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Web Hosting Free .info
You've finished your site and chosen the perfect (or at least the
best available) domain name. You think your headaches are
over. All that's left is to choose a Web hosting service,
upload, and you're set - right? Not necessarily. I am hearing
more and more stories of Web hosting nightmares.
Situations where the host server is down for extended
periods of time, email is inaccessible for days or even
weeks, FTP access is unavailable, domain name fees aren't
paid, and on and on. These problems can cause irreparable
damage to an online enterprise. So, what can you do? Let's
take a look at what to do if you are caught in one of these
situations and how to improve your chances of choosing a
reliable hosting service.
What to Do About Problems
While it would be unreasonable to expect no problems whatsoever
(computers and the Internet being what they are), hosting
problems should be few, far between, and of very short duration.
Unfortunately, once your site is located on a server, quick
and easy remedies are often difficult to come by. However,
as in dealing with any incompetence or negligence, I strongly
urge you to make as much noise as possible.
Contact the hosting service and ask them to immediately
remedy the situation. Ask for a time frame in which you
can expect the remedy to be effective. Take notes of who
you talk to and when. If the solution or time frame is not
reasonable or simply doesn't happen, escalate the complaint
to a supervisor or other manager.
If problems appear to be persistent, move your site. It's
cheaper in the long run. If you are unable to change servers
because you cannot receive the move confirmation emails,
contact your InterNIC registrar. There are solutions available
for problem situations. If you are unsure of your registrar,
your new hosting service will most likely be willing to
help.
Share your experiences. The Internet is a surprisingly
small place for being world wide. The willingness of each
of us to share our experiences, gives us unprecedented power
as consumers. If we each share our hosting experiences,
we can help each other avoid nightmare situations. The Web
Design Forum is a perfect place to do just that. If you
have a horror story of your own, I hope you'll take a moment
to post it there. Not only will we all benefit - but it
feels good to vent, too! Likewise, let us know if you've
had long-standing good experiences with a hosting company.
When reviewing comments (either good or bad) be sure to
note the timeliness of the post - bad services can fix their
problems and become good services, or good companies can
develop problems.
How to Choose a Hosting Service
First, identify your needs. Do you need a secure server,
CGI-bin access, Front Page extensions, streaming audio or
video, database access, or other specific capabilities?
How much server space and data transfer will you need? What
are your email needs - autoresponders, redirects, number
of boxes. How much are you willing to pay? Are upgrades
in service available in case site requirements change?
Next, I make a list of wants. Things such as domain name
registration, usage statistics, access to raw log files,
online documentation, online account access, 24/7 technical
support, and a money back guarantee.
Then comes what is perhaps the most important step....
Look Before You Leap
How can you tell if a hosting company is likely to be reliable
and responsive? Do some research. Ask around on newsgroups
or list groups and check the Hosting Experiences folder
in the Web Design Forum.
After your site is located on a server, it never hurts
to keep an eye on it. You may become aware of a problem
before it can cause damage. NetMechanic has a Server Check
service that monitors your Web server 24 hours a day, 7
days a week, sends you regular performance summaries, and
alerts you when your server is down.
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