worlddan
05-03-2003, 06:49 PM
This is my attempt to help the newbies on what can seem like an endless quest. The goal of the following list is to delineate a process; it is to serve as a road map for success. It is not designed to point out every road sign or illustrate every turnoff in the road. Different people have different needs and differing levels of sophistication. However, I do believe that if every person follows these six simple steps, they will eventually find the web host of their dreams.
Six Simple Steps to Finding the Web Host of Your Dreams
1. Determine what you want —The very first step in finding the right web host is to make a list of your needs. What do you want the host to do? Until you can answer this question specifically, you cannot find a good host. Think long and hard about this question; it is the most important one. Make up a list and write it down. The more detailed your response to this question the more effective your search will be. It is also a good idea to prioritize your list in case you have to make tradeoffs down the line. Note: Your must do this step even if at the present moment you are totally clueless about web hosting. Write down what you think you want. You can modify this list as you learn more.
2. Become a knowledgeable consumer—This is the second most important step. Do you know what overselling is? How about Perl and CGI? Mysql or SSH? What is the difference between a host and a reseller? You cannot find a good web host until you know what hosts are actually offering to you. You may never need CGI but you should at least know what it is and why it is there. If you are clueless about web hosting go to the library and read a book, do a search on Google, lurk on some boards devoted to web hosting. What seems to be common industry practice? What are the major issues facing the industry? How are they being dealt with and how does that effect your plans? You don’t have to become an expert; there are enough people claiming that status already. You do, however, need to know what you are getting when you go to a web site, look at a hosting plan, and see alphabet soup. Even if you want a lot of hand-holding from a host, the more you know the better equipped you will be to pick the host of your dreams and the more effective you will be at problem solving down the road.
3. Create a pool of candidates--O.K. So you have defined what you want and you know something of the hosting biz. Your goal in this second step is to come up with a list of about ten web hosts that meet your needs. There is no one right way to do this. You can talk to your friends; do a Google search; visit, search, and post at forums such as this one; roam around the net at random by clicking on banner ads. Whatever. Due to the fact that there are a great many hosts that exist, your main methodology is a process of elimination. Don’t be too particular about every detail for now, just eliminate those host that obviously don’t fit. Be wary of hosts that pretend to be all things to all people. While web hosting is not "rocket science," the fact of the matter is that most good web hosts will have a target market that they feel most comfortable working with. If it seems to you that most hosts you come across fit your needs then either one of two things has happened. You have either (A) not done a good job with steps number one or two (in which case you need to revisit those steps) or (B) your needs are very basic (in which case you might as well pick the first ten you come across and move on to step three).
4. Narrow the field--In this step you continue the process of elimination. The goal should be to whittle your list down to about three web hosts. Call them your finalists. One good way to do this is too look at web sites that rate hosting companies. While none of these sites is completely unbiased, looking at them can give you some insight how they are viewed by others. Do a search on this forum. Pay attention to more than just positive and negative comments; look at why those people felt positively or negatively about the company. Take out your list of needs and refer to it often. One bad post shouldn’t put you off but a pattern of negative reviews may be a problem. Be particularly skeptical of posts or reviews by people who have been with a host for a short period of time. If you cannot find much information about a host on your list it is most likely the consequence of one of the following facts: the company may be too new to have gotten much feedback, they may have only a few customers, or they are doing a good job of keeping their customers happy. Try posting a message asking others about their experience with the company. Again, keep your list of needs handy to compare their responses to your own desires.
5. Perform detailed analysis of finalists--OK. Now is the time to look at your finalists in detail. First, go back to the web site of each host and look at it very carefully. Are there spelling mistakes? Are there customer forums? Lack of customer forums should be a warning flag. If the are customer forums, how busy are they? Notice how quickly the tech support responds to posts on the forums. Notice if the tech support responds in a way that solves the problem the first time. If you are new to web hosting, don’t be scared by the fact that problems are being posted on the board. Every host has problems are one time or another; the critical thing is how they handle them. Read the TOS carefully. Are you comfortable with all the provisions in it? Make sure you understand billing and payment issues. Is there a money-back guarantee? 30 days is best but some hosts offer less and some none at all. What are provisions for server downtime? E-mail the company even if it is to ask a question for which the answer is obvious. If you have real questions, even better. Notice how fast they respond. Does the response make sense and can you understand the answer. Go back and look at your list of needs. This is where the rubber meets the road. Having a detailed list will really come in handy now. It should be used as resource to formulate detailed questions to ask the host. If the host does not do a good job of responding to your pre-sales questions, eliminate them. Do not choose a host “hoping it will get better.”
6. Follow through—Find the perfect web host does not end when you sign up for an account. Keep tabs on how the host is doing, even if your own web site doesn’t require daily management. Keep and eye on forums such as this one; they can provide an early warning indicator of problems. Keep and eye on your own host’s forums. What problems are people having and how are they being resolved. Take out a trouble ticket or e-mail them, even if it is for simple problem, just to see how they respond. Unfortunately, good hosts sometimes go bad or go out of business entirely. Be prepared for that eventuality. Always have a back-up host picked out in case you need to change hosts quickly. Periodically, go back to your list of needs and reevaluate it. Has your needs changed? If so, the host you are with might not be the best host for the future. Don’t be afraid to change hosts if your current host is not working out. Finally, don’t forget to keep yourself up to date on changes in the industry. Nothing in technology is fixed in stone.
