If the weakest link in a company's chain is their web host company, then that link needs to be impro...

1. Tips, Tricks And Pointers For Selecting A Web Host
If the weakest link in a company's chain is their web host company, then that link needs to be
improved for the company to be more successful. If you do not have prior
http://www.xara.com/us/web-designer/ programming experience, many of the options and add-ons
will not make much sense and can make web page hosting seem much more confusing than it really
is. When things seem messy, we sometimes make a random purchase decision instead of doing a
proper evaluation. The following hints and tips provide you with valuable information on what to
look for when choosing search engine optimisation services sussex a web page hosting service, so
you can make informed and financially sound decisions.
Avoid web hosts that experience frequent outages. Any web host which has many outages, or makes
up lame excuses for their downtime, is not going to be reliable. Recurrent outages are indicative of
incompetence, unprofessionalism, and unpreparedness.
Avoid choosing the cheapest web-hosting service out there, and certainly think long and hard before
you go with a free one. If you are running a business online, your reputation can be severely
damaged if you choose an unreliable hosting service. In addition, the free ones will often have
advertisements that make it obvious you are not willing to pay for a basic service that is important to
your livelihood.
When searching for a reputable web host, you should aim to find one that has all the important
documents. These include terms of Service, Acceptable Usage Policy, and Privacy Policy. These
documents are meant not just to protect the host, but also the users. Ensure that when you find
these documents that you look over them really carefully. If you can't find these documents on a
host's website, then you should look elsewhere.
If you want to run an online business, you should know that your web page hosting service is going
to represent your main investment. Even if this service seems costly in comparison to the other
expenses related to your business, keep in mind that the success of your site will greatly depend on
a good host.
To prepare yourself for the experience of using a free web host, get used to the idea that you will
have a lot of downtime. Staying up all the time takes some specialized equipment that free hosts
don't really have the budget for. As a result, your site may be down more than it is up.
Make a list of all the programming languages you and your team are liable to use, both now and in
the future, when developing your pages. Make sure your website hosting company supports them all.
You simply cannot create a streamlined user experience with insufficient support for your content.
Additionally, if later you want to use a language that isn't supported, your web host might not be of
help to you. Changing web hosting companies can be a time-consuming and irritating process.
If you are just experimenting with web design, look for free web hosting services to get your feet
wet. Although free services come with a number of limitations, if your website is purely experimental
and recreational, this might not matter much to you. Go for a paid service when you decide that web
design is something to which you want to commit.
Before you decide on a web host, examine your needs carefully. Subscription rates and features vary
widely among web hosts. For instance, if you do not need e-commerce, there is no point in paying

2. extra for a hosting plan that includes that feature. You need to know what type of content you will
publish on your site in order to find the right web host that offers the features that you need.
When deciding between a Linux and Windows hosting package, you should consider the technologies
that your website will be utilizing. If you plan on using PHP, Perl, MySQL databases, or other
technologies that are generally associated with the Linux operating system, then you should obtain a
Linux hosting solution. On the other hand, if you plan to use ASP, Cold Fusion or Microsoft Access
databases, then Windows will be the ideal solution for you.
If you own and operate several websites, it can be to your advantage to choose one web hosting
service that allows you to have "add-on domains." Many hosts will give you the ability to have
unlimited domains added to your main account at no additional fees. This can save you a lot of
money, as well as time going back and forth between multiple accounts.
You should verify that all of the data that is stored on the web host's servers is adequately backed
up. This is particularly important if you are running an online business, and need to store customer
information on databases located on the web server. Ask what precautions are in place in the event
of a fire or natural disaster. Make certain that the servers are redundantly backed up in different
geographical locations.
When you are faced with the new to transfer your existing service to a new web host provider,
consider using a file transfer service to make the change much easier. It can be very time-consuming
to do it one file at a time, and fraught with dangers of accidentally losing valuable content. The
software you will need is called FTP (file transfer protocol) client software. There are various
providers on the Internet and most are reasonably priced.
If you have chosen to change to another web host, do not cancel your existing account before you
have established an account with the new host. You will need access to both your old and new
accounts in order to transfer your web files from one host to another. So, keep your old account
active until the transfer is complete.
Investigate the legal terms of your host. At a minimum, a web hosting company should provide a
Terms of Service, Acceptable Use Policy, and a Privacy Policy. These documents are vital because
they let you know what limits you may face, from payment plans to bandwidth and CPU usage. Be
wary of any company which makes these documents unavailable or difficult to find.
Choose a reliable and trustworthy host. Some servers hosts questionable websites your I.P. address
will be associated with. This means your site could be banned in certain countries or by certain users
because of the content present on the server you share. A good host should be selective about the
kind of client they have.
Selecting a web host is important to anyone who has an online presence. It's important to choose a
host who will be there when you need them, offer the services you want now and in the future.

3. As you can see from the above article,
it is possible to keep your website
active while you switch to a different
hosting company. If you understand the
transfer process and what you have to
do beforehand, then there is no reason
why you should lose a second of
downtime. Apply the advice from this
article to help you switch hosting
companies without having to worry
about your website going offline.