
Web hosting companies seem to have increased exponentially over the last few years. There used to be only a handful of brands in this space but now there are so many new names that it's hard to keep track. The nature of the service makes it difficult to try them all for comparison so most people do the next best thing: read web hosting reviews. When browsing through these articles, be sure to scan for key information that can truly help you evaluate their worth. Some of these are listed below:
Main Features
Most feature lists are carbon copies of each other, particularly when it comes to shared hosting. These are the basic packages that aim to deliver the bare minimum at the least cost. It is essentially a race to the bottom. However, VPS and dedicated hosting packages tend to be more creative. If you are planning to purchase either of these, then be mindful of the features included in the service. Note how much resources are allocated per account including processing power, storage capacity, memory, upload speed, and so on as indicated in the web hosting reviews.
Customer Service
If you have billing issues, questions or comments, then you should be able to talk to company representatives right away. Check the various options for contacting support staff and the times when they are available. Most offer phone, chat and email support. Speaking to them by phone is still the most preferred method as it yields the best results. The staff should also be knowledgeable regarding policies and technical matters, able to respond quickly to inquiries and eager to follow through until all issues are resolved. Companies that go the extra mile according to reviewers should immediately be elevated to the list of viable candidates.
Uptime Guarantee
Servers are made up of numerous hardware and software components that must work in harmony. Sometimes things break down unexpectedly, leading to serious downtime. Businesses that depend on their website know that time is gold. If your site goes down, you would want to know what happened and how long it will take to fix it. Web hosts offer an uptime guarantee so that you can have greater confidence in their service. For example, if the guarantee stands at 99.9%, then any downtime that exceeds 0.1% should be compensated according to the contract. Read up on their reliability according to web hosting reviews.
Green Tech
Servers are mission-critical devices that are expected to be online 24/7. This is a hard task for any piece of machine and harder still for the grid that supplies it with power. Data centers consume a large amount of energy every day both due to the servers themselves and the HVAC systems that try to prevent them from overheating. Many in the industry have recognized the need to cut down on energy consumption. They have slowly migrated to green technologies and practices in the data centers.
Price
Of course, potential customers would want to compare prices from different companies. Don't dismiss small differences in monthly fees as they can become significant over time. Gaps that seem like spare change can build into hundreds of dollars after they are multiplied by many months. Keep in mind that most web hosts offer two-year contracts or longer. Check the discount offers when buying in bulk.
Extras and Freebies
Some companies that seek to make a mark do so by providing their customers with extra features and freebies. These could be additional security measures, marketing coupons, website builders, and so on. The result could either be pure gimmickry or a genuinely compelling package. The web hosting reviews will probably have different opinions on the matter. This one is for each individual customer to decide. Finally, Before you decide on any hosting company, be certain to check their BBB rating. It might surprise you.
Analyzing Web Hosting Reviews >
Main Features
Most feature lists are carbon copies of each other, particularly when it comes to shared hosting. These are the basic packages that aim to deliver the bare minimum at the least cost. It is essentially a race to the bottom. However, VPS and dedicated hosting packages tend to be more creative. If you are planning to purchase either of these, then be mindful of the features included in the service. Note how much resources are allocated per account including processing power, storage capacity, memory, upload speed, and so on as indicated in the web hosting reviews.
Customer Service
If you have billing issues, questions or comments, then you should be able to talk to company representatives right away. Check the various options for contacting support staff and the times when they are available. Most offer phone, chat and email support. Speaking to them by phone is still the most preferred method as it yields the best results. The staff should also be knowledgeable regarding policies and technical matters, able to respond quickly to inquiries and eager to follow through until all issues are resolved. Companies that go the extra mile according to reviewers should immediately be elevated to the list of viable candidates.
Uptime Guarantee
Servers are made up of numerous hardware and software components that must work in harmony. Sometimes things break down unexpectedly, leading to serious downtime. Businesses that depend on their website know that time is gold. If your site goes down, you would want to know what happened and how long it will take to fix it. Web hosts offer an uptime guarantee so that you can have greater confidence in their service. For example, if the guarantee stands at 99.9%, then any downtime that exceeds 0.1% should be compensated according to the contract. Read up on their reliability according to web hosting reviews.
Green Tech
Servers are mission-critical devices that are expected to be online 24/7. This is a hard task for any piece of machine and harder still for the grid that supplies it with power. Data centers consume a large amount of energy every day both due to the servers themselves and the HVAC systems that try to prevent them from overheating. Many in the industry have recognized the need to cut down on energy consumption. They have slowly migrated to green technologies and practices in the data centers.
Price
Of course, potential customers would want to compare prices from different companies. Don't dismiss small differences in monthly fees as they can become significant over time. Gaps that seem like spare change can build into hundreds of dollars after they are multiplied by many months. Keep in mind that most web hosts offer two-year contracts or longer. Check the discount offers when buying in bulk.
Extras and Freebies
Some companies that seek to make a mark do so by providing their customers with extra features and freebies. These could be additional security measures, marketing coupons, website builders, and so on. The result could either be pure gimmickry or a genuinely compelling package. The web hosting reviews will probably have different opinions on the matter. This one is for each individual customer to decide. Finally, Before you decide on any hosting company, be certain to check their BBB rating. It might surprise you.
Analyzing Web Hosting Reviews >