5 Important Features and Services to Look for in a Web Host

Hosting a website to showcase the company is more important than ever. It has become less common for companies to use certain marketing techniques such as brochures and yellow page advertisements; instead there is a high reliance on websites.

The method to communicate a company’s message through the website is a fraction of the cost of other, more traditional, marketing methods. In these tough economic times business owners can’t afford to miss the opportunities the web offers. At the same time, choosing the right hosting company can be one of the biggest decisions in making the web work for your business.

So when choosing a Web host, you should focus on getting what you need at a price point you can afford. Shopping around to find a host and a solution that fulfills your needs for a website ensures that your new site will be an asset to the success of your business.

Chris Conley of C Solutions Inc, a software development company, and a 1&1 customer, found that 1&1 Internet offered him the features he needed to build up his growing business. “I used a professional design firm to build my website from a template many years ago. But by looking into 1&1 Internet, I realized that the affordable price for such great features and rock solid reliability could not be passed and I began to work closely with them [1&1 Internet],” said Conley.

Some important features and services to look for in a Web host include:

Technical Support

A Web host offering 24/7 customer support is putting an emphasis on supporting their customers. Customers can get answers when they encounter issues or if a simple question arises about their hosted solutions. Constant accessibility to a support team is especially important to businesses that rely on their Web host to provide dependable service.

Space

The amount of space required for a website will depend on the growth expectancy of the site and what its primary use will be. For example, a website that will incorporate music and videos will need more space than one that only includes text. If you are unsure about how much storage is needed, look for an option that provides flexibility to increase or decrease Web space as your company needs’ change.

Reliability

“If a prospective client receives a poor impression of your company due to weak or spotty services, it will reflect negatively on your business,” said Conley. He advises business owners to look for a dependable Web host that offers over 99% reliability, like 1&1 Internet. “With such a dependable company, you can rest assured your company’s website will be shown properly and reliably.”

Statistics

Website statistics are a great marketing tool. Business owners can use the data to learn how many visitors the website has, which pages are most popular, how the visitors are arriving to the website, and if the site is experiencing errors. These facts can be a guide to determine how to optimize each section or feature of the site. Owners can also work to resolve any issues that arise and try to prevent them from occurring again, thus keeping potential customers satisfied.

Price

Price is an important factor when discussing IT for your business. When choosing a Web host, be careful that you don’t judge providers by their pricing. The most expensive provider may not give you the most features at the best price. Conley chose 1&1 Internet because of the value he was getting for the very competitive price. All features he needed were accompanied with great reliability and support.

“As my hosting company, 1&1 has proven to be a great partner in getting my company’s message out to clients and prospects everywhere. I am now excited to say that I have clients all over the world with the help of my Web host,” said Conley. Businesses are encouraged to make a list of every feature that is needed for their website to include. Use it to compare similar Web products, and then pick the one that provides you with what you need without hurting the budget.

About the Author: This article was contributed by Kelly Meeneghan, Public Relations Assistant at 1&1 Internet Inc

Photo Credit: WWW?

Want to be our next guest author? Click here for details…

Email: