There are quite literally thousands of web hosting providers, offering a variety of packages. As with any industry, there are companies that take their customer service seriously, and then there are those that are simply out to make a quick buck.  To make sure that the hosting provider you choose is a reputable company, it is helpful to know what you can expect from them in terms of customer service. There are a few industry norms that separate the good from the bad. Knowing what these things are can save you a great deal of time, money and frustration.

Server Uptime

Because of the global environment, it is important that your website is accessible to customers 24/7. This means that your hosting provider needs to have a reliable server platform that has a 99 percent uptime. Inevitably, there will be times when a server will go down but this should only be for a few minutes and certainly not for hours or days at a time.  Any time that a customer cannot access your website means that you are losing out on business.  The customer could simply assume that you are no longer in business and move on to your competitor instead. It is therefore essential to the growth and health of your business that your website has maximum and consistent uptime.

Server Maintenance

Technology is constantly changing and evolving. The frustration of many computer users is that as soon as they upgrade their hardware or software, new technology becomes available. For this reason, it is important that the hosting provider you choose performs regular maintenance. This would mean checking that the server is operating at its maximum efficiency. It may also require that from time to time the server hardware and software are upgraded.  You will be able to establish if this is the case with your hosting provider by finding out what server they currently use and when it was last upgraded. Most hosting providers upgrade their software every few months and their hardware every year or two.

Server Management

Most websites are hosted on shared servers. This makes hosting more affordable for more companies and provides web hosting companies with a way of maximizing their resources. An important aspect of shared web hosting is to ensure that none of the websites use more that their allocated amount of disk space. If they do, this could slow down the entire server and affect the uptime and accessibility of other websites on the same server. A good web hosting company will manage the disk space allocation so that this does not happen too frequently. Often, they will recommend that the client exceeding their disk space upgrades to another hosting package which will give them more disk space.

Anti-virus and Firewall Protection

A hosting provider should be diligent about virus protection on the server. Every day, new viruses and other destructive programs such as trojans and worms are created. It is therefore essential that daily updates are run on the server to ensure that it stays protected. This is a dead giveaway of a hosting provider that is less than reputable. They may try to tell you that virus protection is solely your responsibility. Don't believe them. A good hosting provider will have firewall and anti-virus measures in place in addition to whatever you have running on your system.

Troubleshooting and Help Desk

When you run into trouble with your website, you want to have access to help immediately. A good hosting provider will have a help desk that is manned by knowledgeable professionals who can help you troubleshoot and solve your problems. You should be able to reach them by phone or email and get accurate answers to your questions right away. Remember that you cannot afford any downtime on your website so it is vital that you are able to resolve any website problems immediately.

Service Upgrades and Hosting Package Migrations

It is rare that your hosting requirements will remain the same forever. Often as your business grows, you will require more disk space and added server features or benefits. A good hosting provider will be able to provide you with other hosting options that you can migrate to with minimal effort and expense. They should also be able to make recommendations on what packages will be best suited to your business based on how they see your website operating on your existing package with them.