How to Choose A Web Host
As more and more businesses start to go online, the Internet service industry is exploding. Web hosting is no exception to this. Everywhere you look there is a new company offering their "unbeatable solution" to your web hosting needs. If you do not know what to look for, finding the right host can turn into a major chore. One of the questions I get most is

Should I have my ISP host my site or should I go with someone who specializes in web hosting?
One of the key issues in choosing a web host is speed and reliability. When you use an ISP they have to provide bandwidth for people viewing web sites as well as people who are dialing in to access the Internet. Wouldn't you rather go with a company that specializes in hosting web sites and uses all available bandwidth to provide you with the best possible service. The answer is simple. Companies that only provide web hosting and not dial up accounts can provide you with a much more reliable hosting service.

However, just because they specialize in web hosting does not mean they are going to give you a fast and reliable service. You have to dig a little deeper to see if what they are offering is what you need. You can find out most of what you need to know by going to their web site or asking them a few questions.

What kind of connection do they have; ISDN, T1, T3, etc.?
If they do not have at least a T3 connection to one of the major backbones then look elsewhere.

How long have they been in business?
This is not too important but it does help you to get a good feel for the company. If they have been around for a few years then they must be doing something right.

Do they offer any type of money back guarantee?
A lot of the more reliable companies will give you some kind of guarantee on their service. This is a good safety net and at least allows you a month to find out if they provide everything they claim to provide.

Ask them what their downtime has been.
If they know what they are doing they should have a 98% - 99% up time. Nothing is more annoying than to work hard on your site and spend long hours advertising it only to have your web host down at a crucial time. All of these things should give you a good idea of how reliable their service is.

Test their technical support
Another very important thing to look for, that goes hand in hand with reliability is their technical support. E-mail them a question and see how long it takes to get a response back.

Try calling them and see if you get a warm body or a cold machine. If you do get a machine, leave a message and see how long it takes them to get back to you. When you are having problems with your site it is very frustrating to have to wait days for a response.

What else do they offer?

How much space do they give you?
Most web sites never use more than 10 or 15 megs of space, but if they offer you more, great! It never hurts to have extra space for your clients or for the future expansion of your site.

Find out if they will let you purchase more space if you end up using up what they originally provided you with.

Do they offer a secure server for online transactions?
If you are going to be selling anything on the net, security is very important. Most people will not order online unless it is a secure server.

Do they provide you with a CGI-BIN?
Most professional web sites are going to use cgi programs to some extent, so make sure that they provide you with a cgi-bin that you have full access to.

What about bandwidth restrictions?
Many hosts will charge you extra when you start to get a lot of traffic, so this is an important thing to check out. Find out if they provide unlimited bandwidth or are they going to charge you more as your site becomes more successful.

There is a lot to consider when choosing a web host and I hope this helps you narrow down your search.

Keep in mind the most important aspect of any company you choose is integrity. There are many companies that can tell you that they offer everything you need, but do they really?