Hosting A Web Site
A web site Host is typically where
your web site is located so that your visitors can access and
view your web site using your domain name. The domain name, such
as www.adapdevit.com is
pointed to this hosting provider, which in turn points to your
web site
Many ISP’s allow you to host your site on
their servers as part of your ISP registered account. They limit
space for this to generally 5 to 10 Meg. This option also has
many drawbacks in the area of support and services.
Your web site may need ecommerce capabilities
if you have goods or services to sell. You may also have scripting
or database requirements if your site needs to store and sort
information. Free or ISP host services rarely provide this level
of sophistication and their servers do not have the space to accommodate
these features.
Finding a good hosting provider is a lot like
finding a good business location. You need to find the right combination
of services and facilities for your business, at the right price.
Web-Site hosting is a very competitive business
and the platforms used, services and storage space offered varies
widely between companies. It is therefore very important that
you don't sign up with a host provider without first understanding
the needs of you new web-site. Let AdapDev help you with this
process.
Following are some basic issues to consider:
-
Reliability
If you have spent time and money creating a
fabulous web site and marketed it effectively you need to
know that when people type in the URL the site will be there.
Research the host and look for one with a Service Level Agreement
(SLA) that matches your needs.
-
Security
With all the news of hackers and viruses it
will come as no surprise that your chosen web host needs to
provide a high level of security. There are a variety of ways
people can illegally access your site and damage your business.
Whether hacking into the personal details of your customers
or attempting to bring your site down. You need to understand
the level of security a host is offering.
-
Speed
If your site's performance is slow or unpredictable
it won't matter how good your product is, people won't come
back. Ask about connection speed and some comparative examples.
-
Space
Hosting companies store the files that make
up your web-site on computers called servers. When you enter
into a hosting agreement you pay for a certain amount of space
on these servers. How much you need is entirely dependent
on the functionality your site will offer. Most personal web
sites would only require one megabyte of space. A basic professional
site might require 5 – 20MB. A fully ecommerce enabled,
content rich site could require 100MB or more. You need to
discuss your requirements with the hosting provider. Keep
in mind e-mail and images take more space than text. Make
sure you ask what is included in the space you are getting.
-
Scalability
When your site becomes an integral part of
your business you may attract more and more traffic and want
to add functionality such as e-commerce facilities. Make sure
you understand the options to increase your space and functionality
before you enter into a hosting arrangement.
-
Email capabilities
Most hosting providers will also provide e-mail
accounts such as yourname@yourcompany.com. Ask how many e-mail
aliases will come with your hosting agreement. How many will
you need?
-
Support
If you have a large site with a lot of traffic
you may require 24-hour technical support. Ask what level
of support the hosting vendor will provide. This should also
be covered in the SLA. Are there people available day and
night? How quickly will they respond?
