5 Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing a Web Host

Choosing the right web host is important, but it isn’t easy. In fact most people make a whole lot of mistakes when they choose their very first web host, and end up regretting it later on.

If possible you should definitely learn as much as you can about web hosts before you make any final decisions. On top of that it would also help to know some of the more common mistakes that others make, and avoid them.

Falling for the ‘Unlimited’ Trick

To put it simply, unlimited web hosts are a myth. Although you’ll see countless claims by web hosts that state they offer ‘unlimited bandwidth’ or ‘unlimited storage’, it is really just empty advertising.

In reality unlimited web hosts are really just shared servers. While technically your website will have ‘unlimited’ access to the server’s resources, the hundreds or thousands of other websites that are on the same server will have that too.

At the end of the day that means that the same pool of resources will be shared over a large number of websites, and you’ll end up getting very little of it. All in all that makes any ‘unlimited’ web host extremely limited.

Not Knowing What You Need

Do you know what you need in a web host? For most first timers the answer is definitely: No.

As you can imagine if you don’t know what you need, you probably aren’t going to be able to find it. That is why your first step when looking for a web host should be to do your research and figure out exactly what you need in terms of features, resources, and so on.

The best approach is to outline the type of website that you want to create and the traffic you expect to receive. Based on that you should be able to identify what you need much more easily.

Selecting a Free Web Host

When it comes to web hosts you really do get what you pay for, and it should come as no surprise that with free web hosts you get very little. Most free web hosts have very limited resources, and your website will likely suffer from slow loading speeds or even significant downtime.

Generally you’ll have little or no control if you use a free web host. Many of them will place unsolicited 3rd party advertisements, and you won’t be able to do much about that either.

The worst part about free web hosts is that you won’t be able to scale your website at all as it grows. Although you could technically migrate to a different web host when that happens, it may not always be as easy as it sounds.

Overlooking Customer Service

Amidst looking into all the various other things that you feel you need in a web host, it can be easy to overlook the customer service that is provided. Unfortunately that can lead to problems later on, especially when you run into any technical issues.

At the end of the day you should always make sure that the customer service is available when you need them the most. If it isn’t then when server or website issues crop up you may be unable to resolve them for hours or days.

Ideally you should try to look for a web host that offers 24-hour customer service, including live chat, email, and a variety of other ways that you can get in touch. Assuming it is possible, you should try to test the customer service response rate as well.

Not Checking Reviews

Before you choose a web host you should always check for reviews. Unsurprisingly every web host claims to be the ‘best’ – and reviews are your only way to find out what users actually think about them.

If you do check for reviews, you should try to make sure they are real – and not just promotional reviews that advertise the web host. The reviews should be recent, balanced, and help you to discover both the pros and the cons.

Be sure to focus on the most important areas as you read any reviews. In particular you should try to find out about the overall performance, customer service, complaints, security, and so on.

Final Words

Always take your time when you’re choosing a hosting service and do your homework beforehand. If you do then avoiding the mistakes listed above should be relatively easy, especially now that you know what to be wary of.

It should be noted that while these mistakes are the most common, they are by no means the only ones that you could make. That is why you should take care when you are making your choice, and weigh all your options carefully before coming to a final decision.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.