Are you trying to get a presence on the Web, but don’t know where to turn? Confused with all the different options available? Having problems with your current Web host? Here are a few tips on Web hosting. These tips can save you time, money, and aggravation.

What to look for in a Web host:
  • Secure Server Capabilities.
  • Virtual Hosting. This allows you to use your own domain name (yourcompany.com) rather than using your Web host’s domain name with a subdirectory (Webhost.com/yourcompany/).
  • Fast Servers. The Web host you choose should have at least a T3, or 4.5 MBPS (megabits/sec), connection to the Internet. This is important because your income is directly proportionate to the speed at which your Web pages load. There is no such thing as a server that is too fast!
  • How much space do they provide? Most Web sites don’t use more than 10 to 15 MB of space, but it’s good to know that there is plenty of room for future expansion.
  • Unrestricted CGI-Access. Most professional Web sites need to use CGI-programs at some point in time, so be sure that you have full CGI-bin access.
  • Public and Private FTP Access. Most Web hosts will allow you to use FTP to transfer files back and forth between your local computers and your Web server. Insist on it! You may also want public FTP access (e.g., for free downloads).
  • Telnet/SSH access. Without either Telnet or SSH access your options are limited. You will have to rely on the Web host to do some basic maintenance for you. Some Web hosts say that limiting Telnet/SSH access helps them to keep out hackers. While this may be true, if it affects you getting your Web site up and running, the cost may be too high. SSH is the secure version of Telnet.
  • Web Based Administration. Most quality Web hosts provide a Web based administration interface that allows you to manage your server via the Web. This is a great feature for those who do not consider themselves technically inclined.
  • Access To Raw Server Logs. This is an important feature because you will need access to this information in order to analyze you Web site traffic. Your server logs can tell you exactly how much traffic your site gets every week, how long visitors stay, where they are coming from, how they move through your Web site, and much more!
  • Full Email Services. Including Web-based email, POP mailboxes and unlimited email aliases. Don’t pay extra for these features, as they are standard with good quality Web hosts.
  • Power and Daily Server Backups. A top-notch Web host utilizes a power backup system and performs daily backups of your web site (i.e. backups that are done to an external device in case something happens to the hard drive of the server you are on). This ensures that you will never lose anything should the hardware crash or a natural disaster occur.
  • No Minimum Contracts.
  • How long have they been in business? While this question isn’t vitally important (as the internet has been around only since 1994), it should help you to gauge how the company is doing. If they have been around for a couple of years, then you can safely assume they must be doing something right!
  • What is their downtime? A Web host who knows what they’re doing should be up 99% to 100% of the time! There is nothing more frustrating than having your Web site go down in the middle of a new marketing campaign. Your Web site is your business!
  • Technical Support. Tech support should be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by either email or phone for emergencies. Try e-mailing a question to check how long it takes to receive a reply.
  • Services/Scripts/Software. A quality Web hosting company should not only have an extensive library of scripts that you can use to add guest books, forms, statistics, etc… to your site, they should also be prepared for e-commerce with shopping cart software, merchant account setup support, real-time processing availability, and more. They should also support Java, Shockwave, and FrontPage extensions.
  • Security. Many of the smaller Web hosting companies pay little attention to critical security issues, and don’t have the money for quality firewalls and intrusion detection sensors. A quality company’s personnel should be knowledgeable in recognizing and dealing with potential security risks 24 hours/day.
  • Be sure that you are not being charged for extra services.
  • Optimal Redundancy and State-of-the-Art Technology. Utilizing N+1: No single point of failure on the entire network.
  • Full Money-Back Guarantee. A high quality web host has full confidence in the service they provide. No questions asked.
  • Testimonials. Always look to see what other customers say about their services, and how satisfied they are. This will give you a clue as to their over-all quality.
  • Competitiveness. A good quality web hosting company will offer all of these services and more at competitive prices. They also may give free bonuses and other offers (e.g. free web hosting and domain names w/web design or for e-commerce web hosting).
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