That’s it! May your web site always be up, may tech support always respond within the hour, and may you be forever happy with the web host of your dreams.
Six Simple Steps to Finding the Web Host of Your Dreams
1. Determine what you want —The very first step in finding the right web host is to make a list of your needs. What do you want the host to do? Until you can answer this question specifically, you cannot find a good host. Think long and hard about this question; it is the most important one. Make up a list and write it down. The more detailed your response to this question the more effective your search will be. It is also a good idea to prioritize your list in case you have to make tradeoffs down the line. Note: Your must do this step even if at the present moment you are totally clueless about web hosting. Write down what you think you want. You can modify this list as you learn more.
2. Become a knowledgeable consumer—This is the second most important step. Do you know what overselling is? How about Perl and CGI? Mysql or SSH? What is the difference between a host and a reseller? You cannot find a good web host until you know what hosts are actually offering to you. You may never need CGI but you should at least know what it is and why it is there. If you are clueless about web hosting go to the library and read a book, do a search on Google, lurk on some boards devoted to web hosting. What seems to be common industry practice? What are the major issues facing the industry? How are they being dealt with and how does that effect your plans? You don’t have to become an expert; there are enough people claiming that status already. You do, however, need to know what you are getting when you go to a web site, look at a hosting plan, and see alphabet soup. Even if you want a lot of hand-holding from a host, the more you know the better equipped you will be to pick the host of your dreams and the more effective you will be at problem solving down the road.
3. Create a pool of candidates--O.K. So you have defined what you want and you know something of the hosting biz. Your goal in this second step is to come up with a list of about ten web hosts that meet your needs. There is no one right way to do this. You can talk to your friends; do a Google search; visit, search, and post at forums such as this one; roam around the net at random by clicking on banner ads. Whatever. Due to the fact that there are a great many hosts that exist, your main methodology is a process of elimination. Don’t be too particular about every detail for now, just eliminate those host that obviously don’t fit. Be wary of hosts that pretend to be all things to all people. While web hosting is not "rocket science," the fact of the matter is that most good web hosts will have a target market that they feel most comfortable working with. If it seems to you that most hosts you come across fit your needs then either one of two things has happened. You have either (A) not done a good job with steps number one or two (in which case you need to revisit those steps) or (B) your needs are very basic (in which case you might as well pick the first ten you come across and move on to step three).
4. Narrow the field--In this step you continue the process of elimination. The goal should be to whittle your list down to about three web hosts. Call them your finalists. One good way to do this is too look at web sites that rate hosting companies. While none of these sites is completely unbiased, looking at them can give you some insight how they are viewed by others. Do a search on this forum. Pay attention to more than just positive and negative comments; look at why those people felt positively or negatively about the company. Take out your list of needs and refer to it often. One bad post shouldn’t put you off but a pattern of negative reviews may be a problem. Be particularly skeptical of posts or reviews by people who have been with a host for a short period of time. If you cannot find much information about a host on your list it is most likely the consequence of one of the following facts: the company may be too new to have gotten much feedback, they may have only a few customers, or they are doing a good job of keeping their customers happy. Try posting a message asking others about their experience with the company. Again, keep your list of needs handy to compare their responses to your own desires.
5. Perform detailed analysis of finalists--OK. Now is the time to look at your finalists in detail. First, go back to the web site of each host and look at it very carefully. Are there spelling mistakes? Are there customer forums? Lack of customer forums should be a warning flag. If the are customer forums, how busy are they? Notice how quickly the tech support responds to posts on the forums. Notice if the tech support responds in a way that solves the problem the first time. If you are new to web hosting, don’t be scared by the fact that problems are being posted on the board. Every host has problems are one time or another; the critical thing is how they handle them. Read the TOS carefully. Are you comfortable with all the provisions in it? Make sure you understand billing and payment issues. Is there a money-back guarantee? 30 days is best but some hosts offer less and some none at all. What are provisions for server downtime? E-mail the company even if it is to ask a question for which the answer is obvious. If you have real questions, even better. Notice how fast they respond. Does the response make sense and can you understand the answer. Go back and look at your list of needs. This is where the rubber meets the road. Having a detailed list will really come in handy now. It should be used as resource to formulate detailed questions to ask the host. If the host does not do a good job of responding to your pre-sales questions, eliminate them. Do not choose a host “hoping it will get better.”
6. Follow through—Find the perfect web host does not end when you sign up for an account. Keep tabs on how the host is doing, even if your own web site doesn’t require daily management. Keep and eye on forums such as this one; they can provide an early warning indicator of problems. Keep and eye on your own host’s forums. What problems are people having and how are they being resolved. Take out a trouble ticket or e-mail them, even if it is for simple problem, just to see how they respond. Unfortunately, good hosts sometimes go bad or go out of business entirely. Be prepared for that eventuality. Always have a back-up host picked out in case you need to change hosts quickly. Periodically, go back to your list of needs and reevaluate it. Has your needs changed? If so, the host you are with might not be the best host for the future. Don’t be afraid to change hosts if your current host is not working out. Finally, don’t forget to keep yourself up to date on changes in the industry. Nothing in technology is fixed in stone.
That’s it! May your web site always be up, may tech support always respond within the hour, and may you be forever happy with the web host of your dreams.