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If you want to set up a website, there’s one important aspect that you need to organize first. I am, of course, talking about hosting! In a nutshell, you have to “rent” space on a Web server hosted by a company somewhere in the world.
Type in “hosting” into Google and you’ll come across millions of results. As you can imagine, there is an almost limitless supply of Web hosts out there! You would think that selecting one for your needs is simple. The problem is that there are both good and bad hosts online.
It’s crucial that you choose a Web host that is reliable, trustworthy and won’t let you down. This quick guide will show you how to avoid getting ripped off by a Web host.
How does the host treat its customers?
A measure of a company’s professionalism is often found on their social media profiles. You can gauge their level of customer service through Facebook and Twitter, for example.
It’s also worth doing some online research. Check what other people say about the host on forums and review websites.
What do you get for your money?
The sad truth is that many people fall for certain marketing techniques. What they don’t do is determine what level of service they receive for their money.
If you sign up with a Web host, there is a danger you could expect a feature that isn’t offered in the price. The last thing you want to do is spend money on lots of “optional extras” for your hosting package!
The good news is that most Web hosts make it clear what’s offered in each hosting solution. If you visit VPSServer.com, for instance, you’ll see exactly what gets included. You need to make sure you consider only reputable hosts like them.
What exactly does “unlimited” mean?
I’ve come across plenty of hosts that offer unlimited disk space and bandwidth. Did you know that “unlimited” usually means “with some exceptions”?
Such providers will usually have some kind of fair use policy. The trouble is; they determine what is fair – not you! Quite often it’s hard to find out what the true limits of each package are. You might get lucky and find out from their terms and conditions. Otherwise, you’ll have to ask them the question outright.
In my experience, it’s best to avoid such hosts. Let’s face it; there’s no such thing as a free lunch!
Is a money-back guarantee real?
Some hosts may claim to pay you back if you’re not happy with their service. As you might expect, there are plenty of conditions attached to such “guarantees.”
In a nutshell, those claims are usually made to entice new customers. In practice, hosts seldom honor money-back guarantees.
What happens if you use up your resource quota?
Eaten up all your disk space? Chewed through your bandwidth quota for the month already? When that happens, one of three things will occur next.
First, you’ll get a notice from your host about your quota usage. The second is you might have a “suspended” website. Or, third, your quota gets upgraded. The third scenario sounds good until you realize they bill you extra without your say-so!
Make sure you find out what happens so that you’re not ripped off by any surprise charges.
Good luck!
