We start with an assumption that you have finally decided to take your first business steps on the virtual world that is the Internet.
And to get started on that direction, you have decided to set up a website.
Research on setting up a website has revealed to you that one of the first things you need to do is sign up with a web hosting company, with whom you will be hosting your new website.
And now you are looking for advice on how to select a good web hosting company; so as to increase your chances for success on your new online project.
To help you in that direction, here are some five questions you need to ask, before signing up with a web hosting company.
1.
How much hosting space will they be giving you? This is what will determine how big a website you can make.
If the website you are looking to create is one that has potential to grow into a very huge, thousand-page affair, this is definitely something you should think serious about.
The hosting space is nowadays measured in terms of gigabytes (GB).
You could find one web hosting company giving 1 GB space, while another one gives 10 GB with yet another one giving 100 GB.
The more you can get, the better.
But then again, you need to ensure that you are not paying too much for hosting space you will never use.
The best web hosting companies give you a generous standard web hosting space, and then tell you that for every extra GB you will need in the future, you will have to pay X dollars.
2.
How much bandwidth will they be assigning you? This determines how many people can visit your website without your having to pay extra for it.
While still thinking of this, it is also important to try and understand how much traffic the hosting platform can accommodate without starting to crumble.
That is especially an important consideration if what you are looking to set up is a high traffic website affair.
Even where they tell you that they will be giving you 'unlimited bandwidth' you need to probe further to establish what the 'catch' is.
3.
What do they have, in terms of customer support? Do they have phone support? Is it a toll free number? Do they have email support and how long does it take for them to reply to tickets? Do they have instant messaging support (live support)? And do they handle technical issues on it, or is it just for sales purposes? These are things you need to know beforehand.
4.
How easy is it to defect from them (without losing much) in case you decide to use another web host in the future? Do they, for instance, let you own your domain name, or do they 'purchase the domain for you' - thus effectively locking you in? 5.
How much do their services cost? And does their cost structure make economic sense given what you are likely to get out of the website? Can you get the same services (or better services) elsewhere for less money? These are things you need to establish.