Questions to be Asked to the Hosting company
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Questions to ask
Why ask web hosting company questions?
We call it "kicking the tires" before you sign up for your web hosting service. It’s important as your web host can give you the tools to build your web site and save you money at the same time. However, clearly some hosts are better than others.
We found the following questions are important to the success of your website. Make sure BEFORE you sign up with any hosting company to ask the following questions if they are not clearly stated on their web site.
TIP: It's also a good idea to ask a mixture of technical questions along with easy questions to "spot check" their answers. Believe it or not, you can learn a lot about a hosting company from a simple email.
Questions to be asked to the Hosting company:
1. How long has the web host been in business?
The length of time that a host has been in business can be related to their ability to provide a quality, reliable product. If your host can satisfy its customers, then those customers are likely to stick with the host’s service. Therefore, stay in business. There are, of course, situations where this is not applicable or becomes a bit hazy. Be sure to also inquire about whether a host has recently been involved in a merger, acquired what was once a well-known brand name, or launched a new brand. If any of these apply, then delve deeper into the story behind what has happened and determine whether quality resources are still with the company.
2. What if my website goes over the monthly transfer amount? Does my site shut down or are we automatically charged?
It's not a 100% necessity to have all three options available to you, but it certainly does make life a lot easier. Most hosting companies will send you an email and charge the extra bandwidth or allow you to upgrade.
Some hosting companies will charge you after the fact, without any prior notice that you were going over your bandwidth, and then they typically charge well above market rate for the extra transfer of data. Watch out!
3. Does the web host monitor its customers’ sites twenty-four hours per day? How?
It is important to monitor your site 24/7 because if any time your site goes down, they must solve the problem by their selves or inform you immediately without wasting any time, so that you can solve it and can prevent loss of traffic.
4. Do you Host Spammers or adult sites?
Before you pick a provider, casually inquire about its attitude toward bulk e-mail and adult sites, if the provider seems amenable--that is, it takes money from spammers or pornsters--move on. If you're sharing a machine with a spammer or other miscreant, there's a chance that whatever trouble comes down on his head could also land on yours.
5. Does the web host automatically backup customer web sites in case of data loss? How often?
Backing up web sites should be a routine part of your web host's operation. Backup is the activity of copying files or databases so that they will be preserved in case of equipment failure or any other catastrophe.
6. What else can you do for me?
Ultimately, a host should provide more than an Internet connection and a place to stash your Web site if you are out to build more than a simple personal site. The top providers can also help you design, build, and market your site. When you talk to a Web host, ask, "How are you going to help me succeed on the Web?"