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Choosing A Web Host Based On Price? Don't!
It's tempting. There are so many companies offering cut-rate hosting - loaded
with astounding post-futuristic techno-gizmo features ! - that it just makes
sense to save a few dollars, right?
Think again. First, consider how much you would be saving. If you run a business
site, saving $5, $10 or even $15 a month is not a big saving. No going concern
will become a stopping concern on account of even $15 a month. But the wrong web
host can stop a business cold.
Here are three reasons to look beyond price when choosing your web host.
1. Usability. Confession time: I chose my first website host based on price. The
control panel was not easy to use, and I often found myself traveling in circles
trying to enter it. I switched to my second web host based not just on price,
but on usability, and I instantly became a pro. Well, not quite. But I was able
to manage my email accounts and learn about CGI, and check my traffic stats and
edit my html files right on the server. Not bad for a newbie who couldn't even
find his files on his previous host's server.
2. Service. I thought my second host had great service. They even answered my
emails. Until the dreaded day that some guy with a chip on his shoulder filed a
phony spam complaint. I was out in the cold. In fact, they would not answer my
emails or even speak to me at all. Meanwhile, my ISP responded to the same phony
complaint immediately, sharing with me a copy and giving me a chance to deal
with it. That ISP is now my third web host. I pay a little more, but the
personal service is worth it. I have no hesitation recommending http://www.phastnet.com
to anybody who wants the assurance that they won't be hung out to dry at the
first whiff of somebody in a bad mood.
3. Reliability. When that phony spam complaint struck, my website was down for
four days. Ouch! But there are many other things that can bring down a site.
What is your web host's uptime? And how reliable is its reporting? Other things
can happen, like a form not functioning - meaning lost sales. Worse still, what
if Google comes crawling just when your site is down? Search engines don't like
sending people to unreliable sites. Companies like http://www.dotcom-monitor.com
monitor websites for a variety of measures, and the cost is nothing compared to
the cost of lost sales.
To point # 3 above, here is a real posting to a forum (with all identifiers
removed):
"I have been at number one on Google for the past several years when you do a
search for my [edited] company. However I am changing hosts at the moment and my
site was 'offline' for about 5 to 7 days before I managed to get something back
up. This lead to me completely disappearing from the Google listing!! You can
imagine my immense disappointment!!"
Sure, save a few bucks on hosting, and pay a whole lot more in lost sales and
increased stress. Your web host is your Internet landlord. Take as much time
choosing your web host as you would the place you live in. Price alone just is
not enough.
About the Author:
David Leonhardt's website is
http://www.seo-writer.net Read his SEO book:
http://www.seo-writer.net/books/seo-book.html Read his media relations plan:
http://www.seo-writer.net/books/media-relations-plan.html
Read more articles by:
David Leonhardt
Article Source:
www.iSnare.com
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