How many times have you thought about having an email address with your business or website name in it for more marketing exposure? This is one of the basic extras that you can get with a good cheap web hosting company.
Read on for some of the other features you should look for, and how you can get the best hosting for a rock bottom price.
You can almost always save money on your web hosting by paying in advance. Discounts for multi-month and yearly packages are common. However, you don’t want to lock in with an unreliable host. Try out a new host for a month or two before you lock in a long-term commitment, and check out the cancellation and refund policy beforehand.
Most web hosts have various add-ons for their packages, however, the features offered varies host by host. When comparing the services offered by each host, ensure that the package you compare from each one contains the feature(s) you need. For instance, you may find that the lowest-priced provider no longer holds a cost advantage and you must choose a higher-priced package for the feature that you need.
When searching for the right web hosting service, you need to remember the importance of a website running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without constant technical interruptions. Do your research, and know which companies are not just available and cheap, but reliable enough to trust with keeping your website up and running.
Not only do you need to select a good web hosting company, but you need to select the right package. Usually the more expensive the package, the more bandwidth you receive as well as disk space. Disk space is important because it is where all of your pages and site information is stored. You need a large amount of disk space in order to have an advanced site.
You should keep a backup of your site on your computer or on a flashdrive. In case your web host is encountering major issues and you cannot have access to your data, you will be able to switch to another host by simply uploading your site to a different server.
Find out if your web host service supports videos. Videos take a lot of storing space and bandwidth, and you might have to spend a lot for a plan that supports videos. You can save money by uploading your videos to YouTube for free and embedding them on your website.
Think about setting up your own server if you want to save money. You will have to invest in hardware and learn how to operate and maintain your own server, but this also means you will not have to pay a monthly fee and have to rely on another web host.
If you want to have an e-commerce website, look for a host that offers this specific kind of service. Other services might not have the same security features. E-commerce features might be a little more costly, but they will allow you to create a site that looks professional and can support the kind of traffic you need.
When trying to find a web host, make sure that you check out the testimonials. These provide you with an excellent idea of how every company deals with certain situations. You get to witness what other people think of their services. However, be careful, because some hosts fake testimonials on their sites. Testimonials that do not provide a link to the customer’s own website are very likely to be faked. A host with many legitimate positive testimonials should be considered.
Before deciding to ditch your current web host and go for one that is cheaper, consider the software platforms of other companies. You will want to make sure that they are compatible with your current provider, so that you can easily transfer or replicate your files. Save yourself some real headaches by choosing carefully.
Find out what kind of other websites your service is hosting. If you notice that a lot of spammy or unreliable websites are hosted alongside with yours, most search engines will be more likely to rank your site lower because of this. Remember that your business will be associated with the host you choose.
Before you pick your web hosting site, search online to learn more about the company background. Look for companies with a long history and a good background. Ideally, the provider should have at least one year of experience. You want to be sure they are going to be around for a while.
Be wary of review sites that are also affiliates of a web hosting company. While affiliate marketing is a legitimate sales approach, if a site is being paid a commission for sales of a product or service, they are more likely to review it favorably. After all, they will not make any affiliate money if nobody makes a purchase. Instead, look for user reviews or recommendations from friends and family if you want unbiased opinions.
Cost should not be the only thing you look at when comparing web hosting solutions. Take the time to find out more about different features so you get a better understanding of what a good host can offer to your site. A good deal depends on the cost and the different features offered for this price.
As you can see, there are tons of web hosting companies out there. However, they are not all the same, and with the tips above, you are better-equipped to evaluate them and choose the one that offers what you need to make your online business more successful. How’s that for getting your money’s worth?