How to Pick a Web Hosting Company

Buying hosting can be intimidated especially for new web developers. New web developers often feel overwhelmed when it comes time to find a hosting provider. There are almost too many options to choose from! How will you ever choose between them? Thankfully there are a few hints and tricks that you can use to make the process easier and faster.

The process of choosing something online is not all that different than the process of choosing something offline and hosting is no exception. Choosing things to purchase doesn't change. Here are a few hints to think about when you are making your decision.

Do you have specific FTP needs? If you have no idea what FTP means you will probably be fine with one of the free, web based host companies out there. If, however, you foresee needing to upload a lot of different types of files you will want to find hosting that will accommodate that. Some hosts provide you with web based FTP programs and applications. Other services require you to use your own FTP program.

You should choose a hosting company that allows you access to its FTP application if you don't want to have to worry about doing your own file transfers. On the other hand, if you want absolute control over how your files are uploaded and accessed, choose a host option that will let you do your own FTP through your own software.

Explore the customer service options.

Make sure that your potential hosting provider has live customer service reps that you can speak with. Investigate the customer service levels by calling the customer service number listed on the company website. The agents should know what they are talking about and be able to help you even with obscure problems. Good customer service does not consist of simply transferring you from agent to agent until you give up and hang up your phone. Make at least a couple of calls to each company to ensure that you haven't simply gotten an agent who is having a bad day. Another popular customer service option is live chatting. If you are someone who does not like to sit on hold or talk on the phone, you will want to choose a company with a live chat option. If the company does not offer a way to contact their customer service department or only offers you a short tutorial guide or FAQ page, move on to the next company that you are considering.

Take some time to examine how the company does business. Larger companies will probably be listed with local business bureaus. Do some checking into the company's physical location-make sure that the headquarters listed on the company site is registered with that city and state. Find out if the company is listed within the Better Business Bureau. Companies worth your money will not have a lot of complaints lodged against them. You should also avoid a company that does is not registered with a city or state. Even sole proprietors and freelance web hosts are supposed to register their businesses with the local authorities. Do not trust any company offering web hosting that cannot be verified through legal means.

There are all sorts of criteria that you can use to help you choose a hosting company. Your priority might be good customer service. You might want to protect against down time. You might require a lot of server space. You could be worried about the cost of hosting. All of these requirements will help you narrow down your choices and pick the hosting provider that is best for your project.

Don't be afraid to take your time to extensively investigate each of the companies that you are considering using for your project. It is better to go slowly and be sure than to rush and risk getting taken advantage of.