Australian Webmaster Blog

To me there are 3 key things to look for in a host. They are:

1. features,
2. reliability, and
3. support

I don’t feel that either one of these factors is more important than the other, they are each critical to the success of your web site.

Features

This is an obvious one, the host must be able to provide the features you require.

In todays market though most hosting companies ultimately provide the same features with perhaps a few minor differences.

The only real major consideration is whether you require Windows hosting or Unix hosting – this is generally dependent on whether you are running any scripts with specific requirements. Unix hosting is the most common and cost effective however certain scripting languages (e.g. ASP.NET) will require Windows hosting. The general rule is to go Unix unless you have specific Windows requirements.

You also need to consider the number of sites you intend to run as there are often limitations on the number of domains permitted, some only allowing one.

Finally you also need to decide on Shared, Reseller, VPS or a dedicated solutions. Even if your requirements are minimal at the moment it may be wise to consider your future requirements as well, e.g. can you upgrade from Shared hosting to a dedicated server down the track.

Reliability

Let’s face it, if your host is up and down like a yo-yo then you may as well not have a web site. You never know when that next sale or opportunity will come in. If your site is down then you can miss that chance.

The only real way of measuring a hosts reliability is through reviews and feedback from existing and previous customers. When reading reviews be mindful of negative comments as those complaints could be based on unrealistic expectations – make sure negative comments are supported and relevant to your specific requirements – rarely will you find a perfect host. The best places for reviews are typically forums, see Australian IT, Webmaster & Business Forums for suggested forums.

Some hosts will publish their uptime statistics however be aware that this can be only relevant to one server and not to all server’s they manage.

Some hosts will also offer a guarantee not to exceed a certain amount of downtime, and should it happen they will refund part of your hosting fees. This can show a commitment to providing uptime.

Support

I think this is the key to finding a good host. In theory if the reliability is there then the support shouldn’t be needed however you almost always need support as some stage.

Again without actually trialling the host the only real measure is through reviews and feedback. Again negative feedback shouldn’t necessarily rule out the host – try to understand the particular situation and see whether the complaint would be relevant to your circumstances.

Other considerations

Price

Some may argue that price is a factor as well. Personally I feel that the cost of the hosting should be insignificant as cheap hosting could cost you more in lost revenue and stress than paying a little more to get the reliability and the support.

Hosting Locally

If you are located in Australia having your web site hosted in Australia can be of significant benefit. This can include better support, better performance and even better search engine rankings.

If you have anything to add, please let us know in the comments.