It may seem simple yet it is often times overlooked. When it comes to
choosing the right Internet hosting provider for their websites, the majority of
business owners or companies know very little about making the best Internet/web
hosting decisions.

• What makes a good Internet/web hoster for a business website? What makes a
  bad one?
• How can the wrong Internet/web hoster help/harm your business?
• What are the different types of Internet/web hosting services? Which ones
  are best for which industries?

Here are some tips to help you make the right decisions:




1. Understand the distinctions between shared, collocated, unmanaged
dedicated & managed dedicated hosting so you choose the one that is right for
your business.



It is crucial to understand the difference between the types of hosting offered.
As the hosting industry has matured, hosting offers have split into a couple of
distinct categories, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.



Shared hosting (sometimes called virtual hosting), means that you are sharing
one server with a number of other clients of that company. The host manages the
server almost completely (though you maintain your site and your account). They
can afford to charge you little since many clients are paying for use of the
server. However, companies other than yours are using the resources of that
server. That means heavy traffic to one of the other sites on the server can
really hammer the performance of your site. Also, you are typically not able to
install special software programs on these types of machines, because the host
will need to keep a stable environment for all of the clients using the server.




Collocated hosting means that you purchase a server from a hardware vendor, like
Dell or HP for example, and you supply this server to the host. The host will
then plug your server into its network and its redundant power systems. The host
is responsible for making sure its network is available, and you are responsible
for all support and maintenance of your server. Good hosters will offer
management contracts to their collocation clients so that you can outsource much
of the support to them and come to an arrangement similar to managed dedicated
hosting. Most collocation hosts do not offer this service, however.



Unmanaged dedicated hosting is very similar to collocation, except that you
lease a server from a host and do not actually own it yourself. Some very
limited support (typically Web-based only) is included, but the level of support
varies widely from unmanaged dedicated host to unmanaged dedicated host. This
type of server can be had for around $99/month. Support levels are typically
only provided in general terms. Ask the host to go into specifics about what
support they will provide -- will they apply security patches to your server? --
before signing up. This service is typically good for gaming servers (like Doom
or Counterstrike servers) or hobbyist servers, but not for serious businesses
that need responsive, expert-level service.



Managed dedicated hosting means leasing a server from a host and having that
company provide a robust level of support and maintenance on the server that is
backed by quality guarantees. This maintenance typically includes that services
such as server uptime monitoring, a hardware warranty, security patch updates
and more. Be sure to make sure your managed dedicated host is specific about its
managed services included so that you can be sure they are not disguising an
unmanaged dedicated offering as a managed dedicated server. This has been known
to happen unfortunately, which is why it is important to do your homework and
ask the right questions.



2. Ask If Your Potential Host's Network Has Blackholed Ips.



Many hosts care little about who is actually hosting on their networks, so long
as the clients pay their bill. That means many hosters will allow porn sites,
SPAMMERS and servers that create security issues on their network for the sake
of the dollar. Even if you are to place ethical issues aside, this does have a
negative impact on customers in general, however, when a network gets blackholed
for spamming, for example. Getting blackholed means that other networks will
refuse e-mail originated from IPs that are blacklisted. Some hosts have a number
of entire class C (up to 256 IPs) networks blackholed and redistribute these
tainted IPs to new clients. That means if your business relies on legitimate
closed loop opt-in e-mail marketing to drive sales, being on such a network can
severely cut response to your campaign because your e-mail may never get to its
destination.



Check with any hosts you are considering to see if their networks are blackholed.
Also, here is a link to a third party source that tracks blackholed networks and
lists them: http://www.spamhaus.org/sbl/isp.lasso



The following URL is a good resource to help you understand what is labeled SPAM
and what isn’t: http://www.spamhaus.org/mailinglists.html



3. Don't Confuse Size With Stability.



Just because a web hosting company is big, does not mean it is stable and
secure. In fact, many of the biggest filed for bankruptcy protection or were
saved by being sold to some other company, in some cases causing uncomfortable
transitions in service for their clients. How do you protect yourself? Ask some
key questions:



How long the has the host been in business?



Is current ownership the same as always?



Are they profitable and cash flow positive from operation-generated revenue?



4. Don't Make Price Your Only Priority.



The old saying "you get what you pay for" applies to most things in life, and
hosting is certainly one of those things. When you over-prioritize price, you
run the risk of ending up with a host that will provide you with a connection to
the Internet and little else in terms of support (and even that connection may
be running at maximum capacity or have uptime issues).



5. Make Sure Your Host Has Fully Redundant Data Centers.



When dealing with smaller vendors, make sure that they have their own data
centers and that those data centers are fully redundant in terms of power and
connectivity. Here are a few questions to ask:



How many lines do they have coming into the facility?



What is the average utilization of their connections?



(No matter how large the connection, it if is running at maximum capacity it
will be slow.)



Do they have redundant power to the servers?



Do they have a generator on-site?



How often do they test their generator?



What sort of security measures do they have in place for the network?



What physical security do they have?



What type of fire suppression systems do they have in place?



6. Find Out If They Have Actual Experienced Systems Administrators On Their
Support Staff.



When you call in for technical support, it can be a frustrating experience to be
stuck talking with a non-technical "customer service" representative when you
really need to talk to a systems administrator who can resolve your issues. Find
out the structure of their support department, how quickly you can get to an
actual systems administrator when you need to, and which systems administrators
can help you when you need help.



7. Make Sure The Host Is Flexible.



It is important that the hoster understands how important quality servers are to
their clients’ businesses. Even most managed dedicated hosts will not go near
supporting applications that are not part of their initial server setup. Find a
hoster that has a vast amount of experience to support a wide variety of
applications, and one that can bring that expertise to you through their
services.



8. Find Out What Their Former/Current Clients Say About Them.



Can your prospective host provide you with success stories for clients with
similar configurations to yours? Are they able to provide references from
clients who can tell you about their experience using that company?



9. Make Sure The Host’s Support Doesn’t Include Extra Charges.



Make sure any host you consider provides you with a comprehensive list outlining
the support they offer so that you can have an understanding of what is
supported for free, what is supported at a fee, and what is not supported at
all. Many hosts will try to hide a sub-standard level of free support behind
non-specific statements of high quality support, so make them get specific to
win your business.

By Chris Kivlehan

Chris Kivlehan is the Marketing Manager for
INetU Managed Hosting. INetU is an award-winning Allentown,
Pennsylvania-based hosting provider that specializes in managed dedicated
hosting for businesses nationwide in the online retailing, web development,
e-learning, financial services and online marketing industries, as well as for
governments, non-profits and civic institutions.

Bookmark/Search this post with:

| | | | | | | | | | |