With businesses using the internet more and more, and millions of websites being launched, web hosting has become a very lucrative business. However, to be considered a good web hosting company the facilities provided need to meet at least most, if not, all of the following criteria.
Sufficient Band Width and, if possible, unlimited Traffic are important features for a business website. Traffic is the heart and soul of an internet business which sells a service or a product. The various file types and sizes that are capable of being uploaded increases the flexibility of the website. More file types and very little limitation on the file size can be an important feature. File Transfer Protocol, the ability to upload a file from one computer to another, is a must have capability. This gives the owner more flexibility to add content to the site.
The disc space allocated to the website on the server should be capable of supporting a quality website. Having the capacity to allow an increase of the disc space, if needed in the future, is a factor the host company should take into account. At least 5MB of disc space initially is a reasonable start.
A major feature that customers could look for is the reliability and up-time. The information upload time should be at least above 99.5% with 99.9% being optimum. A site that is constantly down or slow to upload can be very frustrating for the visitors to the site and could lead to the owner losing customers. Offering to back-up the information on a regular basis also adds value to the offer.
The provision of around the clock customer support, every day of the week is very important to prospective web owners. Especially those owners who are new to an internet business will consider this vital. To be able to access technical support urgently, should they run into any teething problems, when a new website is being launched would be very useful.
If the site is sales oriented, then customers need to have the facility to make instant purchases of the product or the service being offered while at the site. Therefore, they have to be provided with a shopping cart and, more importantly, have the ability to make payment using a secure server. Auto responders, multiple e-mail addresses, pop mailboxes, etc., are ancillary facilities that help the website owner to build a data base and keep in contact with the clients on a regular basis.
Last, but not least, is the cost. While customers expect to pay for the facility, they have to try to keep the overheads low. Therefore, they would be shopping around to get the best deal available. The opportunity is also available for the host company to offer free hosting in return for advertising on the website. Banners, pop-up windows and advertising frames are some forms that could be used for this purpose.
To summarize, prospective website owners will look for features, reliability, up-time, technical support and affordability when choosing a good web hosting company.
Sufficient Band Width and, if possible, unlimited Traffic are important features for a business website. Traffic is the heart and soul of an internet business which sells a service or a product. The various file types and sizes that are capable of being uploaded increases the flexibility of the website. More file types and very little limitation on the file size can be an important feature. File Transfer Protocol, the ability to upload a file from one computer to another, is a must have capability. This gives the owner more flexibility to add content to the site.
The disc space allocated to the website on the server should be capable of supporting a quality website. Having the capacity to allow an increase of the disc space, if needed in the future, is a factor the host company should take into account. At least 5MB of disc space initially is a reasonable start.
A major feature that customers could look for is the reliability and up-time. The information upload time should be at least above 99.5% with 99.9% being optimum. A site that is constantly down or slow to upload can be very frustrating for the visitors to the site and could lead to the owner losing customers. Offering to back-up the information on a regular basis also adds value to the offer.
The provision of around the clock customer support, every day of the week is very important to prospective web owners. Especially those owners who are new to an internet business will consider this vital. To be able to access technical support urgently, should they run into any teething problems, when a new website is being launched would be very useful.
If the site is sales oriented, then customers need to have the facility to make instant purchases of the product or the service being offered while at the site. Therefore, they have to be provided with a shopping cart and, more importantly, have the ability to make payment using a secure server. Auto responders, multiple e-mail addresses, pop mailboxes, etc., are ancillary facilities that help the website owner to build a data base and keep in contact with the clients on a regular basis.
Last, but not least, is the cost. While customers expect to pay for the facility, they have to try to keep the overheads low. Therefore, they would be shopping around to get the best deal available. The opportunity is also available for the host company to offer free hosting in return for advertising on the website. Banners, pop-up windows and advertising frames are some forms that could be used for this purpose.
To summarize, prospective website owners will look for features, reliability, up-time, technical support and affordability when choosing a good web hosting company.
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