Web Hosting Location. The importance of Location

By Staff

Whether this is your first Web site or you are considering moving your site to a new Internet Web hosting provider, you want to make sure your web presence gives you the best image possible.  The great thing is that you can find a cheap web hosting service to fit your budget without giving up quality.  It is a competitive market and with the speed that technology seems to evolve at – it is and will most likely remain a buyer’s market.  Do not be swayed by marketing hype about how you get what you pay for.  Truth is that you should expect a lot for what you pay.

So what about price?  Well, how would you like a year of free hosting?  Believe it or not, this was a real offer made by a hosting provider in January 2004.  Suffice it to say that this type of promotion more than qualifies as affordable.  What is behind the move to get the attention of small businesses and why would a provider offer this type of extreme promotion?  Small business owners represent a rapidly growing market for providers.  This was the case even when the economy was slow and is especially true now that the economic environment for growth is getting better.  The Internet continues to be an affordable, wide-open channel for ecommerce opportunity and this is driving the demand for small business web site hosting to keep increasing.  Look for an affordable solution that still offers them dependable service and support and maybe some extras, for example design and development by an experienced web designer.

Even more important than your budget, the single criteria you care about in your web site is; “does it make money for my business?”  That goes beyond finding a cheap web hosting service and includes how much you pay to have your site designed and maintained.  A good provider knows budget is important and they are eager to offer you quality and the best service package they can in a cheap web hosting service.

As with any choice you are faced with making, it pays to arm yourself with information before you sweat out the alternatives.

Find out how long the Internet Web hosting provider has been in business.  The best prices and range of services are not going to be of much use if the provider’s hosting business ends up being a fly-by-night affair.  Also, is the provider reselling hosting services from one of the major players, or are they a player in their own right?  Reselling has become a popular option – just be clear on the terms and conditions that you will be agreeing to if you elect to go with a provider that is a reseller.

There has probably been more advice written on how to get good customer service and support than any other topic related to Web site and selecting an Internet Web hosting provider.  This can actually be simple.  As to see a copy of the Service Level Agreement, or SLA.  If the provider does not have one or worse, know what it is – cross them off your list.  The SLA will give you – in no uncertain terms – a description of exactly what you can expect for the services that will be included in the package you are purchasing.

Another area to consider is the platform.  Internet Web hosting providers these days usually offer more than one alternative.  NT hosting is in keeping with why Microsoft servers and applications are so popular with individuals and companies alike.  Dedicated fans of Microsoft like the fact that they have access to a family of powerful applications that are compatible with each other.  Think about what you need for your business and how you want to spend your time.  One reason that NT hosting – especially if you select a dedicated server option – is so popular is that you do not need the system administration resources you would need with a Unix or Linux-based operating system.  Less support requirements, lower cost and more time to manage your business. 

Business related features that your Internet Web hosting provider will provide as part of your package are another area to ask about, depending on your plans for your business and how you want Web site to support it.  Take ecommerce for example.  Look for a provider that includes popular ecommerce features such as shopping cart with automatic tax and shipping charges, inventory, order status and coupons.  Also, do they offer web site performance reporting and reports that give information on product sales?

Decide what you want and ask for it.