How to avoid bad web hosting before it's too late?
- Thread starter Nathan92
- Start date
sam.hunt0710
Moderator
every hosting service provide has some pros and cons it all depends upon your budget. Before selecting any hosting service provider check there market reputation , how much bandwidth they are offering , what is the downtime , whether they are giving shared hosting or dedicated ip , and above all there support system...these are some basic things you must check first before purchasing a hosting package.
RDO Servers
Active Member
There are several things to consider when shopping for web hosting.
A) Avoid hosting brands that are owned by Endurance International Group. This company has a long history of buying successful web hosting companies. The problem is, most customers report declining service and support after being bought out.
B) Check personal reviews. If you can't find any reviews, that is OK, but if you find a lot of negative reviews, be very cautious.
C) Do not trust web hosting ranking sites. Sadly, many of these sites are fake and full of referral links.
D) Compare features. What does your website need to run properly?
E) Compare price, but remember, "you get what you pay for". Everyone want cheap or even free hosting. If a host is only charging $1/month, chances are they are either overselling their servers, or are not able to provide quality services & support and still stay in business.
F) Nothing is really unlimited. Hosts that offer unlimited space, have other limits hidden in their TOS.
H) If you really want to test out a web host, purchase their cheapest hosting plan. Play with it, mess it up, submit some support tickets. If they take good care of a low package customer, chances are they take good care of all customers.
Hope this helps!
A) Avoid hosting brands that are owned by Endurance International Group. This company has a long history of buying successful web hosting companies. The problem is, most customers report declining service and support after being bought out.
B) Check personal reviews. If you can't find any reviews, that is OK, but if you find a lot of negative reviews, be very cautious.
C) Do not trust web hosting ranking sites. Sadly, many of these sites are fake and full of referral links.
D) Compare features. What does your website need to run properly?
E) Compare price, but remember, "you get what you pay for". Everyone want cheap or even free hosting. If a host is only charging $1/month, chances are they are either overselling their servers, or are not able to provide quality services & support and still stay in business.
F) Nothing is really unlimited. Hosts that offer unlimited space, have other limits hidden in their TOS.
H) If you really want to test out a web host, purchase their cheapest hosting plan. Play with it, mess it up, submit some support tickets. If they take good care of a low package customer, chances are they take good care of all customers.
Hope this helps!
Hostlumina
Active Member
There is absolutely no way to tell, however you can reduce the risks.
1 - Have a realistic budget.
2 - Put yourself in the shoes of the business if it was your own and ask yourself such things as..
- Can I survive offering 2 dollar hosting a month?
- Are the services or features realistic based on my prices?
- Template website or custom? - Why you ask... well has the service provided invested on their business or picked up a $60 pre-made site to be up and running within hours.
3 - Research the host through the web and look at their interactions online in general. You will be amazed what you find, bad vibe + the redflags will come up based on their interactions to get a client.
4 - Do not be afraid to ask pre-sales questions. You have every right and that is why sales departments exist.
5 - Money back guarantee. If they are confident they will offer this and if so far your research has showed positive experience for the provider, this will allow you to "try" their services and if they are not for you. You can get your money back.
6 - Be open to raise your budget if you believe you have found a host that meets every requirement, you have heard/read positive feedback on, and have good vibe on.
7 - Become a detective - Research the business, read their about us, ask them if they are registered and if you can check if the business is registered, look at their domain information and does it make sense, etc...
It's unfortunate that all this work has to go into finding a service now a days. Unfortunately the amount of overnight providers or business with lack of business sense/plan is unbelievable due to trying to make a quick buck by giving something unrealistic in return.
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Smith-K
Member
There are hosting companies that offer a full refund even after 60 days of using their services, it's because they believe in their service. One should also try to compare the hosting prices on review sites. Normally, the reviews being posted on such sites are honest and not fake. Also, try to understand your hosting needs first before opting for the right choice.
david smith
Member
Web hosting is a service, and it can be experienced only after the service is availed. Thus before signing for any web hosting plan with a web host is it better to check for reviews and read the TOS. Select minimum billing cycle and if the web host is the right one, then the billing cycle can be extended but is the web host is not up to the expectation then it is better to leave the web host.
Dean
Well-Known Member
This is a good point that you make and something that I recommend to others myself.
If you are not 100% sure about a web hosting provider it's always best to get the shortest billing cycle (usually a month) and try the host out to see how good they work out for you.
If all is good and you are happy then you can signup for a longer term.This way you don't pay for a web hosting service then find out it's a bad host and get more problems to deal with.
ulterios
Well-Known Member
The best thing to do is to search and find as much good information on any web host that you are considering using.
Sometimes it's hard to find good quality and RELIABLE information on web hosts but with a little time and effort you can usually find something to help with your decision.
If at all possible, try to find current or previous customers of any web hosting service that you are considering. You can post on relevant forms where customers might be like this one or some webmaster related forums and ask for input.
Sometimes it's hard to find good quality and RELIABLE information on web hosts but with a little time and effort you can usually find something to help with your decision.
If at all possible, try to find current or previous customers of any web hosting service that you are considering. You can post on relevant forms where customers might be like this one or some webmaster related forums and ask for input.
jpy
Member
Just a thought. Maybe you could test out the hosting of places with some website that you don't view as that important, then, once you see the hosting is good, you can move your important stuff over to it. However, though, if your important site or sites aren't that big, then moving them around wouldn't be that big a deal anyway.