Does your web hosting plan really matter? This is a question pondered by many people starting out in internet marketing. Unfortunately, not much thought is put into selecting a web hosting plan as part of the website development process. Many people don't even review hosting plans at all, they just trust their web designer or web developer to choose a web hosting plan for them because they consider it a minor factor that doesn't matter too much. In reality, a web hosting plan is one of those things that doesn't really matter and doesn't come to attention unless there is a problem with it. So, if you get lucky and incidentally get a decent web hosting plan without considering your options, you probably don't think choosing a web hosting plan is a very important aspect of website development. However, if you've had an inadequate web hosting plan, or you've been burned by a fly- by-night web hosting company, you may view the selection of a web hosting plan in a different light. The main things to consider when choosing a web hosting plan are: 1. Security 2. Speed 3. Space 4. Email capabilities 5. Reports 6. Administrative functions 7. Reliability 8. Support 9. Extra features 10. Cost Security The security features of a web hosting plan's servers is important to website development, especially if your website will be an ecommerce website through which customer payments or processed, or if customers will be transmitting personal information to you via your website. Without a secure server, customers may be hesitant to transmit personal and financial information through your website. Encryption capabilities and the ability to set up a dedicated secure server for your company are security features you should look for in your web hosting plan. Speed The speed at which your website loads is very significant in e- business. When people visit your website, if it takes more than a few seconds for the site to load they will get impatient and move on, forgetting your website altogether. When you evaluate a web hosting plan, be sure to ask the web host what type of internet connection they use to ensure that it is a high-speed connection. Space The space that your web hosting plan allows for your website and the bandwidth that is available for your use matters. In most cases, any web hosting plan provides adequate space for a standard website, but make sure that you can increase the space provided for your web hosting plan if necessary as your website evolves. Bandwidth restrictions can hinder the ability of website visitors to download or upload data. Email Capabilities Email capabilities should be included in every web hosting plan. The number of email addresses provided, the ability to use email aliases, and the ability to set up autoresponders are things to be considered. Also, restrictions on the size of files that can be sent and received or stored on the email server can be of importance. Reports Access to server logs and other reports regarding website activity should be standard features of a web hosting plan. Using such reports aids in your marketing efforts as you can tell where your traffic is coming from and which marketing mediums are producing results. You can also determine which of your web pages of most popular and which ones are not being visited. Administrative Functions Sometimes a web developer serves as a webmaster, but for the most part, a website owner needs to be able to quickly and easily make changes to the website. This is accomplished through the administrative features of a web hosting plan, generally on online accessible control panel. Reliability The reliability of the company that provides your web hosting plan is crucial. The length of time they have been in business, their percent of uptime, and their backup and data retrieval practices play a big part in whether or not your web hosting plan is reliable. Downtime results in lost business, so reliability is a critical consideration. Support Technical support is something that should definitely be a part of a web hosting plan. Different web hosts will have different levels of support with some offering person-to-person phone support while others respond to email or online requests. Some provide 24 hour technical support and others don't. Find out about the quality and convenience of technical support that is provided before selecting a web hosting plan. Extra Features There are many standard features that should be provided in a web hosting plan, then there are options that may cost extra. A full- service web hosting plan may cost a bit more than limited plans, but may be worth it. Some of the features to look for include FTP access capabilities for the purpose of sharing files and support for software you may use for your website. Cost Of course cost is important when choosing a web hosting plan; however, it is not the most important consideration. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for. So, cost should be factored into your decision but going with the cheapest web hosting plan is not always the best idea. Also, free web hosting plans are usually not worth having. |
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