How to Choose a Web Hosting Service!1. Support. Is there really anybody there? Send them a question by email and see how long they take to respond. You want to know if they'll be there when you need them. Some offer 24-hour support and a few will respond quickly. Speedy customer service is rare and indicates a superior service. I think that this is the single most important consideration. Also, check out the quality of their online documentation.
2. Server performance. You want a server that is reliable and fast. There is a free tool available that allows you to evaluate this before making a decision! NetMechanic.com will measure the speed of access for all facets of access (network speed, DNS lookup, connect time, download time, and absence of timeouts). The "download time" statistic is the most important single item to compare. Collect your list of candidate hosting services and run side-by-side tests of all the candidates. Sample during peak and non-peak times for optimal comparison.
3. Are they familiar with the application you plan to use? If you're planning to use a particular application that requires special setup parameters (such as Online Merchant, a popular online store), make sure your potential host is familiar with the application. Otherwise you may find yourself spending a great deal of time trying to figure out how to configure it - perhaps never succeeding!
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Madtiger Corby Northants Northamptonshire , NN17 2RD United Kingdom Phone: 44-8707 606 919
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| Plan Details | |
| Plan: | Free |
| Plan URL: | |
| Plan Type: | Shared |
| Platform: | Windows |
| Price Per Month: | 0.00 |
| Price Per Year: | 0.00 |
| Setup Fee: | No Set Up Fee |
| Non-Profit Discount: | |
| Disk Space (MB): | Unlimited |
| Extra Disk Space: | n/a |
| Bandwidth Allowed: | Unlimited |
| Extra Bandwidth: | n/a per GB |
| Backup Frequency: | Daily |
| Account Setup Time: | 1-2 hours |
| Minimum Contract: | No minimum |
| Money Back Guarantee: | 0 |
| Email Accounts: | Unlimited |
| Email Autoresponders: | Unlimited |
| Email Aliases: |  |
| Web-Based Email: | |
| Account Features | |
| Databases Supported: | MSSQL, Access, ODBC |
| Server Component List: | asp upload, jmail, CDO |
| Control Panel: | |
| FTP: | |
| FrontPage® Support: | |
| Telnet Account: | |
| SSH Support: | |
| SSI Support: | |
| ASP Support: | |
| Cold Fusion Support: | |
| PHP Support: | |
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| CGI Support: | |
| Perl Support: | |
| Shopping Cart: | |
| Merchant Account: | |
| Realtime Credit Card Processing: | |
| SSL: | |
| Adult Content Allowed: | |
| Free Domain Parking: | |
| Free Domain Registration: | |
| Private Servers: | |
| Raw Logs Available: | |
| Graphical Web Traffic Reports: | |
| Java Virtual Machine: | |
| Steaming Audio: | |
| Streaming Video: | |
| Network and Servers | |
| Connection Speed: | Multiple OC12 |
| Server Hardware: | Dell Poweredge |
| Server Software: | Windows 2003 .NET |
| Sites per Server: | bandwidth dependant , |
| Technical Support | |
| Business Hours: | 9am - 5pm |
| Technical Support Hours: | 24/7 |
| 24 Hour Technical Support: | |
| Tollfree Technical Support: | |
| Technical Support by Phone: | |
| Technical Support by Chat: | |
| Manuals Available: | |
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| Did You Know? |
Solving Common Problems with Hosting CompaniesSolving Common Problems with Web Hosting Companies
by Robin Nobles
For those of you with Web sites, you probably know what a "host" is. It's a company that provides a location, or address, on the Internet where your Web site resides.
In other words, just like a physical business needs an address, so does a Web site. You can't have a Web site and just "stick it up" on the Web. Unless you want to set up your own server, you have to go through a hosting company who gives you that address, including server space and bandwidth, that enables the search engines and visitors to find your site.
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