4 Tips for Avoiding Web Host Scams

Learn How to Pick the Best Host

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So youre looking for a web hosting company to host your great new site? Be sure to be on the lookout for the best deal and avoid the bad web hosts along the way. We put this article together to help you navigate the landmines and pitfalls of web hosting scams starting with the 4 tell-tale signs of a bad host. Here are the 4 tips:

Limited Support

Customer service is a very important aspect when looking for a new webhost. Anytime you have questions or problems, your web host should really just be a phone call away. One way is to call in and test out their phone service. You may also try to contact their online support and make sure the host actually handles their client questions quickly and professionally. Most major webhosting companies offer 24 hour/7 day a week support which is very convenient.

Unlimited Anything

Although it may sound like a fantastic deal, limitless features are not a good sign. No host is going to offer you unlimited space or especially bandwidth for an ultra low price. It just isnt going to happen. So be wary of the web hosting company that clams youll get unlimited features like these.

Please note that while a hosting company may offer you unlimited space or bandwidth for a month, your fees will likely skyrocket after that. The last thing you want is to have your site shut down because you went over your bandwidth quota for the month. This will cost you in customers and frustration. So remember that there will be a finite cap on your space and thats a good thing (otherwise theyre not being honest with you).

Web Hosting Contracts

Just like with virtually anything else out there (health clubs, phone services, internet providers, etc) you dont want to jump into a hosting plan that requires you to sign a contract. After all, if you do that, your host really has no incentive to keep you happy and can offer you mediocre services. For this reason, you should not choose a host that forces you to pay yearly.

We suggest trying the host out first for a few months and then upgrade to a yearly payment plan after you are confident youd like to stay with them. If you are happy with the service, go ahead and sign up for a year if there is a discount.

Uptime Myths

Unfortunately, no host can guarantee 100% uptime of your site as no one is perfect. Uptime is usually expressed as a percentage. In reality, your site should be available to surfers on the web very close to all of the time (but it would be nearly impossible for any host to guarantee 100% of the time).

A host that claims they have 100% uptime is probably not being truthful. There will always be problems from time to time. 100% uptime really is too good to be true. Respectable hosts will often say 99% uptime (sometimes it may be a little more, like 99.5% uptime).

Ask the support what the uptime is if it isnt listed right on the site. . You can find web hosting comparisons at http://top-5-web-hosting-charts.com/

Make sure take the time to find a reputable company who will ensure that your site will be online as much of the time as possible. Theres no excuse for excessive downtimes in the web hosting business.

Keep these 4 tips in mind when you shop for hosting.

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