recovery policy. Security measures include monitoring the server and installing and running antivirus software. Some hosts even offer regular backups and allow clients to view scan reports. Regular file scans are a basic feature of any decent hosting plan. Ask about the security measures the hosting company implements. You may want to install software like ClamAV to keep your host’s servers safe from malware.
Conclusion:
While web hosting prices vary significantly, there are a few factors that should be kept in mind when comparing them. While many hosts will boast that they offer round-the-clock support, others may only be open from 9am to 6pm PST. Choosing a web host that offers 24-hour support is an important consideration, as downtime can have a negative impact on your ranking with the search engines. It will also harm your company’s credibility, causing sales to decrease and online customer engagement to suffer.
