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Selecting a web hosting provider |
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When considering a web host, always check the following:
- Good quality customer support. This should include 24 hour/7 day support and short hold times when calling. Someone should answer the phone with in 10 minutes.
- Back up and disaster recovery should be included.
- Is a Service Level Agreement ( SLA ) for guaranteed up-time available? This is typically expensive.
- What is the provider's reputation for quality and up-time in the community. There are many websites that allow people to post reviews, rate, vote on various providers.
- What is the value for the price of the service.
- Is web hosting a core competency for the provider? Do they strive to improve their service and keep pace with Internet security issues and Internet industry changes. Changes in this industry happen very quickly, which makes it easy to fall behind.
- Is the provider acting as a reseller for another web hosting company? If they are, what is the quality of the wholesale web host? Are there any situations that would require the reseller to work on technical support issues with the wholesaler? If such a situation arises, what is the time frame to resolve the issue?
- What is the quality of the data center? Do they have redundant equipment? And redundant connections to the Internet? It does not do any good to have the equipment running without a working Internet connection. What is the quality of their connection(s) to the Internet? Are they connecting to an Internet backbone?
- How hard or easy is it to switch providers if the need occurs.
- Does the provider offer any extra features to make things easy for the customer? For example, providing tools to manage software upgrades and securing the website.
- Are they software-vendor neutral? Do they allow the installation of software products from multiple vendors?
- If considering hosting on equipment within your own office, then apply the same criteria above to your organization and determine the total cost of ownership.
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