Selecting a Quality Web Host

When selecting a professional web host, your first consideration should be the company. Check out their background. Talk with some of their customers and ask them if they've been satisfied with their service.

How many customers do they serve?
What is their uptime percentage?
Do they require you to make payments in advance?
Do they charge set up fees?
How is their customer support? Test them.
Do they offer fast connections?
Do they offer shopping cart software to process your orders?
Can you upgrade free of charge?

Web hosting prices vary greatly. When selecting your host, make sure you're getting exactly what you're paying for. Keep in mind, a lower monthly rate will not benefit you if your site is down a lot, slow, or customer service is poor.

Basic Criteria for selecting a host

Selecting a professional web host is a very important decision. Make sure you do your homework and ensure the host you select offers exactly what you need.

Your own domain name (www.yourname.com)
Your own True POP email account - name@yourdomain.com
Fast, low overhead, Multi-T3 access
Your own unrestricted cgi-bin
Access to SSL Encryption for secure transactions
Java, C, C++, Tcl support
Autoresponders
htaccess Password Protection for your files
Design (and upload to) your site using Netscape or other HTML editing software
Microsoft Frontpage (98) Server Extensions for those utilizing FrontPage
Unlimited free access to your server via Telnet/FTP
Online invoices, account tracking, and payment history to enable you to check your account balance, monthly invoices, past payments, etc.
Complete daily server backup
Easy access to your log files
Statistics on visits to your site

Free web hosts are great for hosting a personal website, but not recommended for a business site.

Copyright © Shelley Lowery

Web Design Tips is an excerpt from the acclaimed Web Design Mastery web site design course - Professional Web Site Design Made Easy - with hundreds of copy & paste codes. Visit the Web Design Mastery site to download your free chapters (77 pages)... Get over 150 professionally designed web site templates free with your purchase of Web Design Mastery. Click here to get started designing your new site now.

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