|
|
Web Hosting: To Switch or to Stay?
by: Joelene Wickens
Orlando
That’s a
question that can only be answered by you.
Depending on your current status and
relationship you have with your provider,
along with your evolving business objectives
and needs, can determine what course of
action to pursue. What are your issues and
concerns? Ask yourself some basic questions
and see where you stand after you’ve
answered them. -Are you no longer satisfied
with your current provider? -Did they
deliver on the level of services that you
signed up for? -Has technical support and
customer service been to your satisfaction?
-Or has your business grown considerably,
and the hosting company cannot provide you
with the level of capability and technical
support you require?
Technically
speaking, if you’re looking for solutions
out of frustration, or even a new web
hosting provider, you’re either very
unsatisfied with the service, or you find
that they cannot provide you the service you
are looking for to handle your business.
Switching isn’t always a bad thing to do,
especially if your business isn’t doing well
with that one particular provider. It’s time
to move on and get your online presence back
on track. Unfortunately, for every good
thing, there is a negative side. The flip
side of finding a new provider is that
you’re back at square one. Before you
decide, whether to stay or switch, do some
research and find some indicators to help
you make a sound decision.
The last thing
you want to do is be surprised, even though
you may have seen the writing on the wall
with your web host provider, but didn’t jump
on the intuition that something was brewing.
If your web host goes under, or doesn’t
address your technical problems, you could
lose sales, and what’s worse; you may not be
accessible to users on the Internet. A good
theory with anything is to have Plan B, to
handle those setbacks that could otherwise
be devastating to your business. To stay in
the loop, and on top of your business, here
are some things to be on the look out for in
regards to your web host provider.
-Support is
nowhere to be found. This is one big
indicator that the provider is having some
difficulties within the business. You’re not
getting prompt attention when you call or
email with concerns or issues. If they fail
to respond to your emails or calls, you have
a reason to be concerned. The company may
have laid off staff, or is disorganized in
processing customer service requests, which
could indicate financial difficulties. If
you have tried numerous attempts in phoning,
or emailing to reach a human person to
respond, it’s time to find a new host
provider before that hosting company goes
under. Keep in mind, the better the support
center and technical support; the more
stable the web host provider. -Free is not
always good. Web hosting companies that
offer free services or services of a minimal
charge where they cannot make a profit are
ones that are generally in trouble. Stay
clear of those, and if you started out with
one of these ‘freebies’, it would be a good
idea to find a good reputable paying
service. If you haven’t run into any
problems, consider yourself very lucky. But
do decide if you feel comfortable with the
prospective performance of such a company in
the long term, and ask yourself how the
company can turn a profit with no rates or
low rates. Always remember, ‘you get what
you pay for.’ -Reputation of the Web Host.
With the nature of the thousands of web
hosting providers online, they are
relatively very low profile and you don’t
really read or hear anything particular
about them. But if you find coverage
regarding a web host company, make sure it’s
good stuff; otherwise you know what action
to take if it’s negative. Stay on top of
your web host provider newsletters and
articles about changes in management, a
buyout, a merger, or layoffs. Be aware of
such changes, though certainly not always,
result in decreased communication or support
for the client. If it smells fishy, go with
that gut feeling, and find a new host.
-Visit the Web
Site of the Web Host regularly. Participate
in various discussion groups or forums to
see what other businesses are saying about
the web host provider. See a lot of
negativity? You should have a backup plan
ready to go if you are viewing mainly
complaints and problems with poor customer
support and the quality of service. That’s a
sure sign that the provider isn’t doing
well. Check out their website to see if
their prices are grossly inflated compared
to what you purchased the service for.
Granted, businesses need to have price
increases every now and then, but if they
seen overly inflated, that’s a sure sign
that something is seriously wrong. Make sure
that the web host provider is still
providing services and packages. If you find
that it isn’t being offered or the site
itself has changed with less to offer, which
tells you that the company may be phasing
out of operation. You want to be hosting
with someone else before they shut down.
-Limited
service or capabilities. You may be having a
great relationship with your current
provider, but your business needs have grown
and your web host cannot accommodate your
upgrade capabilities and technical support
for your growing company. You have no other
option, than to leave this host on a good
note, and find one that will offer you the
approximate service and surpass the previous
host provider.
Every website
needs a home and any web host provider will
gladly (beg) house your site. If you’ve made
the decision to go with a new provider, it’s
time to go on a new search. The best advice
is to select a provider with many years of
experience is a smart decision... Listen to
your colleagues and go where they have had
the best luck and let them show you what
their web host provider is doing for them.
Hopefully, with the experience you have
learned with your previous web host
provider, you will make the right long term
choice.
<< Back to "Web Design
Company" Index
|
|
