How to Find a Good Web Hosting Company?

Finding a web hosting company is very easy. But finding a reliable web hosting company is tough. If the offer is too good to be true, then most likely it really is. From this article, you are sure fire way to have some advantage when you are looking for a web hosting company. Whether it is shared web hosting, VPS, Reseller or a Dedicated Server. I assume you know what different types of web hosting mean, so I won't go into the definitions.

If you are new in web hosting, I recommend, check the following article in "Wikipedia", on 'Web Hosting' before you start your journey.

URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_hosting

Some of the things you need to be aware of

The points below are very serious, and you must not fall for them.

- Sign-up/Payment Page is not secure. (e.g. no SSL, takes you through an un trusted payment gateway)
- Unlimited Resources*
- There's no other way to contact a web host besides email.**
- Web Host protects it's domain with private registration.
- Asks for SSN or other confidential data.
- Asks for payment information on the web page (e.g. PayPal User id and Password).

*Unlimited Resources
If the price sounds too good to be true for the amount of resources you are getting, then probably it is. In the web hosting industry it's a popular marketing gimmick. Do not pay much attention to the quantity than you really need. But focus on reliability, support and server up time. Request a network uptime report if you have to. If you see this kind of offer on an unknown company, then avoid it. But if you know a company who provide good support and are reliable, then you are good to go.

**Web Hosting Support
Whether a web hosting company is run by an individual or a team. You must have more than one way to contact the company. For example, in an emergency if you have to call the company owner's home, then you should.

Running a Background Check

If you spend just 10 minutes of your time, you will be able to avoid a lot of hassle that might pile up later. My recommended methods are:

- Check how long the web host has been online. (added by maccrazy of SitePoint Forums
- Reverse IP Check

Check how long the web host has been online

You can easily do this by performing a simple domain name whois check.

- Go to http://www.google.com/
- Search for "free domain whois"
- Click on a result.
- WHOIS the company domain name.
- In the WHOIS information page, you will see the date when the domain was registered, along with its contact information.

If the contact information are private or goes to a PO.BOX, it's best to avoid them. There are tons of good hosts to choose from.

Reverse IP Check

This trick is very useful and it can help you find a more trusted company.

- Go to 'http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/web-sites-on-web-server/'
- Enter the domain name of the web hosting company.
- It will list most of the web sites hosted in that server.

- If you see any other web hosting company in the same server, then it is a reseller web host.
- If you see just the company domain name, then most likely they have a Dedicated IP Address, a VPS or a Dedicated Server.
- Read the web host's testimonial page and reverse ip check their client's domain name as well.

More information you gather about a company, better it is for you.

Should you choose web hosting from a reseller web host?

It's a common question everyone ask. The answer to this question is quite simple too. Yes you should. Here are some good reasons why:

- Resellers get special deals. So, you will actually get better features than the parent company for lower costs.
- If the parent company is reputable, then you can trust their data center, server up time, location and technical support.
- In most cases Reseller company's support staff are faster to resolve a customer's issue. For example, if you submit a ticket to a big company, it might take few minutes to days. But a reseller company is small in customer base, so it takes less time to solve a problem.

Ask the web hosting company if they are a reseller and how they are different from the parent company. I believe that, there's no shame for a company to admit that they are resellers.

How to test a web host?
It is very wise to try out any thing before you buy. For example, you wouldn't necessarily order your birthday cake from a bakery without trying a piece first. Similarly, look for web hosting companies with Unconditional money back guarantee. There are lots of web hosts, who might have clauses on how or when you can get money back. Most common one is:

- Money Back only when the company is at fault.

Basically the above statement means, if you leave the web hosting company in your own terms, they will not issue a refund. It's a trick to rip you off. But an unconditional guarantee is, you get full refund for leaving a web host within a fixed amount of time (e.g. 30 Days).

Here are some ways to test a web host.

- Ask them questions.
- Confirm their money back guarantee.
- Ask questions on how they offer such good deals.
- Ask for network uptime report.
- chapter from SitePoint Forums suggested:
-- ask about their Internet network connection providers and whether or not they choose fastest path or cheapest path.
-- ask whether or not they have any certifications like SAS 70 Type II for the data center.
-- ask what (if any) bandwidth shaping and restrictions they will place on your service.
-- review their MSA and SLA. Will they stand behind what they sell.
-- carefully compare their service with others - little differences can make a big difference in performance, reliability and security.

Some other tricks and advice
- Ask if there are any coupons. Do not sign up for the offer listed on the web site. Few minutes can save you a lot of money on web hosting.
- DO NOT SIGN UP with a web host without reading their Terms of Service and Acceptable Usage Policy ever.
- Don't fall for the marketing gimmicks. Worry about what you need, and what you are getting. Remember reliability, support and up time comes first.

Should you rely on a web hosting review site?

From my experience, you shouldn't. Because these review sites basically charge the web hosting companies to list them on the top. So, there's no guarantee if the reviews are even genuine. It's best to Google Search a web hosting company or ask around in the community forums. I highly recommend SitePoint Marketplace and SitePoint Forums for user reviews on web host.

If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to find me at Sitepoint Forums.

I hope you enjoyed this article, and I wish you all the best.

Source Citation

Discussion Thread: http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=576432
maccrazy: http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/member.php?u=24975
chapter: http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/member.php?u=291931
SitePoint MarketPlace: http://marketplace.sitepoint.com/
SitePoint Forums: http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/