A Host With the Most Things to know before selecting a Web host for your business.
By Chris Kivlehan
When it comes to choosing the right Internet host for their Web sites, many business owners know little about making the best decisions. Some questions for small business owners to ask are:
• What makes a good or bad Internet/Web host? • How can an Internet/Web host help or harm your business? • What are the different types of Internet/Web hosting services? Which ones are best for which industries? Types of Hosting Understanding the distinctions between shared, collocated, unmanaged dedicated and managed dedicated hosting will help 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, service providers have split into distinct categories, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
Shared Hosting Sometimes called virtual hosting, shared hosting means that you are sharing one server with a number of other clients of that hosting 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 negatively affect the performance of your site. Also, you are typically not able to install special software programs on these types of machines, because the host must keep a stable environment for all of the clients using the server.
Co-located Hosting This 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 hosts will offer management contracts to their collocation clients so that you can outsource much of the support to them. But, most co-location hosts do not offer this support service.
Unmanaged Dedicated Hosting This type of hosting is similar to co-location, except that you lease a server from the 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 among host companies. This type of server can be had for about $99 a 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, for example? 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 Many businesses needing Web hosting opt for a managed dedicated host. This means leasing a server from a host and having that company provide a robust level of support and maintenance on the server, backed by quality guarantees. This maintenance typically includes services such as server uptime monitoring, a hardware warranty, security patch updates and more. Make sure your managed dedicated host is specific about its included services, so that you can be sure they are not disguising an unmanaged dedicated offering as a managed dedicated server. Unfortunately, this has been known to happen, which is why it is important to do your homework and ask the right questions.
Good Clientele Like bricks and mortar, you want to be with a service provider that keeps good company.
Ask your potential Web host if its network has any blackholed IP addresses. Many hosts care little about what they are actually hosting on their networks, so long as the clients pay their bills. Many Web hosts allow porn sites, spammers and servers that create security issues on their network. These activities have a negative impact on other customers of that Web host. For example, when a network gets blackholed for spamming. Getting blackholed means that other networks will refuse e-mail that originates from IP addresses that are blacklisted. If IP addresses owned by your Web host are blacklisted, your e-mail may never get to its destination. This is troublesome in general, but can be particularly devastating if you rely on legitimate e-mail marketing to drive sales.
Before contracting with a Web host, ask to see if their networks are blackholed. Also, a third-party list of blackholed networks can be found at www.spamhaus.org/sbl/isp.lasso.
To understand the difference between spam and legitimate e-mail marketing, go to www.spamhaus.org/mailinglists.html. Don’t Confuse Size With Stability Just because a Web hosting company is big, it 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 other companies, which in some cases caused 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? • Has ownership remained stable? • Is the company profitable and cash flow positive from operation-generated revenue? 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 but little else in terms of support. And, when choosing the cheapest option, the connection might be running at maximum capacity or have considerable downtime. Data Center Security When dealing with smaller vendors, make sure 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? Technical Support Before choosing a Web host, it’s a good idea to find out if they have 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 assist when you need help.
Flexibility and Experience It is important that host companies understand how important quality servers are to their clients’ businesses. Even most managed dedicated hosts will not support applications that are not part of their initial server setup. Find a host 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.
Check References 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? Before contracting with any service provider, it’s a good idea to talk with some of their current clients.
Avoid Extra Charges Make sure any host you consider provides you with a comprehensive list outlining the support they offer, so that you understand what is supported for free, what is supported for an extra 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.
Chris Kivlehan is the marketing manager for INetU Managed Hosting, a Pennsylvania-based hosting provider that specializes in managed dedicated hosting for businesses nationwide. Chris can be reached at (610) 266-7441 or .
