Many people think that all web hosts offer the same level of service within a certain price point. This could not be further from the truth. Fundamentally web hosting is web hosting but when you compare apples to apples you will find a broad range of differences that may or may not be a detriment to your Business. Surprisingly the same web host provider that charges $5/month may have a direct competitor that charges $10/month for a comparable service plan. Below are 3 simple steps to help you determine what provider will best fit for your needs and where to find them.
1. Determine Your Price Point
Let's face it; the bottom line is usually at the top of the list, which is price. You can spend anywhere from a few dollars a month to a few hundred depending on your needs. Only you can determine your budget and what you are willing to spend so the best bet is to choose a realistic middle ground on price and then begin shopping. A great place to start is CompareWebHosts.com, Inc. This is a very well known and established web hosting directory which lists many reputable web hosting companies such as eDataRack.com, Inc.. On this directory as well as many others like them you will find providers offering shared and dedicated hosting solutions. It is important to clarify and understand the differences between the two. Typically shared web hosting is more inexpensive than dedicated hosting. Shared web hosting can be compared to apartment living. You have a large building split up into many small rooms. All of the rooms share the same pluming, electricity, etc. In other words, all of the tenants share resources which makes doing business considerably more affordable for you and the provider because you share the web server and it's resources with several hundred other accounts. Consequently a large percentage of individuals and businesses start out with shared hosting due to this fact. Shared web hosting has become much more sophisticated and reliable over the years. As a result of this thousands of Businesses have benefited from a comfortable middle ground on price and reliability, which can be a win-win for everyone. Shared web hosting prices usually range from $5-$30/month on average. Dedicated hosting can be compared to owning your own home. No one else lives in that Home accept you. You have all of the resources at your disposal. Therefore you control the performance of your web server based on the resources that your web site requires and not hundreds of other web sites along with yours as is the case in shared hosting. This type of hosting varies greatly in price as well but typically you can expect to pay any where from $99/month in upwards of $300-$400/month. The obvious benefit here is that your hosting reliability factor increases greatly as well as the control of your content and customization.
2. Determine Your Needs
What do you need? In other words, what are your requirements from your perspective web host and what are your expectations in relation to your budget? Web hosting in general has become much more affordable and competitive over the last few years but you should ask yourself some fundamental questions first. Do you require your web site to be available 24/7/365 100% all the time or can you / your Business live with a modest 99.9% up-time which is normally the industry standard for a much lower price point then a higher end SLA (Service Level Agreement) from a more expensive provider. What level of support do you need or expect? Will you require 24/7/365 phone support for technical and sales assistance or will email and or ticketing system be sufficient? Another important aspect but highly overlooked is the issue of potential data loss. Make sure that the web host you choose offers back up / restore services or perhaps at least an option to ad it or make it available at an additional cost. Many people take this for granted that it is automatic but unless you see it advertised or offered in some form or fashion on the providers plan description do not assume that it is be
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