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What you need
to know about your web host...
While the most important features to look out
for in a web hosting space provider are - speed,
reliability, uptime, robustness, security -
there are some finer points you need to consider before
you make that vital decision.
1. Website space - Mail Account
space: Out of the space that you book, some hosts
will allot a fixed MBs for your email accounts. If for
instance you book 10 MB server space, a host may allot
a fixed 5 MB for website hosting and
the rest 5 MB for email accounts. In case you do not
use your website based email address or want the flexibility
of sharing your hosting space between your
website and email accounts, you should go in for a host
that provides this flexibility.
You wouldn't want to be stuck if you wanted to add
a few more pages that may take your website size to
5.2 MB!! Neither would it be good to have a mail of
6 MB from a client be bounced back if you are using
only 3 MB or so for your website.
2. Type of Email Accounts:
Some hosting service providers give
sendmail accounts while others give POP3 accounts. What's
the difference?
With sendmail email accounts, it works best to setup
only the catch all email account on the email client
application ( like Outlook Express, Eudora) on your
desktop. This may be a disadvantage when you have separate
accounts for each department or employees.
If you want individuals in your company to have separate
email accounts and to have the ability to access their
mails from their email application, you want a host
that provides POP3 accounts.
3. Number of Email Accounts:
How many email accounts does the hosting service
offer? How many do you need and how many will you be
needing, say 6 months down the line? Consider these
factors before you make a decision.
4. Hidden Costs: Some
hosts give a stripped down version, that is webspace
without permission to use certain scripts, programming
and databases. So, while at the outset, it may seem
like you are getting the same web space for a lot less,
you may actually end up paying the same amount or even
more if your site requires the use of certain scripting
languages and databases.
5. Site Uploading:
Nearly all website developers who offer webspace services
will upload your site at no extra cost. There are some
though who would charge and would usually have a good
reason for doing so. You may want to consider this factor
too before you decide.
6. Trial: Some hosts
offer a trial period while others don't. If you are
booking several MBs of server space or want to be doubly
sure before you get tied down to a service provider
for an year, you may want to go with someone who offers
a trial.
List down the features you require and how much space
you need. Find out webhosting service
that can meet all your specifications, calculate how
much it is going to cost you per year, do a simple cost-benefit
analysis and make a decision. |
