10 Questions for Hosting
1. Disk Space Size
Most hosting providers allocate and offer 1000, 5000, 10000 MB of web space in their hosting packages.
Such web space capacities satisfy the needs of most clients.
However, if you plan to present a serious project on the Internet and aim for large-scale operations (online stores, graphics, archives, large amounts of video and photo files), then you will need a large amount of disk space.
Tell us about your project, and we will recommend which type of service listed below you need:
Free virtual hosting
Virtual hosting
Virtual private server
Virtual dedicated server
Dedicated physical server
Colocation (placing your server on our platform)
2. FTP access, email, databases, scripts
Fortunately, most hosting providers more or less meet these requirements.
You can access your website via the FTP protocol, receive the required number of POP-3 (email) accounts, obtain your own MySQL databases, etc.
Be sure to check with your hosting provider whether they offer the following services:
CGI services, Perl support, C, PHP, MySQL, Zend. Also check whether you need to pay additional fees for these services.
3. Are there any additional charges on the existing packages
Some hosting providers impose additional charges on existing packages.
Such charges may include:
additional outgoing traffic (the amount of information transferred from the server), as well as the use of additional services within the web space you have rented.
Be sure to уточнить whether there are any additional charges.
4. Support service
An essential condition for determining the quality of web hosting is 24-hour technical support via email or phone.
You must обязательно be provided with contact information.
If possible, find out the opinions of users who are already using or have used this hosting provider’s services. As a rule, their opinions are the most objective and reflect the real situation.
Conduct a small test. Call the provider company and ask questions about information that is already available on their website. See how quickly you can reach them and how they respond.
If they respond unwillingly or ask you to visit them for additional information, you should not consider hosting your website with such a provider.
5. Server user/traffic statistics.
You should have full statistics of your website visits.
This includes:
There are many additional statistics. The more you know about your website activity, the better you can plan activity, make forecasts, and plan advertising campaigns and sales.
Be sure to request log file storage. This is important statistical information.
6. Domains and subdomains.
Find out whether your hosting provider offers subdomains.
Without paying additional fees, your selected hosting package should typically include 5 to 10 subdomains for free.
Be sure to уточнить the conditions of their use!
Even if you do not plan to create them at this stage, they may become useful in the future and you will likely need them.
If you plan to open a forum, you can assign it the address http://.forum.yoursite.ge/ or for a shop http://.shop.yoursite.ge/, and for gifts http://gifts.yoursite.ge/ etc.
7. ჰოსტ პროვაიდერის ინტერენეტ არხების სიჩქარე
If you want your website to be accessible, the data transfer speed should not be less than 1 Gb/sec.
Visit websites that are hosted on the servers of your chosen hosting provider.
Observe page loading times. Also try to find out the opinions of users who already use this hosting provider’s services.
8. Security systems and hosting reliability
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Hosting Reliability
Although this list is not a complete list of hosting reliability factors, even a failure in one of these points can lead your website to failure. The time during which the server remains stable, expressed as a percentage over the total observation time (so-called UpTime), reflects hosting reliability. It is clear that achieving a full 100% UpTime is impossible due to necessary maintenance work on the server. However, for reliable hosting, quick execution of such work and rapid resolution of возникающих issues are a high priority, which in practice does not significantly affect UpTime. Along with the qualifications of the service personnel, hardware reliability plays a major role in achieving high UpTime. Some hosting providers, trying to reduce costs, use self-assembled computers instead of specialized server hardware designed specifically for hosting. This is absolutely unacceptable in terms of reliability and long-term operation. Such computers cannot maintain 24-hour operation, which leads to постоянные outages, website inaccessibility, etc. |
9. Email
If you have a domain name, the hosting provider, according to your selected package, is obliged to provide you with email accounts within your domain. For example yourname@yorsite.ge
How many POP3 email accounts should you have?
It is recommended to have at least 5 POP3 email accounts. Maximum — unlimited. The provider must also offer a web panel that allows you to check your email from any computer in the world.
Email forwarding — a function for redirecting incoming mail both within your domain and outside it. Autoresponder — a function that sends automatic replies to users without your involvement.
Mailing list — availability of email distribution lists from your account.
10. Visit the company's office
This is very important.
Talk to the customer service department, review the company’s staff, observe their level of preparation, communication culture, and overall psychological environment.
If you see stability and reliability in the company you have chosen, if they treat you as you need, and if other clients recommend this company, then you have made the right choice and the correct decision.
