How To Meet The (mostly) Perfect Web Host

A perfect web host can be as hard to track down as the proverbial matchless mate. Only your Aunt Sally isn’t constantly trying to hook you up with the perfect web host.

If you’ve spent much time looking you’ve probably heard numerous times that there is no such thing as a “perfect” web host. They are, after all, just a combination of people and machines; both inherently fallible and both subject to the whims of fate and likely to fail us at a critical moment. But, if we accept the fact that web hosts are fallible just as people are, then I think many of the same criteria we use for finding the “perfect mate” can be used in our search of the “perfect web host”.

So, where to start? Start with yourself and your needs; self evaluation is critical before starting any long-term relationship. What needs are you trying to fill? Do you want to start a personal blog? An e-commerce web site? A family web site? A forum to discuss urban landscaping?

The type of web site you intend to build can help to determine the type of host you need. An e-commerce site that will (hopefully) generate lots of traffic will likely need the power of dedicated servers, whereas a family web site will likely do quite well on a shared server.

Are you new to the whole web hosting scene? Avoid the desire to be a wall flower and look for somebody that will treat you with tenderness and respect. Focus on customer service, look for reviews indicating great communication and support along with lots of ease-of-use features. After you’ve made a choice, test their support services early on before you have a lot of time and effort committed to your site. Send emails, make phone calls, use the online support to see how quickly they respond and how helpful they are. If you’re not satisfied don’t stick around hoping they’ll change…they never change.

Try to have some idea what software you will need before you start searching for a host. Many hosts provide free and easy to use software packages for things like blogging and forums. If you are planning something more involved, make sure the host can support it. If you’re a PHP type and your host is strictly ASP, you will never be compatible.

Been there before? Use your prior experience to look for those things that have worked for you in the past. And, although I shouldn’t have to say it, stay away from the things that have burned you before. If you’ve learned the hard way that a terabyte of storage doesn’t always mean a terabyte of storage, use that experience and read the fine print this time.

A clear understanding of your needs along with careful research can net you a partnership that you can both be happy with. Remember to always read through the details and always be prepared to leave.

So, there’s no such thing as a perfect web host. If you’re careful in defining your objectives and do some conscientious research you can find one that you will be happy with for the long term.